Some eight years have passed since FC Dallas last won a playoff series. The last time it happened was in 1999, when the Dallas Burn defeated Chicago in a best-of-three series in the quarterfinals, before falling to the L.A. Galaxy. Current Hoops veteran Bobby Rhine, who is in his 10th MLS season, was a 23-year-old rookie forward on that team.
In its six playoff appearances since, FCD has been one-and-done. Last fall, they took a 1-0 lead after the opening leg of the Western Conference Semifinals against Houston at home but were outscored by the eventual MLS Cup champions 4-1 in the Bayou City and fell 5-1 on aggregate.
Since then, FCD head coach Steve Morrow has changed things up a bit. Gone is the 4-4-2 formation that was the norm for the past few seasons for a system in which the Hoops will employ a three-man back line, something Morrow feels will benefit his side in 2008 and could help them reverse their recent history of playoff failure.
Last year, the Hoops surrendered 44 goals, which ranked them ninth in MLS and surrendered three or more goals in a game on six occasions. Half of the starting back four of a year ago departed in the offseason and Morrow feels that he is starting from scratch by using a three-man back line.
"It is what we're going to go with and what we want to stick with," Morrow said. "It can easily become a back four when needed. We're working a lot with the outside guys to get back into defensive positions and to provide cover. We can become a back five too when we need to. We can be defensive when we need to be and can throw more bodies forward as well."
Central to the three-man back line was the signing of ex-Club America captain and former Mexican national team regular Duilio Davino in January. He will play in the middle and is expected to anchor and organize the entire rearguard for the Hoops. Davino was injured late in preseason but should be ready to go for the season opener on March 30 against Chivas USA.
Having Davino in front of him is something that's just fine with FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala. "I can see that with Duilio (Davino) on defense and us doing the three-man back line that I am very comfortable with that," he said. "It lets me play liberal and be a sweeper/keeper. I grew up in South America playing that way professionally."
For defender Adrian Serioux, adjusting to three in the back is an ongoing thing. "Playing with a back three is difficult for any team and most teams aren't capable of doing it," he said. "With the three that we have back there right now and everybody else, it's working well right now. Hopefully we don't get exposed but right now, we're holding on pretty well.
"Any formation you start the season with, you hope to want to get through the whole season with it," Serioux continued. "Right now, this is what we're going to start off with. We're working on certain things in practice right now so that we don't have to experience those breakdowns."
Morrow will likely have Davino in the middle, U.S. national team player Drew Moor on the right and Serioux on the left. Others who could see time in the back include Andrew Daniels, Michael Dello-Russo, Aaron Pitchkolan and Alex Yi.
In the midfield, it will likely be Dax McCarty, who led FCD with seven assists in 2007, on the right, Pablo Ricchetti and newcomer Andre Rocha in the middle with David Wagenfuhr at left wingback. Others who could see considerable time include Rhine, Marcelo Saragosa and Anthony Wallace.
The 6-foot-1 Rocha was another piece of Morrow's offseason rebuilding, coming from FCD's South American partner, Clube Atletico Paranaense in Brazil. But the Hoops head coach feels that the biggest difference between this year's squad and his 2007 team is that this one has much stronger team chemistry.
"We've made a few changes but not too many," Morrow said. "It's possibly the way that we're playing that feels a little bit different. The group off the field is even closer than it was last year. We've got such a great group of players that the team spirit is bigger and better than it was last year. We like what we've seen so far. It's a group who will work very hard for each other."
His players agree. "I think there's great team camaraderie this year," said Hoops forward Kenny Cooper. "We've had about two months of two-a-days, going to Brazil and being around each other a lot. I think we've put in good performances and the team unity is strong. They're fun guys to be around and it is a hard-working group."
Rhine, FCD's elder statesman, sees optimism in Frisco that excites both he and his fellow Hoops.
"I think there is great optimism," he said. "We know that this is an extremely talented and competitive group. You look at our midfield and it's a very deep, talented group. It's a collection of players that any manager in the league would like. As things come together, you look at our formation and we've had some very good moments, one of which was when we beat CAP down in Brazil (a 2-0 preseason victory). It's one of the more talented groups that we've had in a long time."
FCD should benefit greatly from having Sala fit. The veteran admitted that he entered preseason last year less than at 100 percent because he was facing a six-game suspension to start the year, but that isn't the case this year. While many expected the Argentinean to battle third-year upstart Ray Burse Jr. for the No. 1 spot, that battle never materialized mostly because Sala's play and his focus have been impeccable during preseason.
When healthy, Sala was solid in 2007 but a knee injury plagued him for much of the second half of the season and caused him to miss games. That ailment is now a thing of the past.
"I think I'm at 80-85 percent of where I want to be," Sala said. "Injuries were my only issue last year. I tried to fight through them and that made it worse. My performance wasn't as good and I didn't really help the team. I look to play smart this year and think that my fitness is better this year."
One other big change is the departure of forward Carlos Ruiz, who led FCD in scoring each of the last three seasons, after he was traded back to his former team, the L.A. Galaxy, in January. That means that the bulk of the offensive load will fall to 23-year-old striker Kenny Cooper, who had 11 goals and four assists in 2006, his first season in MLS, but had only four goals and two assists a year ago in a season shortened by a broken leg.
"I feel like I had a good season my first year here," Cooper said. "I also did some good things last year before my injury. I want to go beyond what I have achieved so far in this league. I have high ambitions and am motivated to do well this year. I want to keep setting the bar higher and higher for myself and have a really positive year."
For Cooper, that means bringing even more intensity to the Hoops in 2008.
"I want to be one of the first guys that Steve (Morrow) puts on his team sheet each and every week," he said. "I know I have to produce and my mindset is the same that it's always been, to make positive contributions to the team whether it's by scoring goals, getting assists or any way that I can. I want to be a team leader and one of the first guys on that sheet every week."
There are a number of possibilities about who will join Cooper up top for FCD. One is Arturo Alvarez, a member of the U.S. under-23 national team who had eight goals in all competitions last year and could play for the U.S. Olympic team. Alvarez is a midfielder but can also play striker and could be poised for a breakout year.
Other possibilities are Dominic Oduro, who has blinding speed and scored three goals with two assists a year ago, 19-year-old Brazilian Ricardinho and dependable workhorse Abe Thompson, who had five goals and four assists in 24 games last year.
"I think Ricardinho has looked very sharp in the preseason, which is exciting for us players," Rhine said. "Kenny (Cooper) is back to the form he had before his injury. And you know what you will get with Abe (Thompson) and Dom (Oduro).
Another option for FCD up top is to play 2007 all-star Juan Toja as a withdrawn forward just behind the front line. Toja had six goals and one assist a year ago before an ankle injury slowed him considerably later in the year. A knee contusion bothered him for much of preseason but the long-haired Colombian looks to have shaken that off and is ready to contribute again.
Whoever plays up top, Morrow will be seeking more offensive consistency than what he got a year ago. The 2007 Hoops scored 37 goals, fourth fewest in MLS. FCD only scored three goals in a game four times last year and had 11 games in which they failed to find the back of the net. That must change in 2008 if they are to be a factor in the West race.
Still, one knock on the Hoops over the last few years has been the lull that they seem to fall into during the late summer and/or early fall. Last year, FCD went just 1-4-1 in September and the year before 1-3-0 in August. But with Morrow having more of his own players on the roster, he hopes that is a thing of the past.
"As a coach, I don't think you're ever completely happy (with your team) but if you are, I think that you've become a little complacent," he said. "I certainly don't want to do that. I inherited a group last year that we got a lot out of but made some changes to that group and a few more this year.
"I feel like this is more my group of players that I wanted to bring in here. I think we've got a group of players to work with and work for this season. We're always looking to continue to improve and if there are better options out there that will continue to strengthen the team, we will always look to do that."
But in this, his second season at the helm, his approach has remained the same.
"My goal is always to make the starting 11 stronger and stronger," Morrow said. "But it's not just the starting 11. You're probably looking at 15 or 16 guys who will play most of the games and that's the core group that we want to make sure is the strongest group in the league. I think we're doing that."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
