To begin the light morning training session, assistant coach Steve Morrow took the team on a jog around the soccer complex. The training session Wednesday was meant for recovery and was light. After the jog, the team lined up in straight lines with one player in the middle and two players on the outside. They practiced their one touch passing as the player in the middle would run to each side to get a five-yard pass. The player in the middle would go six passes to each side and each time they would move the cones in five yards and increase the tempo and the sharpness of the passing.
In the afternoon, the team worked on some minor and light dribbling and passing drills before playing a three-team 6 v. 6 tournament. Morrow and Colin Clarke joined the fun, playing on two of the teams. The whole day was a recovery day for the team after playing two matches in two days on Monday and Tuesday in La Manga.
AND THE 2005 "SURVIVOR" WINNER IS ... :
The team had their final "Survivor" competitions Wednesday, with two challenges in the morning and one timed soccer course in the afternoon. In the morning, the first challenge saw Drew Moor and David Wagenfuhr go up against Simo Valakari and Carey Talley in soccer tennis. It was the best two out of three and each match went to three points. Valakari and Talley swept the two youngsters in two straight and Moor and Wagenfuhr were eliminated from the competition.
Next, the final eight contestants went up against each other in soccer golf to determine the 'final four' for the afternoon challenge. It was match play as Valakari defeated Talley, Ronnie O'Brien beat Jeff Cassar, Ty Maurin defeated Arturo Alvarez and Bobby Rhine beat Philip Salyer. The Final Four for the afternoon were Valakari, O'Brien, Maurin and Rhine.
For the Final Four, the coaches designed a timed soccer course that saw all four players compete against each other. The two best times advanced to the finals, where they would meet again on the same course. The course included striking balls to the back of the net from six yards out, the penalty kick area, 18 yards out and from the top of the arc. Following that, each player had to do 25 push-ups in a coned off box. The player, who selected a partner from the team, would then have his partner chip a ball to him that he would juggle 10 yards to a flag and then back to the coned off section. After 25 sit-ups and heading the ball at the top of each sit-up, the player would then strike a ball and try and hit the crossbar from the top of the arc.
O'Brien went first and finished the course in 3:10:04. Rhine went second and finished the course in 1:46:53. Valakari went third and finished the course in 1:39:48. Maurin went fourth and finished the course in 1:40:39.
Valakari and Maurin faced off to become the 2005 "Survivor" Champion. All the players were joking before the final that the two players in the finals were both players that Oscar Pareja traded on the first night of the competition.
In the final on the same course, Valakari went first and recorded a 1:55:89 and Maurin went second and posted a 1:34:56.
Ty Maurin is the new "FC Dallas Survivor Champion".
PLAYER NEWS:
Trailist Marc Wilson was unable to play Tuesday against Aalesund due to a back injury and will now head back home tonight from the team's training ... The team will have a gym workout Thursday morning before they check out of their hotel in La Manga and head to Madrid in the afternoon. The squad will stay in Madrid Thursday night and then fly back to Dallas on Friday evening, landing at DFW around 8 p.m. CT.
INJURY REPORT:
Ronnie O'Brien (Bruised Left Foot) - Day-to-Day (jogged around the pitch several times, but did not participate in ball drills)
Arturo Alvarez (Bone Bruise to Leg) - Day-to-Day (jogged lightly today)
Cornell Glen (Ankle Sprain) - Day-to-Day (still with team in Spain)
Eric Quill (Calf Strain) - Day-to-Day (returned to Dallas to get tests run on his calf)
Steve Jolley (Arthroscopic Knee Surgery) - Out 1-2 Weeks (is not with team in Spain)
Abe Thompson (Fractured Cheek Bone) - Out 3-5 Weeks (is not with team in Spain)
QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"Good game Carey, it was just a bad draw for you."
- FC Dallas Midfielder Simo Valakari after defeating Carey Talley in match play of soccer golf and advancing to the Final Four.
"The one that killed me was the one I went for and barely missed ... Oh and the four out of bounds."
- FC Dallas Defender Carey Talley after being eliminated in soccer golf by four strokes to Simo Valakari.
