This week, FC Dallas veteran Greg Vanney sits down with First XI to discuss, among other things, Saturday's opener vs. the Fire, the heart break of missing out on the 2002 World Cup, his team's plans to finally make Pizza Hut Park a home field advantage, and how anxious he and his teammates are to see how the chips fall in MLS this year.
11. What kind of form is Dallas in as we head into the opener?
Greg Vanney: I think we're in good form. We haven't played a ton of matches. The best match we've had to date was the Atlas match. We came out a little sluggish in the first half, but in the second half, I thought we played great. We put together some of the things we worked on this preseason, on both sides of the ball. We started to gel and come together. I think we're ready to go. Everybody's excited. We have a talented team. It's just a matter of how we come together. It's such a long preseason. Guys just get really anxious to start the season. I think there will be some nerves and the game may start a little hectic. But after 15-20 minutes, it will settle down. I think the team looks good. We're on the road to being a good team.
10. Any specific themes this preseason?
GV: We're focusing on ourselves, using our assets to become a better team. Obviously, Carlos Ruiz re-signing was great. We haven't really looked at any of our competitors yet, but this week, with Chicago, we now start to focus on how to play against them. Looking at their strengths and weaknesses and how we can get at them.
9. What are some of your team's strengths?GV: I think we are definitely strong in the attack with Carlos. He's very focused this year and he wants to get back to putting up big numbers. We have some talented players who can run at defenders with the ball at their feet. Creative guys. And I think we're a better and more organized group in the back. I think we learned a lot of lessons last year with the type of season we had. We started strong, then had big trouble in the middle of the season and ultimately losing on penalties. Our strengths haven't changed, but I think they're better, with Carlos more focused and our younger players more experienced.
8. What's it been like moving on without Eddie Johnson?
GV: We just move forward. We barely had Eddie around the last two months of the season [due to an injury], so we sort of got used to Eddie not being here. On the field, he wasn't with us last year, when we were trying to reach our goal of winning a championship. We had to move on and accept that, so once we heard he'd been traded, we were all disappointed, but we knew we'd just have to accept it and re-focus. This year, we've added Kenny Cooper, who will bring something different, and Roberta Mina is now fit, having gone through a full preseason. I don't know if people fully realize how good this kid is. He's exciting and I think people are going to enjoy watching him play this year. Obviously, Eddie is a great player who scores goals, but last year he was so on and off with us, it was never like he was fully integrated, due to national team and injuries.
7. How disappointing was it that FC Dallas, after such a great first half, when it finally got into Pizza Hut Park, struggled so mightily?
GV: That was strange. We talked the whole first half of the season about taking care of our road matches because we'd be home the second, and we figured we'd excel. Then once we got onto that field, and it was such a huge field and it played so fast, we really weren't prepared. It took us as much time as any other team to adjust. I don't know if we just thought it was our house and we were going to win, but it just seemed when the park opened, we were in a funk, maybe lacking some confidence. What should've been a home field advantage almost turned into a home field disadvantage. Hopefully, we've put all that in the past. We're excited. It's a beautiful stadium. A great place to play.
6. Is that something you guys are determined to turn around, to make Pizza Hut Park a great home field?
GV: Absolutely. That has to be our focus. We can't give away points at home. That's the bottom line. For us, that was the low point of last season. Especially losing a home playoff game. And looking at our schedule, we have a lot of home games early and we need to take advantage of that. We need to use that to put ourselves in front, set ourselves up for when we play a lot of road games in the second half.
5. How did MLS change during your time away in France?
GV: I think the league got younger as I got older. I think there's a lot more potential talent in the league. We've got guys with great technique, great skills. But I think we're lacking some of the professional savvy we had in the early years in the league. Looking back at my first years in L.A., look at our team in 1999, I think 10 of 11 starters had international experience. I think maybe you saw better decisions over 90 minutes than we see now. Maybe the players weren't as good technically, but the decisions may have been better. Now, we've got greater potential, but we need to see that grow into better tactical savvy. I think when the current crop grows up, you're going to see some really great soccer. Right now, maybe we're a bit naïve in terms of professional play. It's a process.
4. Because this is a World Cup year, I was wondering, how often do you find yourself thinking back to four years ago, when you were so close to nailing down a spot on the national team roster?
GV: It gets to me now because if I'm honest with myself and my current situation, I'm not in the picture anymore. Four years ago, I was thinking, I missed this one, but I've got four more years to try and get it together and make it to a World Cup. Now, it doesn't look as though I'll ever get that chance again. I've got to move forward. Now, I think, I've never had the opportunity to focus totally on an MLS season, to be a leader. I no longer have the wonderful distraction of being on the national team. So, my full concentration is now on FC Dallas and helping make this team better, and more consistent than last year.
3. That's putting a positive spin on it.
GV: That's the only way I can do business. I've had enough experience in soccer now to get it. I've had difficult moments, here and in Europe, and they can make you stronger. One day you can be on top of the world and the next day you can on the bottom. It can happen that fast. You have to try and stay positive.
2. Have you become a more vocal guy in Dallas, now that you're in your second year?
GV: Yes, I've taken on a bigger role of being a communicator and leader in our locker room. I sit down and talk to guys individually and try to get our young guys to take this very seriously, to understand the opportunity that's out there for them. I've been in MLS seven years, but I've been a pro for 11. I've been on the short end in three finals, opportunities that come and go. I want our young guys to understand. I have only a few years to win a championship. I want our guys to know the chances do not come along easily. We have to strive for that every day. That's part of our approach. Every day matters. We have to take on that mentality as a team.
1. The opener is now days away. Who on Chicago will you be thinking about the next few nights when you put the head on the pillow?
GV: I honestly don't even know what players Chicago will put on the field. My focus is on making sure our backline is focused and ready for whatever comes at us. Every team is going to be a little different this year, and this Saturday is our introduction to that. It's such a long preseason. we haven't really been near any other teams, other than an early, early scrimmage against Houston. We don't know much about anybody, but we're excited to get on the field and see where we stand.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
