FRISCO, Texas – When the First XI of the 2010 MLS All-Star Team was announced on Tuesday afternoon, FCD coach Schellas Hyndman admitted being a bit disappointed that one of his own, central attacking midfielder David Ferreira, wasn’t included among the starters.
Ferreira is tied for the team lead in goals (four) and is also tied with Heath Pearce with a team-high four assists. The Colombian playmaker’s numbers, however, tell only half the story.
“David has done extremely well. He’s not in the top 11 and that’s disappointing,” Hyndman said. “You look at some of the players that are and you go, ‘Wait a minute.’ I don’t want to name names, but you can imagine. It’s the vote of the fans and the fans vote by us.”
Hyndman sees positive turnaround
For much of the 2010 season, FC Dallas have been a team summed up by what could have been. Whether it was through missed scoring chances or costly mental gaffes, one theme rings true: Hyndman’s team left a lot of points on the table early.
But FCD have turned things around of late, and heading into Saturday’s match with defending MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake at Pizza Hut Park, Hyndman’s club is riding a five-game unbeaten streak with a 3-1-3 mark at home this season.
Even through his club’s struggles, the FCD head coach kept his message simple, and never wavered from his belief that they were, in fact, a good team.
“The confidence of the team is really quite good,” Hyndman said Wednesday. “Every week, I have been saying the same thing: 'You are a good team. Don’t ever let a negative thought in your mind. Sometimes you have bad moments and sometimes you don’t get the results you want but you’re a good team. I’m glad I’m coaching this team rather than many of the other teams because I think you’re a good team.'”
Avila Out of the 18
When FCD traveled to Seattle over the weekend to face Sounders FC on Sunday, one notable name wasn’t among the 18-man travel squad: Eric Avila. The third-year midfielder had been a mainstay as a second-half substitute throughout the team’s first 11 matches
Hyndman expects Avila to be an energy guy off the bench, a role he didn’t fill very well in a 1-0 win over Kansas City on July 3, so he decided to leave him back in the Lone Star State for the Seattle match.
“I didn’t think he had a good game against Kansas City,” Hyndman said. “I’ve got to have that spark coming off the bench. You’ve got to bring something, because I’m taking somebody off and I’m expecting something. I thought maybe it’s an opportunity for someone else and maybe it gives him an opportunity to sit back and think maybe coach is right. We’ll see how he responds.”
