FRISCO, Texas – Like every coach in MLS, FC Dallas boss Schellas Hyndman never has a shortage of opinions when it comes to officiating.
When asked Thursday if reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira could endure another season like he had in 2010 when he led the league in fouls suffered and played all but one minute the entire year, the FCD boss offered an interesting retort about his club’s offensive dynamo.
“I’ll tell you what it’s going to come down to: the officiating,” Hyndman said. “[Ferreira] may still trying to be recover from some of those hits he took last year. But I think it’s going to come down to the officiating. I’d like to see them protect the player on the ball. Whoever has the ball, let’s protect them because everybody wants the ball, and they’re going to kick.”
Ferreira was fouled 84 times in 2010, more than runner-up Javier Morales of Real Salt Lake (76) or Seattle’s Fredy Montero (60).
So what got the Dallas manager’s head spinning about this whole notion? He saw his star player featured in a video example during a recent gathering with league officials.
“They showed a clip in the referee’s clinic when they called it gang fouling,” Hyndman said. “It was David. He got fouled six times, but it wasn’t by the same players. So, the referees have to recognize it's gang tackling, and it might be your first but it’s a yellow card because you as a group are doing this.”
But don’t take his statements to mean that he wants special treatment only for “El Torito.” The FCD manager wants to see equal protection for every player on the ball.
“Let’s protect the player on the ball whether it’s Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Thierry Henry — whoever the player is,” Hyndman said. “It’s not just the marquee players, any player. It could be [Marvin] Chávez. It could be Jair [Benítez]. Whoever’s on the ball, let’s protect them so they have a career.”
