Keepin' It Real: Morrow

Showing posts with label Morrow. Show all posts

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Daily Update: Saturday May 24, 2008

Real Salt Lake versus FC Dallas: The Rematch

Saturday May 24, 2008 6:30 PM

Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas

KSL TV (Channel 5)

Injury Report

FC DALLAS - OUT: DF David Wagenfuhr (concussion); MF Dax McCarty
(hernia) …

REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: FW Yura Movsisyan (R meniscus surgery),
MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Javier
Morales (R adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Ian Joy (L ankle bone
spur); PROBABLE: FW Fabian Espíndola (R ankle contusion), MF Alex Nimo
(R quad strain), MF Brennan Tennelle (R intercostal/rib strain), DF Chris
Wingert (R gluteal strain)

(Injury Report and projected lineup courtesy of RSL Communications)

HEADLINES

No time to lose for FC Dallas' replacement coach -> Dallas Morning News/Diego Aparacio

Marco Ferruzzi, appointed Tuesday as interim coach, will try to deliver FC Dallas' first win since April 20 against Real Salt Lake. A home game Wednesday against two-time defending champion Houston and a road game a week from Sunday at Colorado complete what could be the most crucial stretch of the season.

Real Salt Lake: Kreis says Dallas firing too hasty -> Deseret News/James Edward
"From our standpoint, from a coach's standpoint, you'd say that seems to be a pretty hasty decision for a team that was first place in a our conference a couple weeks ago," said Kreis, who spent the majority of his playing career with Dallas. "All teams take a little bit of time to establish their identity and gel as a unit, and I'm sure Steve would feel the same way, that he wasn't afforded enough time."

RSL: Wins on the road still far away -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Kreis said there's no particular problem, though, that has prevented RSL from faring better on the road. "I really can't put my finger on any particular one thing," he said. "If we can do all of the facets of the game a little bit better - be mentally a little bit better, tactically a little bit better, a little bit better defensively, one-on-one battles. Everything. A little bit sharper in front of the goal. I think we need to do just a little bit better in all the areas, but continue to do what we have been doing, because overall, I'd say our play has been pretty good."

Match Day 9: Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas - 3rdDegree.net/Jason Benfield

Things have changed a bit since the two teams met a couple of weeks ago, and not just from the obvious Dallas angle. After playing a 4-4-2 all season long, RSL came out in a 3-5-2 against Dallas before substituting Olave out in the first half and reverting back to their original formation. Against Colorado, they stuck with the 4-4-2 but it had a much more defensive feel to it. After starting the season displaying a very aggressive, attacking style of soccer, Kreis changed the look of the midfield and as a result did not press forward in numbers for the first time this season. I think we can probably expect a similar strategy against Dallas on Saturday.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

A View From the Other Side: RSL -vs- FCD

Real Salt Lake versus FC Dallas

from the perspective of Jay (aka FC Zippy on Big Soccer)

A while back on bigsoccer.com, fans who were arguing each insisted the other was only seeing the argument through [insert team here]-tinted glasses. I, in turn, posted:

“You should be an FC Dallas fan. Our glasses are the best. Not only are they striped white-and-red, but when you look through them, you can see disaster looming.”

So goes the soccer life of the average FC Dallas fan.

Last time FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake met a mere two weeks ago, FC Dallas was simply looking to get back on track after a disappointing home loss and a tie on the road. Of course, RSL prevailed although it did not feel like the end of the world. However, eight days later brought the LA Galaxy and FC Dallas’ most visible collapse since the opening of Pizza Hut Park.

The loss caused GM Michael Hitchcock to push the panic button, removing head coach Steve Morrow after just one year and eight games. You see, Mr. Hitchcock is in the last year of his contract with Hunt Sports Group (HSG) and is failing to deliver on the promises he made for both on-the-field and box office success. Just so you know, Mr. Hitchcock was responsible for bringing Denilson to FC Dallas which turned into possibly the league’s all-time worst major signing. Trust me, this guy’s resume’ is up to date.

So what about this Saturday’s matchup with Real Salt Lake? If I could type a two minute period of contemplative silence, that would probably have to suffice for the answers I have. However, I agreed to write this piece, so I will take a stab at the issues for this game.

Saturday’s game is not going to be as much about a win as one might think. This match is going to be about heart, about the players looking inside and deciding if they are going to display the team effort that has mostly been lacking this season, especially in this winless streak.

Less important is the visit of a Real Salt Lake club that has managed only six wins in its history away from Rice-Eccles. I know this: I would not really want to be the club coming in to face FC Dallas this week. Although this club is the youngest in MLS, they do have considerable talent and might well be ready to erupt. Mindset will matter as much as talent.

On the field, I doubt a whole lot changes for FC Dallas this week under interim coach Marco Ferruzzi’s watchful gaze. I will gladly thieve Buzz Carrick’s thought that “as so goes Juan Toja, so goes FC Dallas,” however. Adrian Serioux serves his red-card suspension and Dax McCarty recovers from his sports hernia operation.

This line-up is speculation:
---------------Alvarez----Cooper----------------
---------------------Rocha--------------------------
-Toja----Saragosa------Ricchetti------Rhine-
-------Daniels-----Davino------Moor---------

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Daily Update: Wednesday May 21, 2008

RSL: Defender Joy eager for return to lineup against Dallas -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Defender Ian Joy returned to the practice field for Real Salt Lake this week, thrilled to finally be off the stationary rehab bicycle and poised to return to the lineup at FC Dallas on Saturday. Several of his teammates were not so fortunate, though. Midfielders Javier Morales and Nathan Sturgis remain "very questionable" to be available for the FC Dallas game, coach Jason Kreis said, because of lingering injuries. Striker Fabian Espindola is uncertain, too, and striker Yura Movsisyan is out for several weeks after having surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee, a team spokesman said.

Real Salt Lake: Team looks to shake road woes -> Deseret News/James Edward
Unbeaten at home, winless on the road, and just over a quarter of the season in the rearview mirror, a trend is starting to set in for Real Salt Lake — and it's not one that leads to the playoffs, either.

Steve Morrow Out as Dallas Coach -> Goal.com
“We have set high standards, expectations, and goals for this team and organization,” said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock in a statement. “I feel that the team was not heading in the direction we had planned, and believe it is in the best interest of the club to make a coaching change at this time.”