Drew Moor failed us.

By: Robert | June 4th, 2007

You don’t celebrate a victory or blame a loss on one player, or one play, especially in soccer. The game is 90 minutes long and there are 22 different players on the pitch – I call it that so the English don’t complain. As I say that, allow me to contradict myself focus on one player and one play for a minute: Drew Moor allowing the second goal to the Houston Dreamsicles (There was nothing “dynamic” or “dynamo” about them and yes, I know the eastern European reference but go with me for a minute).

If you didn’t see the game here’s a quick recap of the play: Drew Moor was trying to mark Joseph Ngwenya as Ricardo Clark did whatever it is people think he’s good at. Moor gave Ngwenya a little too much space when Clark hit a very good through ball (Credit must be given where credit is due). Moor chased for about 3 steps, then slowed up and stopped to look backwards towards the official. Ngwenya kept going, beat ‘keeper Dario Sala, who tried his best, and scored. 2-1, Dreamsicles (Oh, and before the Houston fans try to counter my dreamsicle comment with a sarcastic confectionary insult of their own, the Dallas home shirts do look a bit like candy canes; there I said it and if you use it you’re stealing from me).

In every game you play, be it football, basketball or soccer you are always told to play till the whistle. Even when you think a foul was committed or an infraction incurred you keep playing until someone says stop. In boxing, the ref literally reminds to “protect yourself at all times” before the fight. Drew Moor forgot this and the Hoops got hurt. I don’t understand it, even if he thought Ngwenya was offside, you raise your hand and chase him down, everybody does it. This wouldn’t be the first time a player and a linesmen disagreed with the placement of the backline, but you do not stop playing, that’s rule number 1.

Now, Moor said in an interview after the game he stopped because he thought he heard a whistle and yet still, the principle applies. We’ve all seen in soccer where a call is made and whoever benefits from the call quickly runs and takes the ball from the opposing player and gets it going towards his goal. Why didn’t Drew Moor do this? Is it because hard work made him quit? Did he think he won a free week at Pele’s soccer and acting camp? (That’s two references to my favorite show; I know the first one is quite obscure, +3 if you get it.) I don’t mean to be hard on Drew Moor, he’s a good player but none of what I’m saying is new; you play till the end, or else and last night just happened to be the “or else.” We’re better than that; we’re FC Dallas where the FC stands for “Formidable competition.” (That was a good one)

HOOPS PRIDE!