Where does the Boogeyman live?

By: Robert | August 21st, 2007

Ever wonder what a soccer team without a properly constituted midfield might look like? If so, I hope you saw this past Saturday’s FC Dallas/Houston Dreamsicle match, because it played out like a failed experiment in football (not the American kind) procedure. With Dax McCarty and Bobby Rhine ineffectively filling in for an injured Juan Toja and a suspended Pablo Ricchetti, the Hoops backline of Chris Gbandi, Clarence Goodson, Aaron Pitchkolan and Drew Moor were forced to absorb pressure from those sweet summer snacks (Dreamsicles) for almost the entire 90 minutes. Every time they turned back a threat and tried to take a breath, team Ice Cream truck either took the ball from, or was given the ball by, the Dallas midfielders and returned to the Hoops defensive third to create another scoring opportunity.

The lack of quality midfield play allowed the “vaunted” Dreamsicle defense to appear spectacular as Dallas was unable to push forward. It may only take one shot to score, but each venture towards goal places a modicum of pressure on a defense, pressure the Hoops were unable to exert because they rarely had the ball in that part of the field. And although the defense did eventually concede a goal, the Hoops backline did not play that bad, as the absences of so many key players was to blame almost as much as the shoddy marking on Brian Ching’s lone goal. FC Dallas has received contributions from the entire roster this season, but with injuries reaching almost comical proportions it was only a matter of time until the Hoops came up a bit short.

So it’s another year without El Capitan and another year without a victory over those frozen dessert treats. There have been some who’ve suggested that Dallas’ struggles against team orange and cream represent some sort of mental block for the Hoops, but I don’t subscribe to that theory. I’m no scary movie junkie, but in none of the horror films that I’ve ever seen has the bad guy roamed the streets of that run-down south Texas-burg called Houston. FC Dallas’ struggles with the Dreamsicles have been a bad combination of luck, poor play and injuries, none of which can continue indefinitely. While there is some talent a few hours’ south on I-45 its not five losses worth, which has been the Hoops fate against that sugar factory since Houston decided to stop alienating their Hispanic fan base and actually embrace that part of their constituency.

Its two weeks until the next game, time for most of the little aches and pains heal. Two weeks until the Hoops can field what, at this point of the season, amounts to a full-strength team, two weeks until we can begin to chase down the Dreamsicles in first place. Because this loss won’t end our season, not this year, not in Dallas where even after minor setbacks the FC stands for “Finding a Comeback.”

HOOPS PRIDE!

FC Dallas logo

Personal Note: I apologize for not posting in awhile, I went back to Michigan a wedding and only later realized that I did’t tell my readers where I was. Congratulations to Dan and Lisa Adams and good luck in your future. Also, my computer is back up and running, apparently the graphics card had burned out.