First impressions on De Guzman ... not much to recommend? And looking ahead to 2013

So far I don't get it .... he's not played a full game yet, is not a guaranteed starter and to my mind has been largely anonymous when he has been on the pitch. How this is worth close to $2m a season is beyond me. So that'll be two for two on woeful designated player signings by Dallas then.

Furthermore, if Schellas was going to spend big bucks on bringing in a player, how about someone who could hold the ball up in the front line and guarantee us 20 goals a season? Not since Kenny Cooper have we had a player who we could rely on to be in the right place at the right time to bang the ball home. Blas Perez made a decent start, seemed a good acquisition and has been a big loss since he got injured but even he looks like he needs a good strike partner.

It's also time for Brek to shake off his spat with the management and get his career properly back on track, or his ultimate bid for glory in Europe and with the USMNT may founder. Even at his comparitively tender years, he should be mature enough to recognise that his form significantly dipped this season (arguably as a direct result of his Olymics disappointment) and that as such, no one is immune from sitting on the bench while they work at improving. He showed plenty of good moments on the ball against Colorado last night but still looks to be playing with a scowl on his face rather than the smile we are used to. Get over it Brek because that's no way to showcase yourself in the EPL shopwindow.

Finally, the whole squad should be made to sit down and watch videos of the US women's olympic team to learn the meaning of the phrase "transition from defence to attack". The girls showed just what can be achieved when you break at pace and commit five, six and seven players into the final third of the pitch, leaving opposition defences no time to reorganise. So often, Brek and Castillo are left with no one to pass to after haring down the wings.

goldenboytoo wrote:

It's also time for Brek to shake off his spat with the management and get his career properly back on track, or his ultimate bid for glory in Europe and with the USMNT may founder.

Brek got called up for the Mexico friendly, so he's not quite out of Juergen's picture yet.

goldenboytoo wrote:

Get over it Brek because that's no way to showcase yourself in the EPL shopwindow.

As a FC Dallas supporter, I hope he never leaves my team for Europe.

Well of course we all want Brek to play for us for as long as possible, but the fact remains that for him to reach the top of his game, he is going to have to leave MLS.

The way a pre-season Real Madrid stomped all over a fully match-fit LA Galaxy shows the gulf in class that exist between European soccer and our league.

There have been exceptions ... Landon Donovan has shown remarkable loyalty to the MLS and it hasn't really affected his career, but he has recognised how much European coaching can help him with his loan spells at Everton; meanwhile, our own Kevin Hartman could easily have forged a great career with any top European club but chose to stay true to the development of the game at home at no small financial cost to himself.

Hopefully, the time will come when the MLS reaches European standards ... and the first step towards that will be to learn how to inject real pace into the game while still retaining the levels of close control and accurate passing which are on view aplenty around our league.

As a PS to all that, any player wants to be appreciated and the lack of atmosphere and disappointing crowds at Frisco certainly are not helping our Hoops.

I don't know what else can be done to encourage more people to show up (and to show up on time, more's the point!) but you only have to look at the level of support shown at Seattle, Portland, Toronto, LA and now even at Kansas and (good grief) Houston to see we are lagging behind.

To step out in front of a packed stadium, singing throughout the match, is enough to inspire anyone.

Kudos to the Inferno, which sounds great now it has settled under the Beer Garden roof, and kudos to the club for trying the March to the Match and pre-game tailgate parties to try to get people there early (plus of course the free parking!). You have all tried your best. Now Frisco needs to get behind its team ... and the team itself needs to produce a full 90 minutes of eye-catching entertainment at every game. Any ideas anyone??

goldenboytoo wrote:

Any ideas anyone??

Sure. Get a time machine and post this message in 2009. FCD draws 14k a game, comparable to the median attendance in Ligue 1 or the Eredivisie. Our attendance is better than that of 30% of the clubs in Serie A.

This will be the third year running where attendance improves and the crowd experience is better than it has ever been. Watch some of the highlight packages that the league puts on the website each week. I'll hold our supporter's environment up against anybody in the league.

Don't tell me what Houston is doing, either. We went down to their shiny new toy and shouted them down all day. They got nothing.

Parrish wrote:

goldenboytoo wrote:

Any ideas anyone??

Sure. Get a time machine and post this message in 2009. FCD draws 14k a game, comparable to the median attendance in Ligue 1 or the Eredivisie. Our attendance is better than that of 30% of the clubs in Serie A.

There might be 14k in the ground by half time on occasion but when the team walks out, the stands are like a morgue and so sparcely populated it's embarrassing. Don't forget that the quoted crowd always includes ALL the season ticket holders whether they turn up or not.

If you are a fan ... and particularly if you bought a season ticket ... you should be turning up at EVERY game. Your team is playing and you should be there. People just don't seem to get that here. Some of the midweek match attendances have been pitiful.

Look what a dismal season Portland have had and yet the place is still packed every game. Come on Frisco ... it's time to stand up and be counted!!

If you believe, you'd better save your money for some flights.

goldenboytoo wrote:

If you are a fan ... and particularly if you bought a season ticket ... you should be turning up at EVERY game. Your team is playing and you should be there. People just don't seem to get that here. Some of the midweek match attendances have been pitiful.

I guess that means my wife and I aren't fans.

gwar0127 wrote:

goldenboytoo wrote:

If you are a fan ... and particularly if you bought a season ticket ... you should be turning up at EVERY game. Your team is playing and you should be there. People just don't seem to get that here. Some of the midweek match attendances have been pitiful.

I guess that means my wife and I aren't fans.

You saiddit. I hate being forced by economics to move from Dallas.

Warren, are you in town often enough to catch any games? I could have gone to the Wickers tonight, but I had to drive through pissing-down El Nino rain just to get to Carrollton. What else could cause rain in Texas in the searing month of August?

El Nino, back after nine effing years of La Nina and its droughts (the ones in Texas).

Jagle wrote:

Warren, are you in town often enough to catch any games?

Not anymore. We made the move to Savannah for good last month.

Anyone want to recant their statements?

I've been really impressed by Guzman and his workrate, really wish we could hold onto him longer but I don't think it is possible.