star-telegram.com: Tobias Xavier Lopez

SOCCER INSIDER: Local women's team needs a home of its own

Sat, 10 May 2008 09:56 CDT

By Tobias Xavier Lopez

In less than a year's time the new Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league will launch, but the local club is already offside.

Soccer history has proven that a pro club cannot survive without one key component -- venue control.

The Hunt family learned this lesson with the NASL and amid the Cotton Bowl days of FC Dallas.

Apparently the owners of the Dallas Sting club (Brent Coralli and Jack Hanks) haven't studied local soccer history, as they appear set to make the same mistakes that have doomed many a sports club in this market.

The new league is slated for an April 2009 launch, and a Sting official said it will be doing so most likely at Frisco's Pizza Hut Park, home of FC Dallas.

Here's a quick history lesson.

The Sting club was founded in 1973 and grew into one of the nation's elite girls soccer clubs.

Coralli and Hanks both had daughters play through the local ranks and then on into college.

The duo purchased the Sting and changed it from a nonprofit entity into a private business, and they'll add the professional team to the healthy stable of youth teams next year.

Sting CFO and spokesman David Messersmith said that in the next 30-45 days the WPS will try to allocate U.S. national team players among its eight clubs.

If the WPS can't get the allocations together, he said, they'll put everyone into a draft following the Beijing Olympics in August.

What the Sting bosses need to do next is build an 8,000-seat venue in a central location such as Grapevine or Arlington. Messersmith said the club was trying to build something of that nature in McKinney, but it doesn't look like it will happen.

"The answer is clearly no," Messersmith said when asked whether it really served the clubs' best interest to be a tenant in someone else's facility.

"You're always better off if you have your own facility. But it also comes down to a way to finance that facility.

"Just like the Hunts had to wait for a while in order to make a deal work out for them to where they could own their own facility instead of leasing the Cotton Bowl, we're kind of in the same boat.

"It just requires too much capital up front to build a facility at this point."

If Coralli and Hanks can't afford the $20 million necessary for a suitable 8,000-seat stadium, then they don't have the means to run a top-tier professional club.

The Hunts kicked in $30 million of the $85 million to build the 20,000-seat, 17-field Pizza Hut Park complex.

It's all about a money tree, which can't be harvested if the Sting bosses don't own the orchard.

Here's a prediction: By April 2012 Clark and Dan Hunt will rescue the women's pro team and rebrand it the FC Dallas Lady Red Stripes.

SOCCER INSIDER: South American talent has kicked in for MLS

Sat, 03 May 2008 09:05 CDT

By TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

Remembering Major League Soccer Year 1 and it's hard to decide which was more horrendous -- the jerseys/team names or the matches.

Yet even in those miserable early years, the league had big names, such as Jorge Campos and Carlos Valderrama.

Today those big names have been replaced with Cuauhtémoc Blanco and David Beckham.

But just as important as the superstars is the second level of talent, which has drastically improved the past few years, especially with the trend of South American signings the past two seasons.

FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow started in the league as a player in 2002. He's certainly seen the level of talent among role players or nonstarters improve.

"The top guys get a lot of attention," Morrow said. "But you are only talking about four or five or six players earning top dollar, the big names in the league, but I think we've done a very good job within the league of improving the overall quality in bringing in that next tier of players."

FC Dallas certainly exemplifies a squad that has tapped into the South American market.

Andre Rocha, Marcelo Saragosa and Ricardinho are from Brazil; Dario Sala and Pablo Ricchetti are from Argentina; and Juan Toja arrived last year from Colombia.

The notion of six quality South American players on one squad would have been laughable when the league was in its infancy and stocked with El Salvador's finest.

Certainly that's not a slight on Salvadorian soccer, but... OK, it is a slight on El Salvador's talent pool compared with Brazil's and Argentina's.

A glance at the FC Dallas midfield when Morrow arrived as a defender in 2002 compared with the current roster provides a stark improvement.

Certainly Oscar Pareja and Chad Deering were quality players on the 2002 team, but Ricchetti is every bit as good as Deering was, and the Argentine is more consistent and a better teammate.

However, the depth Rocha, Saragosa and Toja provide is the ocean compared with the puddle of talent in the 2002 midfield of Antonio Martinez, Joselito Vaca and Jordan Stone.

MLS has long given up trying to convert the nonsoccer fan, which is smart thinking.

This country and this market enjoy a huge soccer fan base, but it's one that's knowledgeable enough to know the difference between Brazilian soccer and Central American soccer. Thankfully for fans, MLS is beginning to provide more of the former.

Direct kicks

Boxer Oscar De La Hoya, co-owner of the Houston Dynamo, will sport a robe and trunks with the Dynamo orange colors and logo during his fight against Steve Forbes tonight at 9 on HBO.

Deservedly so, Manchester United's brilliant forward Cristiano Ronaldo was named England's Footballer of the Year. He's far and away the most entertaining and clinical/crafty finisher in the English Premier League and on the rest of the planet.

SOCCER INSIDER: Galaxy has two well-paid stars, nothing else

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:03 CDT

By TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

The Los Angeles Galaxy is the king of Major League Soccer when it comes to having superstar players.

LA is also the king of inconsistent soccer. If a club builds a fantasy league team, then fantasy is exactly what it is living. Yes, David Beckham and Landon Donovan sell tickets, jerseys and provide some moments of sheer brilliance, but the rest of the squad is a mess of barely good enough players.

It's no wonder in two games the Galaxy has been pummeled 4-0 and won 2-0 behind stellar play from Beckham and Donovan against the expansion San Jose Earthquakes.

This is the dilemma of any salary-cap league, but when the MLS players union released the 2008 salary numbers this week, the imbalance in the Galaxy organization became as stunning as a Beckham free kick.

First, the Galaxy doesn't even employ a full 28 players; it has 26 on the books with the players union.

More condemning is the fact that six players on the Los Angeles developmental roster are either getting paid $12,900 or $17,700 a year, while another five players are making $33,000 to $36,000.

Beckham, of course, tops the league at $6.5 million, but he's worth every penny in terms of exposure he's brought to the league. Beckham and Donovan's $900,000 are the only numbers that make any sense while the others exemplify the laughable job general manager Alexi Lalas had done in building the Galaxy's on-field product.

The Galaxy missed the playoffs last year and will be hard-pressed to reach the postseason this year.

Meanwhile FC Dallas has six roster/salary protected Generation adidas players (a combined $488,800) on the developmental roster, which means 16-year-old Abdus Ibrahim's $103,000 guaranteed contract doesn't count toward the approximately $2.3 million cap.

"My approach is to get the strongest roster you can get," FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow said. "Whether that means having three or four guys on higher salaries and the rest on lower salaries, for me, it's getting the strongest roster you possibly can."

Mexican star Duilio Davino leads the way for FC Dallas at $400,000 per year, which is $25,000 under what would have earned him the designated-player tag. FC Dallas has five developmental players in the $12,900-$17,700 range, which is a tough wage but certainly stretches further here than in the overpriced Hollywood kingdom.

Not surprising, the New England Revolution has managed the cap brilliantly in adding a couple of high-priced players but keeping the depth on a livable wage. The Revolution is a perennial deep playoff squad and the same can be said for team owner Robert Kraft's New England Patriots.

The full list of wages is available at www.mlsplayers.org.

Red Bull New York at FC Dallas

7:30 tonight, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco

TV: KFWD/Ch. 52

Records: New York, 1-0, 3 points; FC Dallas 0-0-2, 2 points

Notable: FC Dallas defender Alex Yi announced his plans to retire this week after being plagued for a year and a half by hamstring problems.... FC Dallas opened the season with a pair of draws against Western Conference rivals CD Chivas USA and Houston.... Red Bull New York features a dynamic forward tandem of Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel. The team made headlines this off-season by luring coach Juan Carlos Osorio away from Chicago in a move that Fire officials and fans are still bemoaning.... FC Dallas is without midfielders Bobby Rhine (hip), David Wagenfuhr (concussion) and Marcelo Saragosa (groin) and backup goalkeeper Josh Lambo (fractured jaw). Forward Kenny Cooper is questionable with a back strain.

Here's FC Dallas' off-field to-do list for 2008

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:22 CDT

By TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

FC Dallas' 13th season begins Sunday and sometimes an organization just needs a little extra help with its direction.

So with that in mind, here are five things FC Dallas should do for the 2008 season:

Secure coach Morrow

For the sake of consistency and finding a direction, FC Dallas should extend Steve Morrow's contract through 2009, just so everyone gets in line. The organization gave Morrow his first head coaching job last year, so it owes him a bit of a learning curve.

There is truly a solid core of young talented players. such as Kenny Cooper, Dax McCarty, Juan Toja and Drew Moor, who offer promise for tomorrow. It also means there will be periods of adjustment this season. If players know now that Morrow will return, they'll be less likely to give up should the club hit a bumpy patch this season. Morrow has drafted young players both seasons and put the club's long-term best interests before his own. Solid, consistent winners regardless of the sport are the clubs with committed direction. It's no coincidence that the New York Red Bulls have never won a single title and have the highest coaching turnover rate in league history.

Sign a star goal scorer

No offense to the forwards on the roster, but with the designated player rule in place, there's no reason not to sign a proven international star during the summer transfer window. Certainly, be wary of the Denilson failure last season, but if you don't sign a guy out of the Saudi Arabian league, you don't have to worry about their lack of production.

Drop 'Hoops' nickname

It's not an official nickname nor should it be. It's confusing, it's soccer poser pretense and it's an identity that already belongs to Celtic. Ask 100 people in the United States to describe the FC Dallas jersey and every one will say "stripes." No one in North America refers to horizontal lines as "Hoops."

Get jersey sponsors

FC Dallas avoided a fly-by-night pawn shop/mortgage company when selling the stadium naming rights to a nationally recognized brand in Pizza Hut. The club needs to sign up a jersey sponsor but seriously, the Houston Dynamo jersey with Amigo Energy and that cheesy sombrero logo is a minor-league look.

Barnstorm Fort Worth

Every year in the early rounds of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament, an amateur or low-level minor league team faces off against FC Dallas. The club has always taken the Open Cup seriously and rightfully so considering the club's late owner bears the tournament's namesake. However, FC Dallas' first match of the 2008 Open Cup could certainly provide the opportunity for FC Dallas to play at a field such as TCU's soccer stadium. Garvey-Rosenthal features pristine natural grass, a quality scoreboard and intimate seating. Why not bring a legitimate FC Dallas match to Fort Worth?

SOCCER INSIDER

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:38 CDT

By TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

While plenty of fans will be star-struck tonight when David Beckham takes the field for the Los Angeles Galaxy at Pizza Hut Park, don't expect the FC Dallas players to rubberneck.

Always lighthearted defender Adrian Serioux said the players won't be overwhelmed.

"He's quite a star player in the league right now and people are expecting him to do great things," Serioux said. "But there's a great caliber of players playing in the league right now. If I have to put a crunch on him, so be it. But otherwise, his ability is great. He's known for his free kicks and hopefully we get to see one of those and hopefully our goalie will save one of those."

As the left back in FC Dallas' defense, Serioux could have head-to-head matchups with Beckham, who's playing his traditional right midfield role.

Steady but unspectacular left midfielder David Wagenfuhr of FC Dallas also could see plenty of Beckham.

FC Dallas' Pablo Ricchetti faced Beckham when the English star was with Spain's Real Madrid and Ricchetti played for Real Valladolid.

During one meeting, a Beckham handball off a Ricchetti free kick resulted in a penalty kick for Valladolid.

"Beckham has brought the level up, the media reports, the fans," Ricchetti said. "Since Beckham [joined Major League Soccer], a lot of players want to come here to play, so that's good."

Briefly

Dallas days: As a teenager, Beckham played in the Dallas Cup tournament, which kicks off Sunday at Pizza Hut Park.

Beckham wasn't made available to the media, but did promote himself and his visit on his blog: "Obviously, I didn't get to play there last season, so I'm really looking forward to the match. Dallas has such a rich sporting history with the Cowboys and the NFL and the Mavericks in the NBA, so it'll be great to go there and play their soccer team."

Olympic qualifying: The U.S. Olympic team continues qualifying tonight at 6 (Fox Sports Channel) against Honduras. FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty has started both matches for the U.S.

The U.S. (1-1) can advance to the semifinals with a win or a draw. Should Panama defeat Cuba, the U.S. would advance even with a loss to Honduras.

Cubans: The Cuban team has lost seven players during Olympic qualifying because of defections. CD Chivas USA star Maykel Galindo garnered widespread attention last year after reaching MLS following his defection from Cuba during the 2005 Gold Cup.

Super Liga: MLS announced the 2008 SuperLiga participants -- D.C. United, Chivas USA, Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution. Mexico will send Chivas-Guadalajara, Atlante, Santos Laguna and Pachuca to the summer tournament.

Scrimmage: The 18 final players in the Sueno MLS open tryout with FC Dallas will play a scrimmage at 2 p.m. today at Pizza Hut Park. It's the final opportunity for the players to earn a two-week trial with the club as part of Univision's Republica Deportivo program.

Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas

FC Dallas Foundation Charity Game, 7:30 tonight, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco

Tickets: $18-$35, available through 888-323-4625 or Ticketmaster. A sellout is expected.

Notable: A member of the English national team staff is expected to be on hand to assess David Beckham's fitness and form for England's upcoming friendly match.... FC Dallas will wear the new 2008 home jerseys for the first time.... Forward Carlos Ruiz will make his first appearance locally since his off-season trade from Dallas to the Galaxy.... Dario Sala is expected to start in goal for FC Dallas.

SOCCER INSIDER

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:41 CST

By TOBIAS XAVIER LOPEZ

When healthy athletes miss time in training camp, it often means one thing -- a contract holdout.

FC Dallas' Arturo Alvarez and Dax McCarty aren't training with the club in Brazil, but their absence has nothing to do with money disputes.

Alvarez and McCarty remained stateside to train today through March 9 with the United States Olympic soccer team.

"I'm really happy I got called to camp right before qualifiers," Alvarez said. "I'm looking forward to working hard and making that final 20-man roster that will be named before the qualifiers."

Certainly, FC Dallas is proud to have the duo worthy of joining the 24 players in the camp ahead of qualifying matches, which begin March 11 against Cuba at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

The final 20-man roster, which must be composed of under-23 players, is scheduled to be announced before March 9.

Meanwhile, FC Dallas is trying to build a squad and the pair are in the mix for starting roles.

Add that coach Steve Morrow is shifting the team's formation and Alvarez could find himself playing a withdrawn forward position rather than his traditional left midfield spot.

McCarty also is in a competitive scrum amid FC Dallas' crowded central midfield.

"I told both of those guys, I'm delighted for them and I wish them all the best. It's a great opportunity for them," Morrow said. "But I wouldn't tell you lies, it hurts us at this time of the season. This is the most important few weeks leading up to the start of the season. It's an important time for the team and getting players settled into the team, and we're missing two important players."

The U.S. failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics after struggling in Mexico during the qualifiers.

This time the Americans will be at home for qualifying.

SOCCER INSIDER: FC Dallas in the experimentation stage

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:23 CST

By Tobias Xavier Lopez

FC Dallas' attack could take many shapes this season as it did in Wednesday's first significant preseason match of the year.

Tigres knocked off FC Dallas 2-1 in Mexico, but FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow used the match to experiment with a couple of different looks offensively.

The first half featured two forwards, Kenny Cooper and Arturo Alvarez, with Juan Toja tucked in behind as an attacking midfielder.

In the second half, the triangle was reversed with Abe Thompson up high and Ricardinho and Dominic Odura gliding in behind Thompson.

It was the second-half group that produced when Ricardinho scored.

"For the most part we want to be consistent," Morrow said. "But we have the players to make a little tweak up top and to be able to attack teams from different areas of the field."

New-look defense

Defensively, Morrow employed the new-look, three-man backline with the off-season addition of Mexican Duilio Davino at centerback. Alex Yi and Drew Moor manned the outside positions in the first half of Wednesday's exhibition against Tigres.

Midfielder/defender Adrian Serioux played outside back in the second half. FC Dallas has a glut of players, %including Serioux, who play the defensive/holding midfield role.

Still talking Navia

Morrow confirmed the club is still in talks with Chilean forward Reinaldo Navia, the front8runner in the team's search to replace Carlos Ruiz.

"I would say he's the most likely one to happen right now," Morrow said. "He's the one that's a little bit further down the line."

Ruiz was traded in the off-season to Los Angeles. FC Dallas received allocation money for Ruiz, but has yet to utilize the salary space.

DFW Tornados

The DFW Tornados of the Premier Development League will hold tryouts March 8-9 and March 15-16 at the Covenant Church Soccer Complex in Colleyville. For more information, contact Paul Robinson at 817-691-3879 or visit www.dfwtornados.org. The PDL season begins May 16. The Tornados play their home games at Pennington Field in Bedford.