Make note of a premier way to develop players

Let’s face it, schlepping all the way up to Frisco for every FC Dallas game from Cowtown requires dedication, a gas truck and an appreciation for the inherent beauty of orange road-construction barrels.

FC Dallas isn’t helping the cause, either; the club missed the grassroots marketing opportunity of playing Tuesday’s Open Cup match against Miami FC at TCU’s soccer stadium instead of Pizza Hut Park.

So here’s a little suggestion for keeping the soccer commute quick: Tonight head over to Pennington Field in Bedford and watch the DFW Tornados of the Premier Development League (PDL) take on the New Orleans Shell Shockers at 7:30.

The minor league PDL sits technically three levels below Major League Soccer, but in reality the PDL is second behind MLS in terms of importance to American soccer.

See, the PDL is designed to be a summer league for college players. The format allows college players to compete in meaningful matches during the summer in a pro-like environment.

The two divisions below MLS, USL-1/USL-2, are pro/semipro leagues for guys who just aren’t good enough for the big league.

Current professionals and former Tarrant County high school stars Daniel Woolard (Chicago Fire), Jay Needham (Alta IF, Norway) and Shea Salinas (San Jose Earthquakes) spent their summers with the Tornados’ PDL squad.

This year’s Tornados squad is highlighted by SMU and former Arlington Oakridge standout Bruno Guarda.

Guarda appears primed for an MLS first-round draft selection following his final college season this fall.

He’s been a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy the past two seasons and roams the midfield with rare ability.

"What makes Bruno Guarda the player he is, though, is his engine," Tornados coach Paul Robinson said. "His engine is dynamic. His engine is second to none. No one will run more for you in the whole 90 minutes than Bruno Guarda."

SMU players Dane Saintus (Arlington Lamar) and Aaron Chibli (Hurst L.D. Bell) provide a few more familiar faces on the Tornados’ roster.

True, the artificial turf and the field’s crown — the elevation in the middle — put a bit of a damper on the game-watching experience, but at $5 admission, the tradeoff beats counting another 150 traffic barrels on Texas 121 to Frisco in the 613-degree heat.

Direct kick

Former Dallas Mavericks point guard and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and current Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd played in Nash’s soccer charity match in in New York City’s Chinatown on Wednesday.

NBA stars Baron Davis and Leandro Barbosa joined soccer players Claudio Reyna, Jozy Altidore and the game’s superstar, Thierry Henry.

Considering that Fox Soccer Channel has been rolling out replays of worn-out European games from 20 years ago, couldn’t it have gotten a camera crew out there for this one?