Today the soccer community is mourning the loss of a legend. Bobby Rhine passed away at the age
of 35. His influence on the soccer community in the Dallas area was and is immeasurable. I was not
lucky enough to call him a personal friend but I tell you what the man never forgot who I was. My
family first met him when my daughter was taking camps at FC Dallas.
Both FC Dallas and Portland will be coming off big wins when they meet Sunday at 3pm Pacific for
their first meeting at JELD-WEN Field in Portland. Dallas, coming off an emotional week that saw
them claim at least a little revenge for last year's MLS Cup loss against Colorado, will be looking
to expand on that momentum.
That is more like it. After a tie and two unimpressive losses, FC Dallas came out with all
cylinders firing against my new favorite rival, the Colorado Rapids. In what was surely (though
they denied it pre-game) a statement match, FCD came out aggressive and shooting from the first
whistle. After going up 2-0 by halftime, with goals by Ihemelu and Ferreira, FCD put the stake
through the very small heart of the Rapids less than a minute into the second half with another
goal by Ferreira off a lovely assist from Eric Avila.
FC Dallas has a few so-called "rivalries". There's the Brimstone Cup, between FCD and the
Chicago Fire, which has been well documented. There's also the in-state rival Houston Dynamo,
which has accounted for more than one off the field skirmish, many of which can be attributed to
the trash can that is Robertson Stadium.
Like a record on repeat, FCD drops another one 2-0 to an opponent most felt they should beat,
and I'm late on the season to talk about it. Apparently Matchday Live won't let you watch games
that are blacked out until 48 hours after they air. Not cool, and will certainly affect how I
report on away games this season.
Hello all...I'd like you to meet David Browning, winner of the 2009 FCD team-signed jersey
from The Offside and WorldSoccerShop.com. A while back, we opened up a contest asking for readers
to submit their story of soccer in North Texas. We received many submissions, and this was our
favorite.
Apologies for being a tad late on this one...my weekend got the best of me. Nonetheless, not
much worth noting, considering our beloved Red Stripes fell Saturday night to the Chris Wondolowski
show at Pizza Hut Park. Last year's Golden Boot winner put on a finishing clinic in the first
half, netting two goals in the first 23 minutes of a 2-0 loss to the Quakes.
Our beloved Red Stripes fell last night in Monterrey, Mexico to the UANL Tigres in the first
round of what could be the annual Rio Grande Plate. FCD took on Tigres a couple of years back in
a home-away set that drew thousands of fans to PHP. The game wasn't televised, and the only real
way to follow it other than the FCD Twitter was in Spanish on 1270AM.
Opening night! I have to admit, it feels so good to be back in the thick of things. Speaking
of the thick of things...plan on tuning in here every week for a little thing I like to call "Match
Musings". Basically it's just me, spouting off my armchair quarterback (or perhaps linking
midfielder if you prefer) noise about the previous night's match.
Buzz Carrick over at 3rd Degree has been doing a pretty good job at keeping up with the current
rosters for FCD. So...I thought I'd give you a heads up as well. With the latest news that FCD
has let go of Maykel Galindo and Charlie Campbell, the updated rosters look something like
this:
Senior Roster (18 to 20)
MLS rosters are expanding to 30.
Just received this breaking news from FCD....
FC Dallas has acquired 18-year-old Colombian striker Fabian Castillo from Deportivo Cali,
the club announced today. Terms of the deal will not be disclosed per league and team policy, and
are subject to receipt of the player's visa, International Transfer Certificate and a medical
exam.
- Win Me!
The Offside, WorldSoccerShop, and the FCD Offside Blog have a very exciting opportunity for you
to win a piece of FC Dallas history, right here on the FCD Offside Blog.
What's up for grabs: A 2009 FC Dallas jersey signed by the entire 2009 squad; a definite must
have for any FCD enthusiast.
Marvin Chavez / Photo by Harlan Bowling
Just a few days after making the trek up to Frisco to catch FCD against Houston Baptist
University, I once again found myself on that familiar field 4, this time for a night scrimmage
that saw FCD cruise past SMU 3-1. During the Schellas Hyndman regime, SMU has become a sort of
minor league farm system for FCD recruits, so I was interested in catching this one.
It's an interesting perspective, considering SH's track record of removing people that don't get
on the "bus". And we all know about his and Pearce's little spat at the end of the year. That
said, Buzz Carrick over at 3rd Degree has a quote from Technical Director Barry Gorman, regarding
the trade:
Via 3rd Degree:
"We try to keep the coaches out of the direct line with these things.
David Ferreira / Photo by Harlan Bowling
FCD took on Houston Baptist in a scrimmage yesterday, and while most of the game was
overshadowed by the breaking news of Heath Pearce's departure, there were still quite a few talking
points from the match itself. The match ended up 4-1 in Dallas' favor.
