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FRISCO, Texas -- FC Dallas was forced to kick off its 2011 preseason indoors at Fieldhouse USA in Frisco, Texas today. Frigid temperatures and ice left over from the storm that cancelled practice yesterday kept the defending Western Conference Champions off the outdoor adidas training field at Pizza Hut Park.
WATCH: FC Dallas daily training report, hosted by Bobby Rhine
Upon arriving at the indoor facility, field players took to the center circle for a game of keep-away while goalkeepers Kevin Hartman, Chris Seitz, Josh Lambo and Craig Hill took turns fielding shots from three different angles under the supervision of FC Dallas Goalkeeper Coach Drew Keeshan. Captain Daniel Hernandez and defenders George John and Kyle Davies worked out on the sideline.
Next, FC Dallas Assistant Coach John Ellinger assigned teams by handing out pinnies.
<strong><span style="font-size: small;">RED</span></strong> |
<strong><span style="font-size: small;">WHITE</span></strong> |
<strong><span style="font-size: small;">BLUE</span></strong> |
<strong><span style="font-size: small;">GREEN</span></strong> |
Ruben Luna |
Heath Pearce |
Jair Benitez |
Marvin Chavez |
Sheldon Palmer* |
Ugo Ihemelu |
Edson Edward |
Brek Shea |
David Ferreira |
Emerson Hyndman** |
Bobby Warshaw |
Eric Avila |
Brayan Martinez |
Eric Alexander |
Peri Marosevic |
Milton Rodriguez |
Zach Loyd |
Bryan Leyva |
Charlie Campbell |
Andrew Wiedeman |
Moises Hernandez |
Oscar Pareja*** |
Alexis Pradie |
Victor Ulloa |
Bruno Guarda |
Scott Gordon |
Jason Yeisley |
Maykel Galindo* |
Kevin Hartman |
Chris Seitz |
Craig Hill |
Josh Lambo |
Trialists
FC Dallas Development Academy
FC Dallas Director of Player Development
7 vs. 7
The first head-to-head competition of the day was between the red team and the white team. Trialist Sheldon Palmer and Home Grown player Moises Hernandez were active very early. Both made lengthy runs with the ball, Hernandez on the right flank and Palmer down the center of the field, before being dispossessed. The match ended in a 0-0 draw after a Ruben Luna goal was called back for an obvious handball.
PHOTOS: Check out our Day One preseason photo gallery on Facebook
The green team dominated possession in the second game, but they could not find a way to get a goal against blue thanks to some strong play by defender Eddie Edward and former SMU goalkeeper Craig Hill. Peri Marosevic looked dangerous on the ball, chipping a cross to the back post for Jason Yeisley to finish.
In a rematch of the red vs. white game, Emerson Hyndman connected with FC Dallas’ first Home Grown player, Bryan Leyva, via a give-and-go near the top of the box. Leyva took the return pass and would have had an easy goal if not for Kevin Hartman, who looked as solid as he was during FC Dallas’ playoff run in 2010. The veteran goalkeeper stopped the initial shot from Leyva and a rebound chance before his teammates cleared the ball from danger.
Shortly after, the building went dark thanks to the rolling power outages the Dallas area was experiencing due to the weather. When play resumed, Ugo Ihemelu knocked a pass inside to Emerson Hyndman, who got a half-volley shot off from close range. Hartman and the red team’s defenders closed on Hyndman, but the ball rebounded off the wall to the feet of Heath Pearce, who scored in the empty net to give the white team a 1-0 victory.
The blue and green teams’ rematch was more even than their first go-round, but still, neither team could break down the opposing defense and the match ended 0-0.
Blue stayed on to face white in the next game. Penn State product Jason Yeisley had multiple shots over the course of the two games, but Lambo and Seitz did well to keep him from scoring. The white team’s defense was solidified by the play of FC Dallas 2011 SuperDraft pick Scott Gordon. Tall, calm on the ball in possession and talkative, Gordon will add depth to an already talented pairing (Ihemelu and John) at center back.
Green met red in the next match, which ended up being the most entertaining game of the day. Defending MLS MVP David Ferreira got the scoring started by sending a ball wide to Zach Loyd. On the right flank, Loyd took a look at his options before crushing a line-drive high to the far post for a 1-0 lead.
Mere seconds later, Brayan Martinez picked out Luna at the top of the box. The FC Dallas Academy product wasted no time in sending a shot high into the corner of the net to make the score 2-0. With half an MLS season and a Mexican Under-20 National Team Camp under his belt, Luna looks to have added some speed and size to his formidable build.
Down 2-0, green sent a harmless ball into the corner, but forward Milton Rodriguez drew the attention of Hartman and two defenders away from goal before nodding home a one-time finish to end the match 2-1. Blue ended the session with a 1-0 win against red. The goal came from yet another FC Dallas forward, Marosevic, who took a pass from Charlie Campbell and slid a shot under a sprawling Hartman.
FC Dallas will return to Fieldhouse USA tomorrow at 10 a.m. for another indoor session on Day 2 of the 2011 preseason. Stay tuned to FCDallas.com for daily training reports, photo galleries and behind-the-scenes videos all preseason long.
