In his first year with FC Dallas, David Ferreira became a fan favorite after an eight-goal, seven-assist performance that earned him consideration for the 2009 MLS Newcomer of the Year. Not only do the FCD fans appreciate his efforts to help their club return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, but his teammates also appreciate the affable Colombian.
Since arriving to Dallas, a number of fitting nicknames have been floated for Ferreira. Mighty Mouse is one that has surfaced recently, as is “El Corazon” (the heart, as in heart of the team). Others have simply called him The Gnat because he’s so pesky and tough to get rid of.
But the burning question is, what do his teammates think would be a great nickname? Well, here are the results of a recent post-training straw poll.
One of the Three Stooges
“I call them (Benitez, Chavez and Ferreira) the Three Stooges because they hit each other for any reason. They do this (flick ears) and hit each other.” ---Goalkeeper Dario Sala
Penguin
“Penguino, he runs like a little penguin.” ---Defender Anthony Wallace
The Pest
“He’s a pest. He’s always busy behind teams. It’s tough for teams to follow him. He’s always creating chances. He creates chances out of half situations. He’s always around stirring up things with the other team and making it difficult for them to defend.” ---Defender Heath Pearce
El Torito (The Little Bull)
“El Torito because he’s small and strong. Bulls are big but he’s strong. You can’t knock him off the ball. He is strong even though he’s small. He’s also got some attitude.” ---Defender Ugo Ihemelu
“I like Little Bull (“El Torito”) because he’s so small. He’s fast. He’s really strong and fast. Because the players here are so tall, he has a little bit of an advantage because he can hold the ball longer and dribble between the defenders.” ---Defender and close friend Jair Benitez
“I would say the Little Bull, El Torito. He’s so strong and powerful. He’s also like a gnat. You just can’t get him off of you. ” ---Head coach Schellas Hyndman
“David’s quite a unique player. The Little Bull is kind of fitting. You look at his low center of gravity and how he’s built. He’s really built kind of stocky. You notice he’s really tough to knock off the ball. He rarely gives up possession for us. He’s kind of that outlet for us. I think his speed is also deceptive. He’s deceptively fast and makes this little move where he baits guys in and just accelerates by them.” ---midfielder Dax McCarty
“I like the Little Bull. He’s just small, stocky and runs. He just bulldozes people. He reminds me of a bull when he’s running away from you.” ---midfielder Eric Avila
“I like that one (the Little Bull). I would call him annoying (if I was playing against him). I’d hate to play against him. Bull is good.” ---midfielder Brek Shea