New faces look to make big impact for FCD

FRISCO, Texas -- It was a busy offseason for FC Dallas. Head coach Schellas Hyndman and team brass have upgraded the roster by acquiring left-sided midfielder Dave van den Bergh from New York, signing Colombian attacking midfielder David Ferreira and adding defensive depth in Steve Purdy and Danny Torres.

However, with FCD's opener with Brimstone Cup rival Chicago looming, it is time for the club to start putting it together on the field and show that 2009 will be much different than 2008, when FCD missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

One problem with last year's team was a lack of strong chemistry, which has not been an issue during preseason.

"I think the team chemistry is better than what it was last year," Hyndman said. "I think players are working hard for each other and the team is excited. I think the team has good focus. When we look at things we want to work on, they have really accepted and embraced them."

His players agree.

MLS Season PreviewsCHICAGO FIRE • Fire ready for another run at MLS Cup
• Preview Quick Hits: Chicago Fire

CHIVAS USA • Chivas set sights on trophies
• Preview Quick Hits: Chivas USA

COLUMBUS CREW • Crew changing little in '09
• Preview Quick Hits: Columbus

D.C. UNITED • Team chemistry paramount for D.C.
• Preview Quick Hits: D.C. United

FC DALLAS • New faces look to make big impact
• Preview Quick Hits: FC Dallas

SJ EARTHQUAKES • Revamped Quakes feeling offensive
• Preview Quick Hits: San Jose

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Roster changes give Galaxy new look
• Preview Quick Hits: LA Galaxy

TORONTO FC • Reds look to boost scoring numbers
• Preview Quick Hits: Toronto FC

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Get pumped for First Kick '09 >

"It's probably the best locker room since I've been here, this being my fifth year," said FCD defender Drew Moor. "There is great character in the locker room and a little bit of everything. There is intensity, humor and leadership. There are all different age groups. It's looking good."

Forward Kenny Cooper, who finished second in MLS last year with 18 goals, concurs.

"It's a fantastic locker room," he said. "I think that the Brazil trip and the Florida trip (were) all good for building team chemistry. I think that maybe when you get to know people on a more personal level off the field, you might play a little more for them on the field. So I think that the team camaraderie and chemistry is great. Hopefully we will show that on the field with our performances and fight for each other."

After being hired last June, Hyndman also said he wanted to see more accountability from his players, an area in which he has seen measurable results.

"We've talked about it many times," he said. "The game of soccer is a game of mistakes. At every level, people make mistakes and there's nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as you acknowledge that you make a mistake. I think the group has started realizing that mistakes are part of the game. Trying not to make the same mistake again is part of it but so is acknowledging that you make one and improving so it doesn't happen again."

Another trend from 2008 that has continued in preseason is that the club has no problem scoring goals, but also has shown a propensity for allowing them.

"We don't seem to have a problem scoring goals," Hyndman said. "We just have a problem of giving up goals. So our focus is on trying to prevent teams from scoring. We realize that good teams are going to score but we don't want to give them goals."

FCD also had problems defending set pieces last year, allowing a number of goals on corners and free kicks, an adjustment that remains an ongoing one.

"It's still a challenge for us," Hyndman said. "I think we're bigger and stronger. The guys who are getting beat aren't our bigger and stronger guys. It's more of the weaker guys or the guys who aren't mentally into it. So what we've got to start doing is holding players more accountable."

Up top, FCD is set with Cooper set to start alongside Jeff Cunningham, who had five goals in 11 games after coming over from Toronto FC last summer. In the midfield, van den Bergh will start on the left side and be looked to deliver plenty of great balls to Cooper and Cunningham.

Pablo Ricchetti, who will miss the season opener on suspension, is again the holding midfielder and will wear the captain's armband. Ferreira figures to start at the No. 10 spot with the right flank manned by either Dax McCarty or Andre Rocha. McCarty led FCD in assists two seasons ago with seven while Rocha led the club a year ago with eight.

In the back, things are a bit more in flux. Marcelo Saragosa had won the starting job at right back before he was sidelined by a knee injury. In his absence, Moor will shift over from center back. Torres will move into Moor's spot alongside fellow newcomer Purdy with Blake Wagner starting on the left side. However, once Saragosa returns, Torres could displace Wagner in the starting 11.

"With Marcelo getting injured and moving Adrian (Serioux), that has left that right back position open," Hyndman said. "Probably the best player that can go out there and play that position is Drew . It's not his best or favorite position, but I think he helps the team the most by going there. I think Steve (Purdy) and Torres will play in the center because they're both pretty good ball winners on the ground and in the air. They've seemed to play well when we've had them together and then Blake (Wagner) on the left side."

Dario Sala, who received a multiple-year contract extension last fall, will again start in goal. He missed a career-low two games due to injury a year ago. The Argentinean veteran has returned in great shape and looks to again be rock solid between the posts.

After missing out on last fall's playoffs, the goal for the 2009 team is a simple one.

"I think our first objective needs to be getting to the playoffs," van den Bergh said. "It doesn't matter if it's as a first or an eighth team. That's our goal and the main reason we started preseason two weeks early. That should be the goal for each and every guy in the locker room, to make the playoffs. I consider it a failure to not make it."

With the team's preseason camp having come to an end and preparations beginning for the season opener, Hyndman still feels his team is a much improved product over last year.

"I think we're a better team than we were last year," he said. "It's a long season and you're going to have your ups, downs and injuries. I think the boys have come out and been aggressive. We're getting there."

Moor and van den Bergh agree that they are both ready for the start of the '09 campaign.

"It's time," Moor said. "This is an exciting time for everybody. Preseason always seems long and it's tough. Hopefully it prepared us mentally and physically for the first few months. I think this preseason has been very good. Guys have been very focused and everybody is ready to go."

Said van den Bergh: "We finally have our full roster together now and can start working towards our first objective, which is Chicago at home. I think the team is in place and everyone knows what his role is. It's just a matter of executing on the field."

Dynamo regroup after Robinson injury

HOUSTON, Texas -- Over the last two years, the Houston Dynamo have been defined by their tough and physical defense. After conceding the fewest goals in each of the last two seasons, the Dynamo got bad news last week as they learned defender Eddie Robinson will miss a significant portion of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

How much will Robinson be missed? Veteran defender Craig Waibel simplified the matter when he said, "He is a great player. The only thing you can say is it is disappointing. We are obviously disappointed and everybody else [in the league] is excited. So that really says it all."

Robinson's partner in the center of defense, Bobby Boswell, knows better than most how important Robinson can be to the team. An eight-year veteran, Robinson has played 140 league games in his MLS career; after playing 25 games in each of his first two years in Houston, injuries limited him to 20 games a season ago.

"You never want to lose a guy like Eddie -- he is a vital part of the backline," Boswell said. "He missed some games last year, and guys were able to step in. You never know what can happen in a season -- guys get injured, guys get suspended. It's just one of those things. You would rather have him out there, healthy and available, but he has got to do what he has to do to get better and the team has to move on regardless."

Houston's success on the defensive end has had less to do with one individual player and more to do with the entire team's commitment to defending. Brian Mullan and Brian Ching, among others, frequently track back and contribute defensively more than many players at their respective positions.

Boswell believes the team will be fine if they continue the team commitment to defending.

"We're a solid team defending," he said. "That's our whole goal -- to make it tough on other teams. Good reactions on turnovers and try to keep the ball. When there is a turnover, try to win it back."

One of the possible replacements for Robinson might come in Andrew Hainault, a young Canadian defender on trial with the club. While the team has yet to sign the defender, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear has been pleased with his performance.

"He's coming along well. He's fit in well with the guys. He's played a little at right back and in the middle and he's done pretty good for us," Kinnear said.

Whether the team signs Hainault, the Dynamo can also take comfort that that Boswell and young Julius James -- acquired from Toronto in the offseason in the trade for Dwayne De Rosario -- are beginning to gel in the preseason.

"I think Julius is a very good player. He is very talented," Boswell said. "He's a good kid and he is willing to work hard. He understands it's a different system here and he has to play a different style than he is used to, but I did that last year and I can help him through it this year."

Kinnear is confident not only in James, but also in some of the other options that he has in the Dynamo squad.

"Julius stepped in pretty well. Geoff Cameron was a bright spot Tuesday against Atlante in the center of defense, and he has played there before," Kinnear said. "You want to have your whole team healthy and available, but Eddie being out for a while means some pieces have to be moved. But we've done that in the past and we've been OK."

United welcome Carolina competition

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United are barely two weeks away from their 2009 season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy, yet still find themselves dodging winter weather as preseason training winds to a close.

The squad returned to Washington from Puerto Rico last week just in time to have their schedule disrupted by the heavy snowstorm that inundated much of the mid-Atlantic region. The whiteout spoiled United's friendly match with the University of Maryland and prompted an early departure for the milder environs of Charleston, S.C., where Tom Soehn and his staff will use the Carolina Challenge Cup to push the Black-and-Red closer to full speed.

"You mean the blizzard of 2009?" quipped Brian Namoff, when asked about the sub-freezing conditions that greeted the team in D.C. "Yeah, I think we're eager to head down to Charleston -- we're excited to get to warmer weather. We had it easy in Puerto Rico."

Fittingly enough, the mercury in D.C. rose almost immediately after the team's pre-dawn departure on Thursday. But the trip south offers more than a temperate locale. The Challenge Cup, also featuring Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and hosts Charleston Battery of the United Soccer League's First Division, will present United with quality competition at an important stage in the run-up to First Kick.

"It's a great way to lead into the season," said D.C. midfielder Ben Olsen. "Good games, and getting that game fitness in the next two weeks is crucial. The people down here do a very good job."

Evenings at the Battery's cozy Blackbaud Stadium typically offer a compelling gameday atmosphere for players and Soehn is planning to bracket his team's three matches with focused training sessions, starting with a "two-a-day" on Friday, as the buildup to match fitness escalates.

"I'm still factoring in some guys who are carrying just a couple nagging [injuries], but it's time to push the minutes a little bit more for some guys," he said. "Not necessarily 90 [minutes], but get them up and around 90 so that their bodies can sustain that when it comes to opening weekend."

United have taken part in four of the tournament's six renditions, most recently in 2006, and will be hoping it helps them open the upcoming MLS campaign as brilliantly as it did that year, when the Black-and-Red lost just one match in the first three months of the season.

In the two years that followed, early-spring participation in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup complicated the club's preparations dramatically. This time around, a fitter, more physical D.C. squad is more than happy to hone the finer points under less stressful conditions, inwardly focused and out of the limelight.

"Every team is going to say the same thing at this point. 'Yeah, everything's going good, we're ready.' It's always a time of optimism in preseason," said Olsen. "So we'll see. I don't want to get too confident with where we're at, but I certainly think we're in a better spot now than we were last year at this time."

United's 24-man roster is nearly set, with the only question marks lingering around the backup goalkeeper spots and the recipient of the final senior roster slot. Soehn believes those issues will be sorted in "the next week or so," and he has turned his attention to "the details stuff" -- tactical organization, set pieces and the like. With time rapidly ticking down towards March 22 in L.A., Soehn and his charges sound cautiously upbeat about the current side.

"With all the games we have, we need a deep roster and we need to have options so when guys go down [injured] we can't drop off too far," he said. "That's what we've tried to accomplish this year, and only in the course of time will we be able to tell if we did as well as we hope we have."

Twellman's neck opens door for Dube

CARY, N.C. -- New England Revolution striker Kheli Dube wants to dull the pain caused by Taylor Twellman's sore neck.

Dube will likely face the difficult task of stepping into Twellman's prolific shoes and giving the Revolution a potent option up front when the season starts in San Jose on March 21.

"It's tough when Taylor gets injured because he's such a core guy for our team," Dube said. "When someone gets injured, you have to step up and make sure you get goals."

A Gatorade Rookie of the Year finalist last season, Dube scored four goals and accumulated four assists in 21 games last season. Those numbers don't quite match up to the 99 goals Twellman has recorded over his seven MLS seasons, but the total represented a decent rookie haul for the Coastal Carolina grad.

Expectations will be higher heading into 2009. Dube will have to assume Twellman's role, at least as the season opens. The shift means Dube will have to hold the ball up more and act as an outlet for his teammates in addition to his role as a goalscorer.

"I've been playing as a target forward and I'm trying to get used to the role because you never know what can happen," Dube said.

The role is a different fit for Dube, who ordinarily deferred those duties to others last season. Dube has the size and strength to add that dynamic to his game, but said he needs some time to get used to the additional responsibilities.

"I'm comfortable playing up top," Dube said. "It's just one of those things where you just have to get used to it. It's a little bit different."

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said he will look to Dube to fulfill some of Twellman's target responsibilities. Dube has worked hard in training to try to add more buildup play to his game instead of focusing solely on scoring, according to Nicol.

"He's been doing what Kheli does," Nicol said. "He's trying to get better and better."

The transformation is still a a work in progress. The role isn't a natural one to Dube, who is more used to acting as a finisher than a conduit.

"It's getting better day by day," Dube said. "It's something I have to improve. That's why we have preseason. I'm trying to work on all of the small stuff."

While the link-up play is important, the goals will also have to flow to compensate for Twellman's absence. After a barren stretch in league play during the second half of 2008, Dube knows he will have to find net early and often to help fill the hole left by Twellman.

"I feel more pressure when I'm not scoring, but it's more of a team game," Dube said. "If I can help out the team and we can win games, that's what we need. There's a little bit of pressure because he's not there, but as time goes on, it's all about the team."

Healthy Chivas setting sights on trophies

CARSON, Calif. -- With nearly all of their starters from the 2008 campaign returning this year, Chivas USA have their sights squarely set on winning the MLS Cup. And after adding a couple new faces to complement the stable of veteran talent, the team looks poised to make a real run into the postseason in 2009.

"It's all about winning trophies," said Chivas head coach Preki, now in his third year with the team, "Hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance or two to do that this year."

Returning to Chivas USA for the 2009 season is much of the team's core talent from last year. MLS Originals Jesse Marsch and Ante Razov will lead a team that's loaded with experience.

Five-time MLS All-Star Zach Thornton returns to the net looking leaner and more agile than last year. The defense in front of him will include 11-year veteran and 1999 MLS Cup winner Carey Talley and 2004 MLS All-Star Jim Curtin.

Chivas USA's midfield is perhaps its strong point, boasting two members of the U.S. national team. Sacha Kljestan, a natural right wing, and Jonathan Bornstein, a left-back who will probably push up onto the left flank this season, give the Red-and-White a powerful creative spark in the midfield.

MLS Season PreviewsCHICAGO FIRE • Fire ready for another run at MLS Cup
• Preview Quick Hits: Chicago Fire

CHIVAS USA • Chivas set sights on trophies
• Preview Quick Hits: Chivas USA

COLUMBUS CREW • Crew changing little in '09
• Preview Quick Hits: Columbus

SJ EARTHQUAKES • Revamped Quakes feeling offensive
• Preview Quick Hits: San Jose

LOS ANGELES GALAXY • Roster changes give Galaxy new look
• Preview Quick Hits: LA Galaxy

TORONTO FC • Reds look to boost scoring numbers
• Preview Quick Hits: Toronto FC

SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Get pumped for First Kick '09 >

They are supported by Marsch and Brazilian Paolo Nagamura in the middle, two players with tons of experience and plenty of time playing together.

Chivas USA's striker corps battled injuries all last year, with 2004 MLS Cup MVP Alecko Eskandarian and 2007 Chivas USA Golden Boot winner Maykel Galindo both sidelined for much of the campaign. Second-year man Justin Braun has begun to find his stride, however, and should shoulder some of the work this season.

Then in the days leading up to the season opener, the group was further bolstered by the addition of Eduardo Lillingston, an 11-year veteran of the Mexican Primera Division.

Not returning to the Red-and-White this year are Mexicans Francisco Mendoza and Claudio Suarez. Suarez, the second-most capped player of all time, has retired from professional soccer at the age of 40. Speedy left-winger Mendoza has signed with CD Guadalajara.

"Claudio is a world-class player and a great guy to have in the locker room," said Sacha Kljestan. "And Francisco was a Chivas USA original. It's tough to lose guys like that."

Preki and his staff have made moves to fill the spaces left by Mendoza and Suarez with some new faces, the most prominent of which is veteran defender Ante Jazic.

"Ante is a great veteran player who has played at a top level for many years in both Europe and in the MLS," said Kljestan. "He's a good player to have on the field that we can connect with. I'm happy about his signing."

The Canadian-born Jazic comes to the Red-and-White by way of a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy that sent Chivas USA's second round draft pick (19th overall) to their Home Depot Center rivals. With Suarez having hung up his boots and second-year Bobby Burling recovering from ankle surgery, Preki will be glad to have the experienced defender as an option.

"I've felt really comfortable from the first day," said Jazic. "I settled in quickly and I'm happy to be here. ... Chivas USA has a great locker room and a good mix between veteran leadership and young players."

One of those young players is Wake Forest alumnus Michael Lahoud, who was selected ninth overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.

Lahoud should add a welcome set of young legs in a midfield that, with the departure of speedy winger Mendoza, will need to pick up some pace.

"He's an exciting and versatile player," said Preki. "It's up to him to push hard and challenge for a spot."

While he's an exciting prospect, Lahoud has a lot to learn before he sees any serious playing time.

"Michael has great physical abilities," said Talley. "Now it's about really getting him integrated with the team and the whole concept of how we do things here." Another new face that will see plenty of time on the field is Mexican striker Lillingston, a 31-year-old who has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Mexican Primera Division with such teams as CF Atlas and Santos Laguna. Most recently he played for Guadalajaran outfit Tecos UAG, where he scored 15 times in 81 appearances.

While these new players will certainly help the Chivas USA cause this year, the team must, first and foremost, find a way to stay healthy if they hope to challenge for the 2009 MLS Cup.

"We had a pretty bad spell of injuries last year," said Talley. "The key to anybody's season is avoiding injuries, but for us it really seems to be the case."

The Red-and-White had a very unlucky 2008 campaign. Galindo, Bornstein, Lawson Vaughn and Alecko Eskandarian, all of whom would normally be in the starting XI, all spent time on the sideline with various injuries.

"We're trying to take it a game at a time right now," said Thornton. "If we stay healthy, I think we're a very good team."

Beyond overcoming any injury problems, Chivas USA must also find a way to win away from home. The Red-and-White lost eight of their first 12 away matches in 2008, earning only one victory during that time.

This problem is specifically troubling in the context of the postseason. In each of the last three years, it was the away leg of Chivas USA's Western Conference Semifinal Series that ultimately prevented their progression to further rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In fact, Chivas USA has never scored a goal away from The Home Depot Center during postseason play. But with players like Galindo and Eskandarian finally coming back from injury, confidence in the Red-and-White camp about Chivas USA's ability to score goals is high.

"The guys are getting back on the field, that's the main thing right now," said Preki. "Hopefully, as we get closer to the season, they'll be ready. And I think they will be."

"It's great to look up and see Galindo," said Nagamura. "Everyone knows dangerous he can be."

The return of Galindo and the addition of players like Jazic and Lillingston might be the final pieces in the puzzle for Chivas USA.

"I think we're going to be strong," said assistant coach and former Chivas USA defender Carlos Llamosa. "If we have a full team ready to go, I think we're going to challenge for the MLS Cup."

Wizards dealing with adversity well

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A little more than a week from the March 21 season opener against Toronto FC, the Kansas City Wizards are all systems go -- almost.

Third-year forward Adam Cristman, who was acquired from New England via trade last November, is out for the next two or possibly three months with a broken bone in his left foot.

"He has a broken fifth metatarsal," Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo said. "Obviously, it's a little disappointing losing Adam, but that's all part of it.

"Every good team has to deal with adversity. With all honesty, Adam had limited playing time in preseason because of the toe injury he was coming back from. So, that's disappointing, but we move on."

Cristman missed time late last season with the Revolution with a sprained big toe on his right foot that ultimately required surgery to repair, ending his year prematurely in September.

Cristman isn't the only Wizards newcomer missing.

The team continues to wait for Argentinean midfielder Santiago Hirsig to join the team in the United States. Hirsig was with the club in Mexico, but is waiting for a visa before coming to Kansas City.

"My understanding," Onalfo said, "is that he will be back this weekend and will be ready to train next week.

"You have to get appointments, and there is always a little bit of delay when you're doing that stuff. Considering the time that we identified him and offered a contract, it's normal -- the time it takes."

In the meantime, the Wizards continue to make preparations for the regular season. Onalfo said the team is where he expected it to be by this point, including firming up starting positions.

Whether the starting 11 is or isn't completely set as of yet (Onalfo wouldn't divulge details), the team has started preparing for Toronto FC.

"We have a certain way we want to play, regardless of who is on the field," Onalfo said. "So, certainly, we've been thinking about Toronto for some time now.

Individual pieces within the TFC squad already are on Onalfo's radar.

"First of all, they are an experienced team. They have a very good passing team," Onalfo said. "They have players like Dwayne De Rosario, who is arguably one of the best players in the league, if not the best. So we have to make sure we do a good job of dealing with him. We have to make sure we do a good job of dealing with their forwards.

"They're just, overall, a very good team and can get you in a lot of different areas, so we just need to make sure we are sound defensively and put them on their heels with the players that we have."

Rookie Barnes making impression

CARY, N.C. -- Draft picks don't have much time to adjust to the rigors of professional level.

From the time players are selected in the SuperDraft or offered a trial as a free agent, they are auditioning for a spot on the roster. Those roster spots are few and far between, especially for players who are drafted outside the first round.

New England Revolution defender Darrius Barnes hasn't locked up one of those precious roster spots yet, but he has done enough to interject himself into the discussion for a place on the Revolution's senior roster.

"Every time I step on the field, I try to give it my all," said Barnes, a third-round pick out of Duke University. "I think it's paid off so far. I still have some work to do. Hopefully, I can keep getting better every day out."

Barnes has impressed coaches and players alike with his smooth transition from the college game. Good work in practice has yielded starting nods in central defense for each of the Revolution's first two preseason games.

"Darrius has settled in well because he's got a great attitude," Revs defender Jay Heaps said. "He's a great talent. He's athletic. He understands the game."

Heaps and Barnes work well together for reasons aside from their common alma mater. Heaps' vocal leadership helps Barnes to perform his defensive duties and utilize his talents, according Revs boss Steve Nicol.

"He helps him get into the right spots," Nicol said. "[But] everyone has to do their job first."

One of Heaps' jobs is to help Barnes learn the finer points of defending at the next level. Barnes has made strides because he is willing to listen and learn, Heaps said.

"He's like a sponge," Heaps said. "Every day, he's getting better and better. That's what is most important about making the transition from college. Some players stay the same, while others continue to improve."

That growth has allowed Barnes, who entered camp as a long shot to make the roster, to leapfrog second-year defender Rob Valentino on the Revs' central defense depth chart. With Michael Parkhurst in Denmark and Gabriel Badilla on the sidelines, Barnes has had the opportunity to bed in with the first team and assimilate to the professional lifestyle.

Barnes credits Heaps and other veterans like Chris Albright, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz for outlining what the team expects from him and what duties and responsibilities he needs to perform in order to succeed.

"I'm starting to get familiar with everybody," Barnes said. "The guys have been a big help for me trying to make the transition. The speed of play is a little bit faster than it was in college, so that's been an adjustment for me. The guys have definitely helped me and held my hand to help show me the ropes. They've helped me out with the transition."

As the season approaches, Barnes hopes that transition will include a permanent spot on the roster. The situation looks promising right now, but Barnes said he knows that nothing is certain until he signs a contract.

"I just try not to deal with the extraneous things and try to control what I can control," Barnes said. "I just try to come out and perform the best I can."