Quiet Week
After a jam-packed, injury-ridden June, FC Dallas looks to turn the page with a rested squad.
I’ve been an FC Dallas fan since 2010, and in that time period, I experienced a MLS Cup loss, Open Cup championship, Supporters’ Shield, and plenty of other ups and downs.
And let me tell you, we have been pretty fortunate as Dallas fans to mostly enjoy some solid years of soccer, playoff appearances, and rising stars. I’m not suggesting it has always been perfect or easy following this club. Of course not. There have been painful losses, player drama, and bad signings, but one thing we haven’t seen in droves are injury problems.
Until this year, at least.
FC Dallas has lost key players before to long term injuries, Paxton Pomykal the most recent, but the team has been pretty fortunate to bounce back or have enough healthy guys on the field to stay competitive.
These past few months then have been a massive anomaly for this club. It’s strange and hard to watch. Every pro player of any sport nurses some nagging issues over the course of a grueling campaign, but for FC Dallas to lose starters and backups for significant stretches, it’s uncharted territory. The injury list has grown, week by week.
These past several weeks have not been good enough, but that comes with a huge asterisk because of the amount of key players missing. While Jesus Ferreira is away at the Gold Cup, Jesus Jimenez was expected to be the next man up and get crucial time to relieve some goal scoring burden from the team’s star. But now he’s hurt.
Paul Arriola is a vocal leader for this team, a workhorse, and would likely push the squad to turn around some of these recent results. Hurt too.
Jose Martinez is unavailable with an injury. Ema Twumasi, Dallas’ starting right back, is nursing a sensitive ankle.
Paxton Pomykal is out, and rising player Tsiki Ntsabeleng is on the mend. Thin midfield, right?
Sebastian Lletget finally made it back on the pitch last week after an injury and will provide some assistance in midfield. Thank goodness.
Like, it’s bad as I can remember.
The good news is that FC Dallas’ schedule has slown down. Guys should be making their way back into training. The burden should ease a bit. Just in time for some crucial matches.
And at least one new signing is on the way. We’ll wait and see if Dante Sealy and Justin Che make their presence felt too.
At the end of the season, this will be nice fodder to consider whether FC Dallas isn’t due for some physio changes or adjustments to the way they practice. Sometimes, injuries are just bad luck. Other times, it’s an opportunity to take another look at sports nutrition, schedules, and patterns to keep guys fresh.
Los Angeles FC comes to town this weekend, and it’s a big match. Let’s hope FC Dallas can field a healthy squad and get back to their winning ways.