I'm mesmerized by that gif, I keep watching it and wonder how Jesus can do that without falling himself...
About that. Hollingshead went on to become the swiss army knife, that we all know him as today. Pitter carried his form to OKC Energy, and was a super sub for them. Unknown to the rest of us, who wondered why Pitter was not being given a shot at Castillo's spot, was that Pitter had Visa issues. The Visa issues, is the reason he could not play for FCD, and had to be loaned out. He never got his shot at FCD, and is now back in Europe, not actually "retired". Tesho was a Super Sub for FCD down the stretch of last season, leading the team in scoring after the all-star game. Tesho looks like he is picking up. right where he left off. He will continue to be a "Super Sub", with the only thing slowing his roll being, that he is but 1 of many "Super Subs" at Pareja's disposal. I'll post more on that later.
Today's game vs @FerroOficial is off today due to weather. The boys get a well-deserved rest before games on Tuesday & Wednesday. https://t.co/vjI9tp3gbT— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) February 13, 2017
Tesho could be much improved and see less minutes. Lamah being brought will cut down on his minutes at right mid. Colman being brought in will limit his minutes at forward. Those were his two main spots for minutes so unless either are failures (possible) he will see his minutes shrink unless he's become much better than last year. Add in Reid and Ferreira adding a change of pace as a Lamah substitute and he may be on his way to a Watson/Harris move to a more defensive position.
He's actually in for more minutes than you would think. I am working on some analytical stuff, and will post it when I can.
The Evolution of FCD: Busca La Forma 4.0 This preseason, FCD has continued it's evolution from last season. Last season, FCD had great success with a base 4-2-3-1. With Mauro Diaz at the heart of the attack, FCD ran rough shot through the MLS campaign. A team with solid depth through out, the team handled injuries and International abscensces with aplomb. In the situation when the team was depleted of starters, or key personell such as Diaz, FCD would switch to a 4-4-2. At the end of the season, with Diaz lost to them, FCD rolled out a 5-3-2 in desperation, with mixed results. This preseason has seen FCD use all 3 formations at one point or another. In fact, the roster additions, have been used to at times, seamlessly transition from one formation to the other. So let's take a look at what FCD will be doing this year, and why you should pay attention at the substitution paterns. The base 4-4-2: Seitz Grana - Hedges - Zimmerman - Figuroa Barrios - Gruezo- Acosta - Lamah Urutti - Colman FCD has employed this formation through out the preseason. Keeping a tight backline, and sending defensive players forward when possible. Colman and Lamah have been very good in hold up play, as they are both very physical specimens, and thus allow the attack to build up. This formation has been a very defensive, yet ball control oriented formation, with gradual build ups on the attack. The base 4-2-3-1: Seitz Grana -Hedges -Zimmerman -Figueroa Gruezo - Acosta Barrios - Morales - Lamah Colman Really some of the starters are interchangeable, depending on the opposition. So Urruti can be swapped in for Colman, or Cannon for Grana. Again the defenders push forward when possible, but the team presses higher, confident in the midfield numbers. We've seen this formation at work last season with Diaz at the helm, and it pretty much functions the same way here. The base 5-4-1: Seitz Grana - Harris -Hedges -Figueroa - Chala Barrios - Gruezo - Acosta - Lamah Akindele This is the big surprise of the preseason. FCD deploys Hedges in the middle, surrounded by 4 fullbacks. Harris and Guillen both alternate as starters. All 4 fullbacks are capable of flying forward, and Chala is very similar to Andre Yedlin in his playing style. Notice that the formations all share many of the same starters. FCD substitutes players, and alters their formation with the substitution. Zimmerman subs in for Grana or Figuroa in the 5-4-1, and pushes either Harris to the right or Guillen to the left. Chala moves forward into Lamah's spot, who now becomes the second forward, or switches sides with Barrios who now becomes the second forward in the 4-4-2. Lamah can be substituted out for Morales who turns the formation into a 4-2-3-1. Chala can substitute into the 4-4-2 and switch the formation into a 5-4-1, as he would come in for one of the forwards. Morales can substitute into the 4-4-2 and switch it into a 4-2-3-1. Keep in mind that they don't have to alter the formation, and can simply sub even up. The subs are key, as different players offer different skill sets, and change how the team functions. Cannon for Grana, is a very noticable change. Chala for Figuroa or Lamah is very different. Akindele for Urruti, Colman or Barrios. Harris or Guillen for Hedges or Zimmerman. Keep in mind the youngsters offer their own unique skill sets and evolving maturity. This season will have it's ups and downs, but it's clear that Pareja is about to unleash a Pandoras Box into MLS. Teams will not know what Papi is about to unleash on them from the bench, and neither will we. FCD will not be at full stength for a couple of months, so it may take a while for the team to hit on all cylinders, and when it does, you will be witness to something special. https://mobile.twitter.com/FCDAnalysis
All the draws! FCD draws @clublanus 1-1 in the first of two shortened matches today. Atiba with the goal! https://t.co/DAdg4zcgoX— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) February 14, 2017