... on the League Fair Play Table! http://web.mlsnet.com/stats/discipline.jsp (scroll down to the bottom) I know we're only three games into the season but this is the first time in forever that Dallas has been near the top, let alone #1, of this chart. Although maybe this isn't too surprising since foul/yellow card magnets Ruiz and Gbandi are gone (and Valakari the previous year).
I think this is cool!! It'd rather see the pretty passing kind of soccer that FCD is trying to play, rather than the thug-fest type that some teams (Houston comes to mind . . .) seem to play.
Speaking of Bayou City thuggery, Eddie Robinson got three games today for introducing his elbow to some KC player's face last weekend. I guess Rico Ribkicker told Eddie all about what he did with his time off and Eddie got jealous.
I had a question for y'all who've been watching the game way longer than I have. Maybe I've just forgotten what the games looked like last season, after the too-long break (and watching European soccer all winter), but were they as physical as these first three games seem to have been? I remember the Houston games being physical, but is this the norm for MLS games -- to knock people around? Examples -- Etcheverry (or however you spell it) knocking Serioux down from behind in the NYRB game and half of the plays in the Houston game. But one that comes to mind, as an example, was Boswell in the second minute of the game knocking Toja to the ground with an elbow from behind (has Boswell always been like this or does Houston give their players "thug" lessons?). I think physical play is fine -- if it's two players going for the ball, but don't like seeing players get knocked around in what is obviously NOT a play for the ball. Should players be coming out of games with injured backs, the way Cooper and Ricchetti did after the Houston game? And even the two yellow cards that FCD has picked up, they seem to have been from plays out of frustration -- Rocha finally kicking the ball out of bounds (and kicking an opposing player in the process, I think) in the Chivas game, when there were two FCD players down injured -- and Toja dishing it out because he was sick of taking it in the Houston game. Anyway, I'm just trying to understand things here... as FCD prepares to play Chivas again -- who are at the bottom of the Fair Play table. It would be nice to see good soccer vs. a pro-wrestling match . . .
I would say MLS has always been this way, although it may be (or seem) worse this season. Perhaps it's the addition of some skill players to MLS, along with the foundation of slower, less-skilled, more physical MLS players that makes it seem worse. Add a dash of poor officiating - such as not calling obvious, if not totally vicious, fouls - and you get injuries and frustration cards. The good news is that I would say we have it good now as fans of FCD as far as high level of skill vs. lower level of thuggery (recent playoff incidents notwithstanding). Unfortunately, if history is any indication, there is a high chance that one of our skill players will sustain an injury at some point this season due to the factors above. I think a few injuries to a few stars may be the straw that breaks MLS' back with regards to forcing them to address the physicality and officiating.
Thanks for the input! I do wish these issues would be addressed before one of our players -- or any player, for that matter (What happened to the KC player?)-- gets injured because of brutish plays/uncalled fouls. Heck, how has Chivas managed to rack up 7 yellows, 2 red cards and 57 fouls in just three games?!?!?