When I said I wanted the weather to change I didn't mean colder. It's only 45 today. There is a little more sun tough and a little less wind; so it's not terrible but it's not comfortable either. Thankfully I brought my long johns.

Lot's of detail type stuff going on in today's session. First was some crossing, both offensive and defensive, combined with some finishing.

Second, came a 11v11 drill that was about a low-block set up deals with a high press and what a high press team does when they win it... and then lose it. Coach Luchi Gonzalez went on about this drill a fair bit in the interview below. It was quite a fun drill to watch. High energy and high pace.

The third drill was defending and taking corner kicks. And last but not least was some PK practice.

News, Notes, and Observations

Coach Gonzalez says that in tomorrow's scrimmage against Real Salt Lake ( update: 1 pm CT - should be streamed) there will be a first team that will include some guys competing for spots in the first team. A chance for some players to make a final case if you will.





Then on Saturday, FCD has scheduled a second scrimmage. Unfortunately, both games are against MLS second units, but you will see FCD push for 80 to 90 minute for what should be the starters for their opening game in one of the two scrimmages.





Game 1 is at 10 CT against Portland Timbers' reserves/second unit and Game 2 is at noon CT against New York Red Bull's reserve/second unit. That second game should still be streamed by the FC Tucson people, I don't know about the first one.





While watching some of the finishing drills I came away impressed with Paxton Pomykal and Bryan Acosta as being the best shooters from beyond the box, say 22 to 25 yards. Once the ball got inside the box, say anywhere around the top of the 18, then Pablo Aranguiz really stood out. Zdenek Ondrasek has some really good instincts in the goal box, better than anyone else anyway, but I would still like to see him be more clinical.





Speaking of the Cobra , I want to give him some credit. He seems a great teammate to have. Super upbeat and positive. Always happy, quick with a smile. Telling jokes. He's a real lover of life it seems with a large, vibrant personality to match. Such a likable fellow.





I won't get into who, but Coach Gonzalez is using different corner kick takers on the right side compared to the left.





FCD also worked on variations of corners... short, long and deep types.





I saw some more Dom Badji on the wing, he can cross fairly well, and most certainly has the pace to get behind the defense. Partly Badji as a wing in training serves to get Jesus Ferreira more reps as a 9.





Unfortunately, Ema Twumasi seems to be stagnating a bit. I'm sure he's not super happy with where he finds himself in the depth chart.





Reminder Carlos Gruezo has left town to go get his green card. I don't think he'll be back in time for Saturday's scrimmages.

FC Dallas assistant coach Peter Luccin keeps his eye on the ball. (2-19-19) (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)

Catching up with Luchi Gonzalez

You and I have talked about tactics being fluid; shape being fluid; defending in low-block, mid-block, or high press; keeping players on their toes; even watching training you push the pace between drills; do you thrive off of chaos? Is chaos even the right word?

Yeah, in chaos there is beauty. In that there's clarity... there's clarity.

Today was a pure transitional game of high block, lose it, get it back. That's it.

The emphasis wasn't on the team with the ball, on how to break down the block, in terms of participations, possession. That's a different type of session. Where it's much less chaotic.

But if we lose it, it's a moment of chaos that has a structure. The team has a shape and they have an attitude, individually and collectedly, to make sure we get the ball back. So that was the objective of that type of exercise.

So, yeah, no, it does. I like that.

We do that reflection too. It has to be that game speed. I'm putting them in crisis. I'm putting in the ball to put them in crisis, I'm putting them in crisis. And then how they are responding to that is the theme, is the objective.

Because it's like breathing. For me, it's like transition is breathing for us. Inhale, exhale. With the ball, without the ball. With the ball, without. But we need to do it to be alive in the game.

Now, we want to do a lot more with the ball. If we can be really good in those transitional elements we're going to have a lot more... We feel over time, in a game, over time we can have more of the ball to help dictate the game.

That [chaos] was the exercise.

There's a methodology where you just do with ball, like... with ball, with ball, with ball... But then what happens when you lose the ball. What are you doing? 'Oh, we're just going to retreat?' I mean sometimes, if they break pressure, yeah.

So there will be plenty of moments also where it's clear ideas with the ball. How we want to get from here to there. Positional things. Totally different type of session than that, right?

Yeah, that's the idea.

Would it be fair to say, given the amount of fluidity in your tactics, especially given how early you are implementing them this spring, that soccer IQ is a pretty high priority for you?

Yes. Very important. Very important. I believe all of our players can improve that soccer IQ in their development.

I would argue that if a player that is excelling overseas... if you take Hazard and you drop him into FC Dallas... he has amazing natural technical, tactical things. He already has high IQ, technique, coordination, explosiveness, but we're still going to want to develop him. We're still going to want to help him grow in his education of the game. Not just use him. It's about developing.

We don't want to add so many of these new ideas that it becomes 'you want to do everything and you do nothing.' So we want to keep it in a pedagogy that has a progression. That there's building blocks. We feel like we're doing the right building blocks.

So you don't overwhelm anybody?

Correct.

So we're reading the group, we're reading how their taking things on. If we feel like there's a good comfort level with it then we'll add a little next step to it.

We, myself, other media, we talked a lot this winter and at the end of last season about the need for a 9. Dom Badji has made some progress. But how would you rate Zdenek Ondrasek, the Cobra? How's he fitting in? How's he doing?

We had a talk today, just to catch up. He's adapting. He's in a system that's requiring more pressing. More patience in where the ball will get back to front. Where it's not just a straight vertical ball every time that he can anticipate. So he's having to adapt.

He has some very good instincts and he has a great attitude. He likes to associate, he likes to combine, and find teammates. He's kind of finding his balance where he's around the goal and maybe it's not find-a-teammate, maybe it's be-a-killer. And then if he starts to kill and he's being double marked or being really tightly closed down then he needs to find a teammate.

I think he's going through an adaptation right now where it hasn't been easy but his attitude has been fantastic. He's been a great professional. He's been good in the locker room. And with those thin,gs the club will support any player that shows those qualities. Those team qualities to develop individually in the group.

How about Bressan, how's he fitting in?

Yeah, well. Very good defender, defending instincts. Smart on the ball. For example, if we were missing Matt [Hedges] for some reason and had our season opener against New England, I think Bressan is stepping right in. He's showing it, he's showing those qualities. We're really happy with his progress.

How Bryan Acosta's progress? When I first saw him I could tell he was trying to find his way, now he looks almost completely integrated.

Good, very good. Socially he's already adapted. Fits right in in our style of play. Great human being, family guy. Fits the needs of the profile we're looking for in the 8s. Can play make, helps recover. You know we're doing this kind of this double 8 system that we fill with guys doing good jobs with and without the ball. He's fitting in quite well.

He's not even full fitness yet, not even full rhythm, and he's showing a lot things. Tomorrow will be a great opportunity for him to get more fitness, get more rhythm, and earn his way into what he earns on Saturday.

Speaking of double 8s, that doesn't really fit Pablo Aranguiz' game. He's really more of a pure 10. How's he doing in terms of finding his way in your system?

So we've had an experience with Aranguiz where we actually are seeing a lot of positives when he's on the wing. He kind of becomes this false winger for us, an 11 or a 7. He finds isolations, he whips in some really good balls, diagonals, he's been scoring recently in scrimmages.

He's not a player that has this all out speed to get in behind but he's going to find these little gaps in and around those areas, to involve outside backs, come inside and give us numbers inside, get in front of goal.

He's a creative player that reminds us of what the Hazards-types are doing or those false wing type players... in our system right now we're not playing 10-8-6, we're playing 6-8-8... in a moment where we go double 6, certainly a 10 could fit the profile in the midfield.

But right now he's competing in that 7/11 position. I think he's doing it because of his creativity and what he gives us with and without the ball.

Ricardo Pepi of North Texas SC studies FC Dallas training. (2-19-19) (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)