It was an interesting day to watch training for the hardcore FC Dallas fan today as North Texas SC combined their training session with FC Dallas. Usually, NTXSC trains one field to the north about an hour before FCD. But today it was all one session beginning at 9:30 am.

A 70 degree starting temp and partly cloudy skies make for a wonderful day to watch some training.

News and Notes

Cristian Colman made his return to FC Dallas training today, taking part in the warm-up and simple pass/movement drills. When the more complex drills started Colman did a fitness type check with one of the trainers on the side and then went inside. Colman's joy at being back with this team was obvious and palpable. He's got a ways to go but he's worked his tail off to get this far and is way ahead of schedule.

All but three North Texas players took part in the FCD session. The ones taking part were: Carlos Avilez, Bicou Bissainthe, Ronaldo Damus, Alfusainey Jatta, Hector Montalvo, Cesar Murillo, Ricardo Pepi, Arturo Rodriguez, and Oscar Romero.

Arturo Rodriguez dribbles against Bryan Acosta in a combined FC Dallas and North Texas SC training session. (4-23-19) (North Texas SC / Garrett Melcer)

Two of the NTX players who didn't take part did come out later and watch: Brecc Evans and David Rodriguez. I didn't ask why they didn't participate. There was no sign of Abdoul Gaffar Ibrhim who I'm told is in finally in town and training but wasn't here today.

One extra player still training with NTX that did take part is goalkeeper Kyle Parks who, while not signed, is apparently still involved. He was used as a fill-in field player and as a goalkeeper today.

I'm also told Mohamed Sesay is still around quite frequently but not every day. I hope NTX picks him up at some point but right now there's an internationals limit problem keeping him off the squad.

Moises Hernandez is still on loan with San Antonio FC.

Of Ema Twumasi there was no sign. I asked, he' not be back yet from getting his green card. Anything involving immigration takes longer these days.

Francis Atuahene is still rehabbing, but he does come by for a bit as he does most days lately. He's really chomping to get back I think.

No Bressan in training today with the hamstring injury.

Reggie Cannon told me he's giving up on the no carbs diet finding it too difficult to maintain in a day to day club life away from the national team.

Dom Badji was back in full training in the middle of last week, but it wasn't enough to get into the selection for last week's team. This week though he is involved in the squad choices. I would expect him to be the first choice behind Jesus Ferreira at striker and in a three-way battle for left wing with Santi Mosquera and Pablo Aranguiz.

Based on what I've seen of late, Pablo Aranguiz is a bit out of the mix in midfield and is back to playing mostly as a wing again...

Leaving 5 players for three spots in midfield: Paxton Pomykal (a lock?), Bryan Acosta, Edwin Cerrillo, Carlos Gruezo, and Jacori Hayes. Brandon Servania and Thomas Roberts still seem on the outside looking in for these spots when everyone is here and healthy.

Paxton Pomykal, more than just wearing Bobby Rhine's number 19, also has something else in common with Rhine as he matures. Well, two things actually. First, he's a tireless worker in training. In the past, his frustration at lack of progress has worn him down a bit. But now that Pomykal is seeing progress and the rewards of playing time he's become Rhine like in his relentlessness in training.

The second way he's resembling Bobby Rhine is how nice Paxton Pomykal is to everyone he talks to. Coaches, players, fans, and media. He used to be a little shy but he's emerging as an open, gregarious, and friendly young man.

Training Observations

Today's work had a little bit of a different focus. Some of it included offensive players working against defenders man marking. Playing combos to break into space and getting free from the defender. This is a specific training concept for this week as San Jose uses more man marking than anyone else in MLS.

One of today's drills was 40-yard games with full goals. A four-team round robin was played with teams (6 field players, 1 goalie) designed to be roughly even. This is the kind of lighthearted, fun competition to raise spirits and positivity in the team with a friendly, trash talking, mini-game. It's one of the best drills to watch.

Here are your winners.

By the way, Reto Ziegler wasn't on the winning team, he just crashed their picture with his Christian Ronaldo style high pants.

Hamstrings

With FCD now suffering its 4th hamstring injury this season by my count - Jacori Hayes, Dam Badji, Bressan, and Ryan Hollingshead (who just had some "tightness" a month back) - I wanted to ask a bit about the injury.

FC Dallas was good enough to let me talk to Tracy Coleman, Head Athletic Trainer & Rehab Coordinator. He's not allowed to talk about specific injuries but he was able to talk to me in general terms. Here's the short interview.

By my count it's the 4th or 5th hamstring injury this season, does it raise the staff's eyebrows when you get a rash of injuries like this?

I don't think that it necessarily makes us raise eyebrows as much as it makes us more aware that we need to kind of change up strength stuff and the maintenance programs and all of that.

It's a completely new playing style [this season], right? So now we are forced to prepare them differently. So it's... honestly, we were anticipating some of these issues, maybe not this many, but it's something we handle as it happens.

So in general terms as training staff, how do you combat, prevent, and recover hamstring injuries?

A lot of e-centric work like Nordic hamstring curls, where you're on your knees and somebody holds your feet... you keep straight and go down... That's one of the biggest ones for us, making sure they are doing constant maintenance work and strength work.

The more of those guys that we can get on those plans, I think the more we're going to see those issues go away. All of the guys that have had these issues in the past, the second they are back in training they are on a specific plan.

Catching up with Head Coach Luchi Gonzalez

There were a few media at today's session so a wide range of questions was asked. FCD will post a few I'm sure and Jon Arnold will, I imagine, post some in his DMN stuff... but here are the ones I asked.

You had two strikers in your system in Atlanta but it seemed like Jesus Ferreira was playing center channel as a 9 and Michael Barrios was playing mostly right perhaps trying to get behind Brek Shea. How much of that was tactical and how much was just the nature of those two players?

We discussed that in this pressure situations or defensive situations, it's gonna take Mickey [Barrios] away from the width and have him come back and inside, but as soon as we won it we would like him to find isolations in wide positions, mostly on the right. And Jesus [Ferreira] references as the 9. And if we lose an occupation on the left side, we're confident Ryan [Hollingshead] can fill it. Or Paxton [Pomykal].

But we're also open to fluidity because we're ok with Mikey coming across being on the left side and Jesus getting isolated on the right. We want interchangeability. But, yes certainly we were encouraging Mikey to try and expose some spaces on that [Atlanta] left side if Brek Shea was caught going forward, which we wanted to try and get him in behind those spaces.

Nice to see Colman back out there working with the team a little bit?

Absolutely, he's got a lot of support in the locker room. Socially he's very well connected with all his teammates and everyone was very happy to see him out there in the warm-up. Little by little he'll be integrated and it's just great to see him with a smile on his face after going through what he's going through. Which is very difficult.

To be with us today and to be starting to be integrated into the technical work. That's going to help him be helpful for this roster soon again.

It was another game with Marquinhos Pedroso not in the 18 again. Is there something he can do in training to get himself back into the team? Is he not performing in some way or is it just simply tactical situations?

Marquinhos [Pedroso] is a player that I have a lot of respect for. He's a true professional and he works hard every single day. He has a fantastic attitude with his teammates and enjoys his work.

We have to make tough decisions and he knows that. He's been at different clubs. He's showing that he supports this team 100% and it's a pleasure working with him. And that's what I've been experiencing.

Ronaldo Damus winds up for a pass while marked by Edwin Cerrillo in a combined FC Dallas and North Texas SC training session. (4-23-19) (North Texas SC / Garrett Melcer)