FRISCO, Texas -- On Sunday evening, FC Dallas got their first win under new head coach Schellas Hyndman with a 4-0 blanking of the LA Galaxy at Pizza Hut Park. While the big story for FCD was the two goals from Kenny Cooper, FCD also got solid performances from a pair of younger players in Michael Dello-Russo and Chase Wileman.
Dello-Russo came on for Andre Rocha in the 66th minute and was playing in the second MLS game of his career but first in 2008 after his MLS debut came last October against Kansas City. And Chase Wileman, a second-year player who played for Hyndman at SMU, came on in the 75th minute to make his league debut and assisted on FCD's last goal, scored by Abe Thompson.
All in all, Hyndman was pleased with how Dello-Russo and Wileman performed.
"He (Dello-Russo) did fine," he said. "I thought Michael did a good job getting forward holding the ball. It looked like there was no change as far as personnel. You also have to realize that he came in 66 minutes into the game when the other team was already tired and with three front runners."
Hyndman offered a similar review of Wileman's play.
"I thought he did great," Hyndman said. "He played for me (at SMU). I love the kid and have known him for so long. But I can't let my feelings interfere with what is best for the team. So, I went to Chase with the injuries we have and the boys away with the Milk Cup, I said that I had good news and bad news for him. The good news was that he was going to dress out for the game. He had big eyes, was happy and had a big smile on his face. As I was walking away, he asked me what the bad news was. I told him not to plan on playing.
"I really didn't plan on him playing in the game," Hyndman said. "I thought it was great for him to dress out his first time but after watching Arturo (Alvarez) and Andre (Rocha) struggle a little bit, I thought it was a wonderful day for Chase. I put him on the field and told him not to ask (David) Beckham for his autograph during the game. I know how excited he was to be on the field and to be marking up with Beckham. I thought he did fine."
Both players were clearly pleased to see some time with the first team on Sunday.
"It was fun," Dello-Russo said. "It was a great time. It was probably the best occasion too, a packed house, Beckham was there and we had the lead. You couldn't ask for much more. I was very excited and pleased with the team's effort."
Said Wileman: "It was awesome. Dressing for the first time ever and it being a sold-out stadium was awesome. I wasn't expecting to play. I was ready and did everything I had to do to be ready but we scored goals and things happened in my favor.
"When I went out there, (assistant coach John) Ellinger and him (Hyndman) told me to not wake up tomorrow and to not have any regrets about this," Wileman continued. "I just tried to go out there and do a job for the team. I got an assist but Abe (Thompson) did everything. I just played him the ball and he scored a great goal. It was great, a good experience."
Since taking over at FCD, Dello-Russo has been one of the players whom Hyndman has continually commended for a strong work ethic.
"I've been trying to do that (catch his eye)," Dello-Russo said. "That's what I've been doing my whole life, try to show up every day and if I try to do work hard every day and get the best out of myself, then I hopefully I can produce the most out here for the team. I'm glad that he recognized that and will just keep working hard from here and see what happens."
Wileman admits that in the hours before the game, he did everything he could to keep his mind off soccer so that he could avoid getting nervous.
"It was partly adrenaline," he said. "All day, I wasn't really thinking about the game. I tried to do other things so that I wouldn't get antsy about it. Once you get out there, soccer is soccer. You're playing against great players but you step between the lines and are playing the same game you've been playing since you were a boy. Sure, the game is faster but it was cool."
Like Wileman, Dello-Russo also came from a big-time college program in Maryland. He sees many similarities in Hyndman's training sessions to those he participated in during his days in College Park.
"Definitely (there are a lot of similarities), he expects a lot out of individual players, which is good," Dello-Russo said. "He holds everyone accountable, which is very good. I got that a lot in college and am very used to that. (Maryland head coach) Sasho (Cirovski) is a lot like that too, it's self accountability. I really enjoy practicing like that."
Dello-Russo has also noticed that Hyndman's practices are more intense than those of his predecessors with the Hoops.
"He's intense," he said of Hyndman. "I think that's coming from a college level also. A lot of college coaches are intense and expect a lot from their players. I'm not saying that Steve (Morrow) or Marco (Ferruzzi) didn't by any means, it's just a different mentality. Everybody coaches differently and now, we're getting used to the way Schellas (Hyndman) coaches and it's good for us and him."
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