FRISCO, Texas -- One area that won't need addressing for FC Dallas is goalkeeper. The club announced Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with veteran Dario Sala for him to remain with FCD. The Argentinean 'keeper was signed Sept. 15, 2005 and has been the Hoops' starter for each of the last three seasons. Terms of the deal were not released per team and league policy.
In 2008, Sala started 28 games, equaling a career-high. He also registered career best marks in shutouts and minutes played. Sala's seven clean sheets was the most for FCD since 2001, when Matt Jordan had nine.
"I thought he was a solid 'keeper," FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "He's someone we want to keep here. I think he's been good for us. I think he's improved on his positioning. The balls that are coming across, he's starting to use his body to at least punch the balls out and I don't think he was doing a lot of that previously."
While pleased with his performance this year, Sala admits the year was bittersweet because FCD missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
"It really hurts," Sala said. "It hurt because I always try to build a winning mentality in the people around me and it's really disappointing to be out. We had the team to do it, but unfortunately, we ran out of games. But in the end, it wasn't good enough because we tied too many games and that was a key. Our home record was also really bad.
"Personally, I hit my own goals," he continued. "Usually when you hit your goals as a player, it helps the team and you hit the team goal. Unfortunately, that didn't happen this time. My goal was to be a champion. I think I hit my own goals and had a very good year. It's hard to say that after we didn't make the playoffs. It sounds selfish but I'm not happy (with us missing the playoffs)."
For the 34-year-old Sala, going to another MLS club was never really an option.
"I didn't want to move from Dallas," he admitted. "I don't know if I would play in MLS if I didn't play for FC Dallas. It's something that I feel here. I have always told everyone that when I came to Texas, I would either stay here or go back to my country."
When asked about his offseason plans, Sala's response was simple.
"For me, it will be work," he said. "I'm going to be working here. I'm going to take from around December 15 to January 15 off. This is going to be my vacation time, staying with my family coming from Argentina. But staying here, I've got to be ready to show and am doing a couple of clinics here."
And for the first time in his career, that means Sala will be spending the entire offseason in the Lone Star State.
"Yes, it is the first time," he said. "I talked with the goalkeeper coach to get my fitness level high before we get into the preseason because it's tough. I want to do the same thing that I did coming into this year because it really worked for me. I wasn't accustomed to having two or three months off and didn't have the professionalism before. It was tough for me to come to MLS and have two or three months off. It was like a new toy for me."
Sala credits being fit for first time heading into preseason, another career first for setting the tone for a successful season.
"You've got to be fit for the whole year," he said. "You have to take one month off like I'm going to take but if you're over 30, you've got to do something every other day in the offseason. Coming two or three weeks early, it would be the best. That shows professionalism if you want to be a leader on the team because the kids come to practice in January and see one of the older players running around, lifting weights or in the locker room having breakfast.
"It's nice to see the older guys to show the younger guys that here's someone twice my age doing it, I need to do the same thing because of the example he sets," he continued. "This is the kind of thing Schellas wants. I want to stay in this game longer. So, I want to help Schellas in that respect because it's something that if we work on doing what he wants, I really think he's going to change the whole mentality of this team."
The Hoops goalkeeper also feels more comfortable playing for Hyndman than he did with any of his previous head coaches with FCD.
"He understands my position and is direct in what he wants," Sala said. "He's pretty straight and told me that I would make three or four plays that were key plays in the game. He told me that I've got to come out more for the crosses and that I have to communicate more because he needs me to play five yards in front. It's pretty direct and clear for me to understand. This is a good thing because when he gets rid of a player, drafts or trades a player, he does it for a reason. I love people like that, have bought into Schellas and what he is saying. You can definitely see that."
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