Five thoughts on Major League Soccer and first-year San Diego FC.
1.The regular season has far too many games, far too much travel and far too many international windows for any team to sustain a high level of soccer across the 34 matches.
Soccer demands rare energy and fitness, or else a team’s quality sags. MLS fields are too big — wider by 17 to 27 yards than an NFL field — for a player’s tired legs not to show up.
Two weeks ago, fatigue appeared to contribute to SDFC’s worst half of the season. The team was coming off consecutive road games — one in a high-altitude Denver suburb, the other on Charlotte’s artificial turf.
Benefiting San Diego in the second half of its 5-0 win Saturday night in Mission Valley, FC Dallas faded in the final 30 minutes. Did FC Dallas’ schedule contribute to the blowout? The club had traveled some 5,000 miles over the previous two weeks. Also, it held out its best offensive player, knowing that another grueling stretch is coming.
Of course, MLS isn’t alone in red-lining players’ RPMs.
Marathon seasons in Major League Baseball and NFL weaken rosters and contribute to high injury totals.
And the NBA season, at 82 games, produces scores of much-diluted games. The San Antonio Spurs dynasty, recall, was borne in part of out of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich shrewdly holding his stars out of numerous games, improving health-and-energy outcomes in the playoffs.
2. SDFC star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is a gift to local soccer fans, enabling them to see a world-class forward in person. The left wing from Mexico City may lack one dominant physical trait that would shine brightly in the world’s top leagues, but he shows solid or good traits across an ultra-broad spectrum. Lozano reads the game well and understands angles. He’s both quick and fast. Capable with both feet and comfortable all over the field, Lozano, 29, is a great example of why folks pushed to get an MLS club in San Diego. Setting up his second goal of Saturday’s first half, he had a perfect first touch on a dead sprint.
3. Coach Mikey Varas had perhaps his best week, a factor in Saturday’s crisp game.
Lozano said the seeds to the victory were planted in Tuesday’s practice, after a three-game skid. The coach’s shuffling within the front line paid off, as did adjustments to extra-aggressive pressing by Dallas FC’s center defenders.
4. Varas saw that Anders Dreyer, although accustomed to right wing, could better assist Lozano, and vice-versa, by moving to center forward in this match. Denmark’s Dreyer, who turned 27 last week, understands soccer chess, yet still has enough quickness and stamina to apply his wisdom. He’s an alum of professional leagues in England, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia and Belgium.
5. SDFC’s dominance brought the team a late-game perk.
With the score 4-0, striker Milan Iloski replaced Lozano for the final 10 minutes, and the Escondido native mustered a ball-skill display that should get him more playing time.
Iloski lost almost no speed while gathering a in traffic on the run while shy of midfield, then dribbled for some 20 yards before working a give-and-go atop the box with Onni Valakari.
He finished for his first MLS goal. Instead of rushing, the 5-foot-9 1/2, 163-pounder ran alongside the rolling ball before slotting a sharp-angled 18-yarder into the left corner.
Then the San Pasqual High School graduate leaned into the stands and slapped hands with fans.
After three years at UCLA, Iloski signed a homegrown developmental contract with Real Salt Lake. He appeared in just two games in two seasons before moving down a level to the United Soccer League. He scored 38 goals in 64 matches with Orange County, leading to a pair of seasons in Denmark with SDFC’s sister club. He ed SDFC in April. Iloski has appeared in four matches.
