With FC Dallas sitting at 1-5-1 and at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, head coach Schellas Hyndman said this week that changes to his first 11 are coming. One possible move is the return of forward Jeff Cunningham to the first team.
Cunningham started FCD's first two games before being displaced up top by newcomer David Ferreira, who is more of an attacking midfielder than striker. The veteran scorer of 104 MLS career goals came off the bench in each of his side's next four games but delivered little in the way of results.
After missing last weekend's trip to D.C. United with a strained right hamstring, Cunningham is now 100 percent and ready for another opportunity.
Through the whole experience, he has kept his head up, maintained a positive attitude and never let up in training. Those efforts could pay dividends as soon as this weekend, when FCD travels to face in-state rival Houston.
"It's about the team," Cunningham said. "Everyone wants to play. It's a difficult position for the coach to be in. He's got 24 players that he has to keep happy as well as 24 wives, girlfriends and the fans. As players, we just have to be professional and know that we're going to get another opportunity. Hopefully I will make the best of it and be able to stay on the field."
His philosophy through the first part of the season has been simple.
"My job is to make the coach's decision difficult," Cunningham said. "Each training session, I just have to try and improve and impress. The rest is out of my hands. I've just got to try to be positive and put the team ahead. At times, that means to be quiet, keep my head down, work and not say much. That's what I've been doing. I took a lesson from TO (Terrell Owens). I saw what happened when TO spoke up, voiced his frustration and he got shipped out. I feel it's in my best interest to be quiet and go about my business."
His recent regimen included some extra work to ensure his hamstring was fully healed.
"I've been doing some extra training on my own," Cunningham said. "I think it just cramped up on me. The weekend did me good, so I think I'm well-rested. If my number is called this weekend, I will be ready to go."
Like every player, Cunningham would prefer to be in the first 11, but admits throughout his career, he has been pretty effective as a substitute.
"I think I have the most goals scored as a substitute in the league, so I am comfortable coming off the bench as well. It doesn't matter," Cunningham said. "I just want the team to do well. I feel like if we were getting results, then that is a position I would have to accept. If the team was doing well, then you can't expect the coach to change the team. But if we're not getting results, I would think that if I train well, I will get the opportunity."
Cunningham's professionalism and maturity haven't escaped the ever-watchful eye of his coach.
"All he wants is to play," Hyndman said. "Jeff has handled it really well. He hasn't been happy, but I wouldn't expect him to be happy, but he hasn't been a cancer. I give him a lot of credit for that. I thought (Monday's) training was very good and (Tuesday's) training was very good. I think he's putting himself back in position to be on the field. I think Jeff shows through example. He's out here in training and he works hard."
As for FCD's dismal start, Cunningham's years in the league have allowed him to maintain a grounded perspective.
"I've had some difficult stretches as well and have found myself in similar situations," he said. "But it's good because I've got experience to draw from and know how to handle those situations. In my time in the league, I've learned that it's not a sprint, it's a marathon. It's not how well you start. Everyone in the league would like to be 8-0 right now, but we're not in that position. So we just have to stay focused on the big picture, which is making the playoffs, and continue to fight.
"There are a lot of young boys here and I'm sure everyone on the club is under a lot of scrutiny. There are people out there whose job is to hate. We get paid to play football but some people get paid to hate and be critical," he continued. "We just have to keep a positive outlook and realize it's a long stretch. I'm sure we're going to have a good patch of results. It's going to come, so people in the club just need to be positive. Thank God I've got 12 years of experience to draw from to know it's not the end of the world. I've just got to keep going."
The seasoned scorer is adamant that a good run of results is right around the corner for FCD.
"Collectively and as a group, things are going to fall into place," Cunningham said. "I'm sure we've given up some goals we shouldn't have and sure we didn't put away some chances that we should have, but that's why I'm on the bench. I got some chances in the first few games and didn't do well enough with them. As a result, coach needed to make some changes. It's going to happen for us where things are going well. We're not going to be giving up goals and are going to be banging them in left and right, so it's just a matter of time."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
