The right back position has been a lingering question for FC Dallas thus far this year. During preseason, Marcelo Saragosa won the starting job and the Brazilian veteran looked to be the answer. However, knee surgery late in preseason has sidelined him and forced FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman to put Drew Moor there, who is more of a central player.
Moor struggled in the post in FCD's season-opening loss to Chicago on March 21, though the Dallas native performed better in a 2-0 loss to Chivas USA eight days later. But with his back line rocked by injuries and poor performances last week, Hyndman decided to make a change and moved Moor to the middle and started Michael Dello-Russo on the right in his first start of the season.
A fourth-round pick in the 2006 Super Draft, Dello-Russo had just two career MLS starts under his belt before last Saturday.
In Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Revolution, Dello-Russo made a nice overlapping run that helped set the table for Kenny Cooper's second goal of the year in the first half. His solid showing on the right flank was enough to net him another start.
"I thought he did a good job," Hyndman said of Dello-Russo. "It was a good overlapping run. I think Andre (Rocha) helped by calming the ball down a little bit. I thought there were some good things there."
Said Moor of his fellow defender: "I think Dello is a good veteran. He came in and did exactly what I expected out of him and I thought he had a great game."
The 25-year-old midfielder learned he would get the start late last week.
"Right around Thursday (I found out I was going to play)," Dello-Russo said. "We were going to change some things up. Drew is very comfortable in the middle and he's done well there. The coaches came up to me and asked me if I was ready to go. Of course, I'm always ready to go."
Even though FCD fell to 0-3 with their latest setback, Dello-Russo feels his side turned in their best performance to date of the '09 campaign.
"I thought we did well," he said. "We concentrated a lot on defensive shape, covering and balance. I thought for most of the game, we did well. We weathered a storm at the beginning of the second half. It's disappointing to put all that work in and get nothing out of it really."
Of his overlapping run on the Cooper goal, Dello-Russo gave a lot of the credit to teammate Andre Rocha, who sent the cross in that found Dave van den Bergh, who assisted on the tally.
"Andre and I work a lot on that in practice," Dello-Russo said. "We're usually playing on the same side together, so I know his timing and he knows mine. The communication might not be there because of the languages, but as soon as he kind of puts his foot on the ball and slows it down, I saw the opening and he played a great ball into me. I just tried to do my best with it.
"He's a guy when I make an overlapping run, he gets back in good shape for me most of the time," he said. "I've learned my fair share of Portuguese and know what to do. The best thing is he knows what I want out of him as a defensive player and I know what he wants out of me coming in, covering for him and playing offense for him. I feel like it's good."
Even though he was far down on the depth chart at right back during preseason, Dello-Russo never lost faith that his opportunity would eventually materialize.
"I feel like if I just showed up every day and worked hard, then my chances would come," he said. "That's all I can do really as a professional, show up here, do my best and hope that something comes out of it."
Once Hyndman took the reins at FCD last June, Dello-Russo was one of the players who benefited. He played in a career-high eight games after his hiring, including one start. Dello-Russo tried to carry that momentum forward into this season.
"I definitely tried to," he said. "Obviously you want to bring what you've learned from last year and in the past. I felt like I have done that. There was a little knock in preseason when I was out three to four weeks with my nose. It was just a matter of me working myself back into the team and getting used to playing again. I thought I try to do that well."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
