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Hyndman backs Shea to return to form

Shea (Getty Images)

By BRYAN ROBISON

Brek Shea has been conspicuously absent from the FC Dallas lineup for the last two matches, but coach Schellas Hyndman thinks a break from everything is all his struggling star needs to kick start what has been an otherwise disappointing season.

In the two weeks since Shea's sideline outburst at Hyndman after being pulled in the 64th minute of a match against San Jose that FC Dallas was losing by two goals, Shea has missed matches against the Portland Timbers and defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy with the club in a make-or-break portion of the season as it tries to climb the mountain and make a late charge for the playoffs.

After pulling Shea and receiving the brunt of the struggling star's frustration in the San Jose game, Hyndman said the following: “I don’t really think that he needs to vent his frustrations on his performance or my subbing him, because I think he’s in enough hot water already.”

That hot water, at least according to Hyndman, seems to stem from the expectations put on Shea within the last year. After some time off and following Saturday night's match against the Galaxy, Hyndman seemed optimistic that Shea has already begun to turn the corner and is on his way to returning to his top form.

"One of the things I think for all of us to take a step in the right direction is that you have to recognize that something wasn’t right," Hyndman said. "I think he [Shea] has come to that realization. I thought the last two practices he had were very good. I asked him why, and he said he feels like for once this year, he feels like the pressure is off of him.”

That pressure has continued to build ever since Shea became the face of the FC Dallas franchise, signed a contract extension through 2015 and became an MLS MVP candidate in 2011 in the process. He has been the most capped player on the U.S. men’s national team under head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and following the 2011 MLS season, Shea spent a month in England while training at Arsenal, with transfer rumors swirling.

With a successful year like that, expectations were seemingly inevitable. So far, Shea has been unable to live up to them. At this time last season, Shea had nine goals, including four consecutive games with a goal during June and July. This season, he has only three goals — none since April 28 — and was suspended for three matches earlier in the year for kicking the ball at an assistant referee.

“Pressure is a funny thing,” Hyndman said. “It’s easy to tell someone ‘Don’t worry about it,’ but that person worries about it. That’s why there are so many people walking around with ulcers. I’m sure people tell them, 'Don’t worry.' I think what Brek has been doing is trying to live up to expectations, of everybody else’s and himself."

Hyndman is hopeful that the time off to reflect on both his outburst and his disappointing 2012 will be precisely what Shea needs in order to turn this season around.

“These last two training sessions that he’s had, it seems he has some life in his legs,” Hyndman said. “It feels there is some excitement for him being out there.”

Comments

  1. Chavez wasn’t just depth; and in hindsight, it seems he was key dynamic to the Dallas attack that was so successful two yrs ago.

    Dallas has always had depth ( besides the most glaringly thin positions, i.e. striker, playmaker). Their problem has been mismanagement. some of the more key components were traded and their backups have failed to produce.

    Jacksons energy has been a major positive, but statistically he hasn’t generated chances as consistently as Marvin Chavez did last yr.

    I won’t even begin with.talking about shea.

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  2. *hard to come by in the US. Heck, if they could afford the transfer fee, most teams in the championship could double his salary.

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  3. They do pay more in Europe. That kind of money is hard to come by. Tell me, are you so self-limited that you expect a professional athlete to not shoot for the paydirt?

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  4. Chavez got dealt because he was to be an expensive piece of depth…one that would have been extremely useful this year, but who could have projected the litany of injuries?

    Pertuz is good depth and Ferreira will be a game changer when he gets fit…no problems ditching Jair or Sealy…when the training table isn’t overloaded.

    The spine and wings of this team have been decimated this year. Loyd and Hartman have been the only constants. Give me a manager who can overcome that in a capped league, and I’ll show you the rare sports manager who actually deserves the accolade of ‘genius’.

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  5. Everything started collapsing after Hyndman traded McCarty, Eric alexander & Heath Pearce.

    Then he traded Marvin Chavez and things went to sh*t.

    When your team is so diverse and divided by language it takes time to form chemistry. Time together to gel that they just haven’t had.

    You can literally see all the confusion & frustration in the back between new players like Pertuz and Rodriguez, when paired with a Hedges, George John or Zach Loyd.

    Get rid of Benitez, Pertuz, Sealy. Then get rid of David Ferriera, the lazy sh*t, and start from scratch.

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  6. I sincerely hope Shea can live up to some his potential and can at least be a solid bench player for us come 2014. The way pontius is playing though, he also gives us another good option.

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  7. yeah. there were a few fully audible MF’er’s thrown in Shea’s comments to the coach.. in front of the whole squad and on national television…

    you might not describe it as an “outburst”, but it was totally indefensible… especially considering the turd of a match the kid had just thrown out on the pitch.

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  8. Thats not what happened. Im confused by what TV angle you saw as it was an NBC broadcast so we all watched the same thing. Its on Matchday Live right now and you should have re-watched it before providing the misinformation above.

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  9. Brek has done NOTHING in 2012 (unless you count converting PK’s that someone else earned)
    In 2010 he did even less (he wasnt even a consistent starter until after mid season)

    Brek has had 1 good year his whole career. Now will he be better in 2 years? Lets ALL hope so

    I stand by those rankings

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  10. I think about 2 years from now you’ll realize how idiotic those rankings are. Current form? Sure. Take the time to compare for ’10,’11 & ’12 and you’ll see Brek is better. Nonetheless, you should revisit this ranking in 2 years. I dare ya.

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  11. LOL!!! THAT’S GREAT. THE BAND (SHEA, JACK MAC, HOPPENOT, THE FARFANS) WOULD PUT ON A GOOD SHOW AND SCORE A GOAL OR TWO. I’M NOT INCLUDING ADU IN THE BAND BECAUSE THE UNION WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO INCLUDE HIM IN THE PACKAGE THAT WOULD BRING SHEA HERE.

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  12. You could be right about JK saying that as a reason he was not selected. Here in Frisco they said they did not want him going for the two reasons that I mentioned. So I guess we could both be right and just getting information from different sides of the coin.

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  13. If I’m wrong, then point taken. But I thought that at the time Shea was healthy and still an option and Klinsmann was considering him, but in the end decided against, with the kicked ball at the ref one of his justifications.

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  14. I don’t think it’s legitimate to continue describing the sideline event as an “outburst”. This implies yelling and gesticulating with loss of emotional control.

    As I watched the event, Shea slowly walked over to Hyndman and asked something like “Why was I subbed?”. Hyndman wouldn’t make eye contact or respond, so Shea talked some more and eventually walked away to sit at the end of the bench.

    The tension between the two was palpable, but from the tv angle, Shea’s actions could hardly be described as an outburst.

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  15. At least he is riding the pine here and not being shipped from Euro-country to Euro-country. He’ll get another opportunity.

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  16. Eventually he will return to form. Good player, and he will be an important player for the USMNT in the coming months and years.

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  17. he has some talent, but he’s a hot headed a-hole, and that will always get in his way. If he can’t handle the expectations that come with being a great player, then he’ll never be a great player.

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  18. …especially when you RARELY play like one
    A more accurate eval of FCD’s best players over the last 2-3 years are

    1. David Ferriera
    2. George John
    3. Kevin Hartman
    4. Jackson
    5. Shea

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  19. a correction for you. We do not know if Shea would have been picked for The May call ups. He had recently suffered a toe injury and kicked a ball at the referee. Not saying he would have been picked but in March and April he had been playing well(3 goals). His MLS suspension would not have started until he returned from national team duty and with the toe issue FC Dallas requested he stay with the team. That way he could serve the suspension and deal with the minor injury.

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  20. HE’D BE GREAT FOR THE PHILA. UNION (HE COULD COMPLEMENT THE SMURFS THEY HAVE ON ATTACK)!!! LOVE TO SEE A TRADE THAT WOULD BRING SHEA TO PHILLY.

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  21. He’s 22 now and in a slump. Plays for a bad team and his ego is swelling with all the pressure. Not good. why doesn’t MLS just sell him. He’s worth maybe 5million tops

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  22. Sell him now. I’m sure some Dutch clubs would go for him. If not Turkey or Denmark or Belgium. Good leagues with great teams

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  23. I don’t think Shea ever looked “very well” for very long in a USMNT shirt. He showed promise during his first couple of outings but quickly fizzled into nothingness and that’s why Klinsmann didn’t call him up for WCQ’s in June. I hope he can pull himself together and work hard and give total focus at improving his skills, because I think he does have potential. But he better move fast or he is not going to come close to realizing his potential and will miss the boat for Europe and he could possibly end up as just an average MLS player.

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  24. It sounds like Hyndman has a handle on this and is trying to get the best out of him. I hope it works. I wasn’t a big fan of Brek’s but you can’t deny he was fun to watch last season and played very well for the US. The more good players in the pool the better is how I look at it. So why not support him and hope he get back in form. Come on Brek, you can do it!

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  25. Pressure is part of the game. I’m sure it’s been difficult for him to watch the Olympics and watch his team lose, for which he is not solely to blame. Brek Shea is one of my favorite players and the USMNT needs a player like him. Good luck!

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