FC Dallas Report: December 12, 2013
At the proving grounds of FC Dallas of Frisco, Tex., a number of offseason moves were made this week. The club came to terms with Ryan Hollingshead, their second-round selection of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, while picking up the 2014 options of 15 players. They also traded Jackson Goncalves to Toronto FC for allocation money and a conditional second-round pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.
Aug 21, 2013; Carson, CA, USA; FC Dallas defender/midfielder Jackson Goncalves (6) was given a red card and left the game in the second half against Chivas USA at the StubHub Center. FC Dallas won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s not that we came out and said we didn’t want him anymore or Jackson saying he didn’t want to be here, but it was maybe just the best time for us to move away from each other and see other opportunities,” FC Dallas Technical Director Fernando Clavijo told FCDallas.com’s Daniel Robertson. “As much as we valued him, everyone around the league valued him and we were able to get something substantial in the trade for him.”
Here is the list of players under contract with FC Dallas for 2014.
GOALKEEPERS (5): Raul Fernandez, Chris Seitz, Richard Sanchez, Kyle Zobeck, Jesse Gonzalez.
DEFENDERS (9): Jair Benitez, George John, Kellyn Acosta, Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Stephen Keel, Michel, London Woodberry, Moises Hernandez.
MIDFIELDERS (6): Andrew Jacobson, Je-Vaughn Watson, Bobby Warshaw, Danny Garcia, Mauro Diaz, Ryan Hollingshead.
FORWARDS: (5): Fabian Castillo, Blas Perez, Bradlee Baladez, Jonathan Top, Eric Hassli.
“It was really a rollercoaster over this last year trying to figure out if it’s going to work out or not,” Hollingshead told Robertson this week. “When they came to me about a month ago, they were basically saying they wanted me out here and I said the same thing that I want to come and want to make this work.”
Hollingshead nearly left soccer to go into church service in Sacramento, but after the club finally came to terms with him on a contract, he could finally rest easy. Still, the adventure of starting up a new church with his brother called Harvest Bible Chapel Sacramento was worth the wait.
Oct 19, 2013; Frisco, TX, USA; FC Dallas fans waves flags during the game against the Seattle Sounders FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
“The beginning of a church plant can be lonely,” Hollinghead said when asked of his offseason venture. “There are a lot of things that need to be done and often times not a lot of people to help with those things. So my wife and I moved back and basically just got to the grind of meeting with people, getting the word out, holding meetings at different places in the area, letting people know about the new church, preaching the bible and we want you to be a part of it.
“We did that for about seven months and filled the church up to a spot where we could launch a real service. We’re really excited. I’m stoked that it worked out and we were able to set up something that worked both for FC Dallas and for us and now I’m just itching to get down there and ready to play.”
“He’s a left-sided player that can play anywhere down that side, but attacking mostly,” Clavijo said of Hollingshead’s abilities. “He’s got a good engine up and down the field. He’s always fit and I think that people are going to be happy with him.”
“[Hollinghead]’s a quality individual. He’s great to have around and I know he’s going to fit well with everything we’re doing here. We keep emphasizing that we’re looking to not only bring good players in here, but good people too. Hopefully that is a reflection of the organization and a reflection of what the results will be in 2014.”