FRISCO - Prior to last Friday’s match against the Colorado Rapids, it had been 180 days between starts for FC Dallas goalkeeper and former MLS All-Star Dan Kennedy.
Since being selected by Dallas with the first pick of the Chivas USA Dispersal Draft in November, Kennedy has run into a slew of obstacles that have delayed his debut with FC Dallas. During the preseason, he was actively involved in the CBA negotiations as an MLS Players Union representative, and over the last month he has been battling a back injury that has kept him off the lineup card completely.
But after starting his first MLS match for Dallas last Friday in a 1-1 draw against Colorado, Kennedy is not ready to relinquish the starting job
“That’s the way this is: You get the opportunity to play, you’ve got to hold onto it and take advantage of it,” Kennedy told MLSsoccer.com. “That’s all that I’m trying to do. I feel like now is a great time. That’s what it’s all about. It’s all about the now, and that’s how sports are.”
Kennedy’s insertion into the lineup came after Chris Seitz had started the first seven games of the season.
In his first four weeks between the posts, Seitz only gave up one goal while the team rushed out to a 3-0-1 start. But when the calendar turned to April, things worsened on the defensive side of the ball. After giving up three goals to Portland, four to Colorado and two late goals against Toronto, head coach Oscar Pareja wanted to shake things up.
“We feel that we needed a spark in a couple positions, because that is a day-by-day thing here,” Pareja told MLSSoccer.com. “We all have to be pushed.”
Kennedy's availability was good timing for FC Dallas, given their defensive struggles. Although he is not guaranteed to start Friday night against the Houston Dynamo (8 pm ET; UDN in US, MLS LIVE in Canada), given Pareja’s culture of daily internal competition, Kennedy's four saves against Colorado made a strong argument in his favor.
The strong performance came despite the fact that Kennedy is still getting acclimated to his new teammates after missing time due to back spasms.
“That’s just the nature of injuries: [They] are brutal,” Kennedy said. “They put you on the sideline and keep you away from the group. That’s the hardest part about it.”
After missing time due to back spasms, Kennedy now has significant training time under his belt and is becoming more comfortable communicating with the Dallas back line – a key component to any successful defense. Outside of just the verbal aspect of playing in goal, his head coach is starting to see the player FC Dallas acquired in November.
“Since he started here, right now he’s getting the best of his level,” Pareja said.
