Lack Of Playing Time Upsets Rocha

Andre Rocha was just beginning to find his place in the FC Dallas midfield. On loan from FCD's partner club Atletico Paranaense, Rocha had stepped up and notched six assists on the season, leading the team in that category.

Then FC Dallas made a coaching switch.

Schellas Hyndman took over for Steve Morrow in late May, and since then the Brazilian playmaker has found himself on the field less and less, with the lack of playing time starting to get to Rocha. One of Hyndman's first moves was to bring in midfielder Bruno Guarda, who played under Hyndman at SMU. With Guarda now being the coach's first-choice, Rocha has become frustrated over his role with the club, lashing out in the media over routinely being substituted out of games and being called out by Hyndman for not defending enough. A few weeks ago, Rocha went straight to the locker room after being subbed out instead of taking a place on the team bench."I don't know if it's fair," Rocha said after a recent practice. "But when I was playing 90 minutes, I was always fine. I was used to making passes, crosses and was self-confident. But now, when I go to play, I go with the menntality that I will be substituted in the second half."

The problem, according to Hyndman, is Rocha's inability to keep possesion of the ball.

"He touches the ball 22 times and gives it away 11 times, and that's not how we want him to play. I think he is adjusting... I hope he works his way into 90 minutes, but it's also a player's choice, what they do and they don't do."

Apparently Rocha hasn't been doing enough of what Hyndman wants. In Thursday's 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids, he was left out of the 18-man gameday squad for what was called an 'internal decision' by the FCD coaching staff.