FRISCO, Texas – Thursday afternoon saw FC Dallas head coach Luchi Gonzalez take to the airwaves again for the second episode of “The Luchi Gonzalez Show” on 105.3 The Fan, presented by Toyota.
Following last weekend’s 2-0 victory against Philadelphia Union, the coach kicked things off by discussing Reggie Cannon, who signed an extension with the club.
“As the head coach, I want nothing but to have Reggie for as long as I can to compete with this group and lead this group,” Gonzalez said. “At the same time, I’ve known him and his family for many years … If he is going to have an opportunity at the next level and if it’s overseas, I want it to be done through the club, fighting for the FC Dallas jersey.”
While Cannon, who signed his Homegrown contract back in 2016, will inevitably be linked with moves abroad, the contract extension is a clear statement of intent and Gonzalez believes the best process for players to take that next step is not necessarily a quick one.
“The best way is to commit to your development club and have professional experience with your development club first,” Gonzalez said. “Then, [players can] take the steps to that next level if earned.”
Following the discussion on Cannon, Gonzalez opened up on his typical day-to-day life and what it means to him.
“I get to work with these players and this club every day and it brings me a lot of joy,” Gonzalez said. “It’s an honor to work with the staff.”
Before the show wrapped up, Gonzalez focused in on the Philadelphia match, especially the performances of Thiago Santos, Tanner Tessmann and their formidable double pivot.
“Tanner started to join us in the preseason, he was working hard and he’s had a great experience and a great development in the Academy and the second team. He was showing it at the first team level, so one thing led to the next and he’s earned these opportunities,” Gonzalez said. “Thiago, obviously a new addition from Brazil, [has] a great personality and great fight. He’s a leader in our ball recovery and the transitions. That’s something, whether we have our best performance or we don’t, if we can fight in transition, we can still earn points and win games.”
As the squad prepares for Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Montreal Impact, Gonzalez is hoping for another three points to solidify a perfect start to 2020 inside the friendly confines of Toyota Stadium.
“The first game was obviously important, but that’s history. That’s in the past,” Gonzalez said. “The most important [goal] now is what’s in front. We don’t have a home game for another month, so we want to push and make sure we earn our total of six points here at home.”
Gonzalez will be back on the radio with K&C Masterpiece next Thursday at 1:30 pm for episode three.
