FRISCO, Texas – Today FC Dallas players voluntarily returned to Toyota Soccer Center for the first time in nearly two months for individual workout sessions. They previously had been prohibited from using club facilities after MLS enacted a blanket training moratorium on March 13 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With safety still the number one concern for both players and staff, face masks and hand washing were a constant necessity. Player arrivals were staggered and their temperatures taken before entering the premises. While it’s still far from a typical FC Dallas practice, players and staff were excited for this first step towards a more normal workflow.
“It was nice to at least come back and be here at the facility,” said midfielder Fafà Picault. “Even if you’re keeping in shape on your own, it’s always nice to be back in your home training center and see some familiar faces even though we can’t interact with each other physically. But it’s nice that we can see each other’s faces so it’s just great to be back here.”
“It feels great to see them (the players) even though it’s at a distance,” Luchi Gonzalez added. “Just to connect with them and see their eyes and body language, see how they interact with each other, and to work with them.”
Four training fields were divided into quadrants so coaching staff could work with the players independently from one another. The coaches oversaw different stations where they worked on specific skills aimed at giving their players a game-like training experience.
“Today we did some different stations,” Luchi said. “Mine was more focused on dribbling, Peter (Luccin) was on short combos, and Mikey (Varas) was working on short, mid and long range passing. Every day the players will have a little different experience, different stimulations, and we’ll see how the week goes. We’ll analyze it and progress for what adjustments we want to make the following (week).”
While today’s session only incorporated individual drills, the ability to train at a premier facility together was a refreshing change of pace from the previous solo workouts.
“The benefits are the connection with one another,” Luchi continued. “Seeing your teammate there in person and knowing that they’re working side by side with you. Even though they’re not in the same exercise as you, they’re working in the same way and going in the same direction as you—that’s a big benefit.”
“The good thing is that (training) is controlled,” Picault said. “The grass is better here and there’s more space to move in especially for guys that want to open up the legs. We have different equipment that we don’t have at home. Obviously, we’re all professionals and we did what we could but it’s really beneficial to be back here.”
