FRISCO - Sometimes to move forward you have to take a step back.
On Saturday in Philadelphia, FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz returned to the place where he took a step back and showed just how far forward he's come.
Flashback to 2010 where Seitz joined the Philadelphia Union, brought in to be the starting goalkeeper for the brand new expansion side. After three years at RSL as the backup to one of the all-time best MLS goalkeepers in Nick Rimando where Seitz saw action in seven games over three seasons, the goalkeeping prodigy was intended to lead the Union defense in their first year in Major League Soccer. Just 23 years old, still relatively green for a goalkeeper, things didn't quite go to plan for the California native allowing nearly two goals a game and finding himself with his third team in three years following a December 2010 trade to an FC Dallas team coming off an appearance in MLS Cup.
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"It was a tough year and an important year for me as a professional," Seitz said after training this week. "I have nothing but fond memories of Philadelphia. My wife and her family are from there. I love the city and really appreciate the time I had there and what I was able to get out of it. As much as I was able to get out of it, while it wasn’t necessarily successful, it was a very, very good learning opportunity. I take that and I think it’s made me a better goalkeeper today."
Seitz spent two years as an understudy to another MLS goalkeeping legend in Kevin Hartman at FCD before gradually working his way into the starting spot. Eight starts in 2013 became 16 in 2014 including two playoff starts which have transitioned into three straight wins to open 2015 including two shutouts. While the result in Philly was more important than anything else on Saturday, there had to be a feeling of things coming full circle for the FC Dallas goalkeeper who, over the last six months, has confirmed himself as a bona fide starting-level 'keeper within the league.
"I don’t think I would be able to do what I’m doing today if it wasn’t for that experience there," said Seitz. "So I’m very appreciative of all of it, but at the end of the day we went there and got the result against a very good team."
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Seitz is 11-4-4 in MLS regular season and playoff matches since the start of 2013, as part of an FC Dallas defense that has been at lock-down level since midway through 2014. Counting the playoff matches last season, it has been six games since FC Dallas has allowed more than one goal in a match and three of those six have been shutouts. When you combine that with the explosive FCD offense which leads the league in goals scored through three weeks, you have a real recipe for success.
"All of us have a very good understanding with each other, which is what preseason is for," said Seitz. "We know what it takes and we know how to get results in this league."
The next test is a big one for Seitz and FCD in a 2014 playoff rematch against Seattle. For an FC Dallas team that is 11-1-1 in their last 13 home games, it's another opportunity to impose their Toyota Stadium dominance on a Western Conference opponent they're looking to finish ahead of in 2015.
"As long as we continue to grow, every game is a big game," said Seitz. "It’s a conference game and it’s a team we faced in the playoffs last year. Any time you have a measuring stick game like this and it’s a home game we know what we have to do."
