FC Dallas midfielder Andre Rocha and his coach Schellas Hyndman had supposedly ironed out their differences last week after the Brazilian-born playmaker had shown he was upset at being so frequently substituted. Yet Rocha told Diego Aparicio Wednesday that he wonders whether or not he will get to play a full game this season.
“I don’t know if it’s fair,” said Rocha, who leads the team on assists with six. “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 mentality that I will be substituted in the second half.”
Hyndman, who has replaced Rocha seven times in nine matches, including all of the last five, said Rocha has been turning the ball over too much. “He touches the ball 22 times and gives it away 11 times, and that’s not how we want him to play,” Hyndman said. “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.” Before Hyndman took over from sacked coach Steve Morrow, Rocha started 12 games and was subbed out just three times.