Schellas Hyndman's transition from the college to the pro game was not immediately smooth. His FC Dallas team missed the playoffs during each of his first two seasons, while playing a style that didn't necessarily seem like the perfect fit for MLS.
FC Dallas’ Schellas Hyndman Voted Major League Soccer Coach Of Year
Even this year, Hyndman’s team didn’t win its first match until Week 6.
Once the Hoops started to click, they did so in a way never before seen in MLS. After a 12-points-in-10-matches start, Dallas went nearly five months between losses and set a MLS record with 19 straight unbeaten matches.
Dallas’ success was fueled by a stout defense that at one point went 19 matches without allowing more than one goal in a game.
Leading that defense was Kevin Hartman, a goalkeeper who Hyndman didn't acquire until a few weeks before the start of the season. Hartman didn't start his first match until Week 7, but with other Hyndman acquisitions such as Ugo Ihemelu, Heath Pearce and Daniel Hernandez playing in front of him, they formed one of the top defenses in MLS.
Now, Dallas finds itself in the conference finals for just the third time in their 15-year history and the first time since 1999 after a 50-point campaign that featured a MLS record-low four losses.
The Hoops now find themselves playing for an opportunity to make their first MLS Cup final in their history.
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