One of the four trialists on FC Dallas roster this preseason is none other than Scott Sealy. Dallas supporters might remember the native of Trinidad and Tobago as a guy who scored his fair share of goals against FCD during his time with both the Wizards and Earthquakes.
Sealy is only 30 and brings not only solid experience from both MLS and in Israel. He might also offer Dallas something the club hasn’t had since the days of Jeff Cunningham, a consistent goal scorer.
Sealy's most recent MLS stint was in San Jose with his 2011 season limited by a preseason injury. But he has put all that behind him and is now ready to contribute for FCD.
A big positive of being with Dallas this preseason is that it reunites him with former KC teammate Kevin Hartman, FCD’s starting goalkeeper for two years running. “Yeah, it’s always a good thing. When you’re coming into a new situation, you try to find guys that have been around a while.
Playing with Kevin in Kansas City for a year and a half kind of brings a little familiarity around here,” Sealy said. “[Those were] good times, it’s good catching up with him and other guys who have been in the league a while like Daniel Hernandez and Ugo, obviously I know them from playing against them for quite a few years. It’s good.”
So, does he remember those goals he scored against FCD during his time with KC and San Jose? Absolutely, but that doesn’t make him now being on the other side of the ledger the least bit weird.
“Yeah, like any other team, you play against them and you always want to score goals as a forward. It just so happened that quite a few times I've been able to score against Dallas. That was a while ago. It doesn't really matter now,” Sealy said. “It’s a good team.”
However, he also realizes this is a much different Dallas team than what he’s faced in years past. “It’s a different team than it was in the past with obviously a coach who is fairly new.
I think he’s set a pretty serious tone with this team in terms of how he wants to play in being very organized,” Sealy said. “I think it’s a very good situation. I’m just trying to stay here, work as hard as I can and hopefully things can work out.”
During his professional career, he has played as both a midfielder and forward. But no matter where he lines up on the pitch, he knows he was brought to FCD for one pretty basic thing.
“Well, they brought me here to score goals and I want to be that guy. Obviously last year they had the injuries and what not. From what I heard, they never had a true goal scorer,” Sealy said.
“The guys on the team are very pleased with my presence up top. I kind of battle where in the past they didn’t have that type of forward. Hopefully I can bring that and whatever way the coach thinks he wants to use me, that’s what I’m going to do.”
His most recent stay in San Jose was actually his second stint with the Quakes. His first had ended several years earlier and after leaving MLS, he ended up in Israel, which to hear him tell it, was an interesting experience to say the least.
“It’s been kind of up and down (the last few years). After I left the league, I went to Israel. I was out there for a year and things were quite different from how things operate in the U.S. It’s very hostile over there and it’s not the most ideal situation but football is football.
Everywhere you go you train hard and try to do the best you can,” Sealy said. “They kind of flip flopped me and put me in different positions. I was playing midfield and some up top. It was never really settling for me.”
But after that short stay in Israel, he realized MLS wasn’t so bad, so he set out to make his return, again with the Earthquakes.
“There was pretty much up and down with injuries, a lot of injuries and just couldn’t really get any consistent time playing. The end of 2010, I was able to get healthy, play center midfield for them and started all the playoff games for them as we went to the Eastern Conference Final,” Sealy said.
He added: “Last year was just kind of more of the same. I had sports hernia surgery right before preseason started, so that kind of set me back in terms of fitness and everything.
It kind of complicated things physically with how I felt and I was never really able to get back on my feet and really get going as a forward. But that’s in the past. This is a new year and kind of looking forward to new things and a new challenge. Hopefully Dallas is a place I can do it.”
With such a spotty injury history the last few years, the veteran forward has definitely taken some steps to ensure that doesn’t happen again should he land a spot on the FCD roster to start the 2012 season.
“Last year, I was in the gym and really went after it in terms of getting stronger and rally focusing on my body so the injuries I had the past two years won’t be a problem this year,” Sealy admitted.
Much of the forward attention has been focused on FCD signing Panamian striker Blas Perez and rightfully so, but if Scott Sealy happens to make the roster out of preseason, he too could have a considerable impact on this team on the offensive end. He certainly has a reputation of doing exactly that in the past.