FRISCO, Texas – When the term “12th Man” is used, the first thought of many Dallas sports fans will be of Texas A&M's famous football fanbase. But a new 12th man is emerging on the Texas sports scene.
Ryan Hollingshead – the second-year player emerging as a consistent offensive threat for Dallas off the bench – has now recorded a goal and an assist while appearing as a substitute in each of the last two games, carrying over his good form from preseason.
“He’s a player that’s becoming a key now,” head coach Oscar Pareja said after the 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union last weekend. “I’m glad to see it, because that’s the mentality that we want to develop on the team.”
The mentality Pareja is referencing is the culture of competition found throughout the Dallas locker room, giving anyone and everyone a chance to earn minutes on the pitch. Hollingshead took advantage by leading the team in preseason scoring with three goals, all but forcing Pareja to start the him in the season opener.
While the starting spot in the first game was well-deserved, Hollingshead went back to the bench after that and has thrived. Against Sporting Kansas City on March 14, his early cross set up Fabián Castillo's clinching goal (WATCH). On March 21, the roles were reversed against Philadelphia, as Castillo set Hollingshead up for a low finish to put Dallas up 2-0 (WATCH).
“We have decided to bring him from the bench, and he has responded to our game plan,” Pareja said of his 12th man. “He brings energy, he’s rangy, he creates space and he has the instinct to score.”
But that is not stopping Hollingshead from thinking bigger, even though he has been forced to make his impact in limited minutes.
“That’s how you prove you deserve to start,” Hollingshead said, “Whatever minutes you get, you prove that you deserve to be on the field. Whether it’s a sub or start, for me, my mindset is to leave everything on the field.”
Pareja has reiterated time and again that his versatile midfielder is in the mix to start every week, and Saturday’s contest against Seattle (8:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE) seems to be a golden opportunity for Hollingshead. The club will be without leading scorer Blas Pérez and left back Moises Hernandez due to national team call-ups.
Due to Hollingshead’s unconventional path to MLS, though, it was difficult at the start of his career for he and Pareja to get on the same page after the Colombian’s arrival to coach the club in 2014. After spending an entire year away from the game, Hollingshead struggled to find his rhythm.
“I was just working my butt off trying to get fit,” Hollingshead said of his limited offseason prior to his 2014 rookie campaign. “There’s just no way to replicate an MLS-style game.”
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Unable to achieve the required level of fitness led to limited opportunities last season and also a disconnect from Pareja, as Hollingshead told ExtraTime Radio on Monday.
From Pareja's perspective, aside from the fitness issue, the head coach knew when he met Hollingshead that the Sacramento, California, native would fit in with Pareja's methodology.
“Since the first day I saw him, I had a good chemistry with his spirit,” Pareja said. “He has a coachable spirit, and that, for me, is enough.”
Despite Hollingshead's year-long layoff, Pareja knows he has a quality player, regardless of which minute Hollingshead enters a game.
“He didn’t play for a year, so you need to pay the price,” Pareja said. “He has done it, and at this point, he’s seen results, we’ve seen results, and he’s becoming the player that we want to see on a daily basis. So we’re happy.”
