Sport DFW
FanSided

FC Dallas: A Look Back and a Look Ahead

By Curry Goff

facebooktwitterreddit

Things couldn’t be better in the world of DFW sports. The Cowboys are playing like the Cowboys of old (15 years ago, old, not the past 5 years, old) and the Mavericks look extremely promising (check out Sport DFW’s prediction for their season here). On top of that, with their 1-0 road win over the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas now sits on 54 points, one point of ahead of Real Salt Lake for the all important third spot in the MLS playoffs.

FCD took full advantage of Real Salt Lake’s stumble midweek and overtook them in the Western Conference standings with their win Saturday afternoon. Colorado isn’t exactly the most formidable of teams, but the win was significant, nonetheless. Dallas hadn’t won a road game since August 16th and needed a timely win to vault them into third place.

While a 1-0 road win is the type of score line you typically like to see as a fan, the performance was not as assuring, at least not for the first half. The attack, led by the return of Blas Perez, lacked any creativity going forward. Similar to their previous three games, FCD failed to score in the first half and looked rather ineffective in the final third.

Live Feed

St. Louis CITY SC: A bit more air atop MLS West with LA Galaxy draw
St. Louis CITY SC: A bit more air atop MLS West with LA Galaxy draw /

MLS Multiplex

  • USMNT news: Ferreira denies rumors, Tillman's award, Steffen's playoffsFanSided
  • USMNT news: Ferreira to Napoli, Musah rumors, Tillman's switchFanSided
  • Designated Bets: El Trafico and moreMLS Multiplex
  • Something has to change: Miami loses fifth straight, offense shutout yet againInter Heron
  • Houston Dynamo to compete in Leagues Cup 2023Orange In The Oven

    • Thankfully, Zach Loyd and Adam Moffat were SOLID in defense. Loyd, shifting over to right center back from his previous position as a wingback, looked very comfortable. His slide tackle in the first half to prevent Colorado’s attack in the penalty box could be used on instructional DVDs. And Moffat, man, that guy is a rock in the midfield. He gave us much needed grit in the center of the park.

    Enter halftime. This is where I imagine Oscar Pareja as Bugs Bunny in Space Jam. His team is down. They aren’t playing particularly well. All Pareja has to do is give them the “secret stuff”. No one but him knows what it is, but it sure as heck works.

    Coming out of halftime, FC Dallas looked a bit more creative in the attacking half. Fabian Castillo and Andres Escobar offered pace while Blas Perez brought the direct attacking approach that has seen him score 11 goals this campaign. His 11th came from a penalty kick in the 56th minute after Colorado defender Chris Klute threw out his arm to play the ball in the penalty box. A few minutes later, Perez nearly linked up with Castillo after a neat one-two found Castillo clear through on goal. A fine save from the Colorado keeper kept the score at 1-0, where it finished at the end of the 90.

    So where does this win leave us; one point up on Real Salt Lake going into the final game of the season. RSL host struggling Chivas USA on Wednesday night. They will be looking to avenge two prior losses to an otherwise underperforming Chivas team. Couple that with a desire to clinch a third place spot, RSL will be desperate for a win. A draw would only put them level on points with FCD, which, in accordance with the MLS tiebreaking procedures, woud mean FCD would take the third spot. The first tiebreaker is number of regular season wins (FCD: 16 RSL: 14)

    FCD, meanwhile, will host the Portland Timbers at Toyota Stadium this Saturday. Portland has a lot of motivation considering they must win in order to have any chance of securing the final playoff spot in the West. FCD will be equally hungry for a win. They control their destiny (a phrase Dallas sports fans are not always crazy about hearing) and can clinch the third guaranteed playoff spot with a home win on Saturday.

    Live Feed

    The New MLS Proposed Playoffs Doesn't Make Sense
    The New MLS Proposed Playoffs Doesn't Make Sense /

    MLS Multiplex

  • NYCFC defeat a depleted Philadelphia Union 2-1, advance to MLS Cup FinalSkyscraper Blues
  • FT: Philadelphia 1, NYCFC 2Skyscraper Blues
  • Portland Timbers defeat Real Salt Lake, eliminate the possibility of an MLS Final in Yankee StadiumSkyscraper Blues
  • These 11 Philadelphia Union players missed training ahead of Eastern Conference Final against NYCFCSkyscraper Blues
  • Philadelphia Union Dealing With COVID Outbreak Ahead of Conference FinalSkyscraper Blues

    • My prediction for Saturday: The complexion of this game will change dramatically depending on Real Salt Lake’s result against Chivas. If RSL loses or draws at home Wednesday night, I don’t care what happens on Saturday at the Toyota Stadium. Provided we don’t get negative points, which would be a first in the history of history, we would already have the third spot clinched due to the tiebreaker rules. Oscar Pareja could field an 11 of circus clowns, and we would still finish in third. But, if RSL wins, look for it to be a fiercely competitive match. Both teams will push forward for the win, which, I believe, favors FC Dallas and their defensive setup. Look for an open game with a final score of 3-1 FCD! Third place (in the regular season), here we come!

    Home/FC Dallas