Too Little, Too Late For FC Dallas
By Curry Goff
It was too little, too late for FC Dallas in Montreal on Saturday night. What seemed to be a dominating performance on the stat sheet proved to be a frustrating night for Oscar Pareja and company.
This game is a perfect example of how the better team doesn’t always win. That phrase always seems like a contradiction to me, but games like Saturday night’s can quickly turn me into a believer.
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If you take away the score line and just look at some of the key stats, you have a hard time determining just how FC Dallas managed to lose this one. They managed more shots (21), had a bit more possession (53%), and had a mind boggling 15 corners.
They completed 29 crosses and had a higher passing percentage than Montreal. The only thing that FC Dallas failed to do better than Montreal on the night was score, which, last time I checked, is the most important stat of all.
So, where exactly does the blame go on this one? How does a dominating display turn into a difficult loss?
Castillo reverting to old habits
Through the first part of the season, Castillo has shaken off the demons that seemed to have plagued him last season. He has been able to combine his raw skill with the ability to interplay intelligently with his teammates.
Over the past few games, however, we have seen the same Fabian that frustrated at the end of last season. He’ll race past his defender in brilliant fashion only to try something ridiculous or go for the spectacular, leaving his teammates wide open in the middle and begging for the pass.
There’s no denying the incredible talent Castillo has for beating players off the dribble, but when it comes at the expense of teamwork, frustration sets in. He has it in him, as we’ve seen with his assists early in the season; he just needs to find it again.
The Zach-Loyd-Shaped Hole
While I’m mostly a fan of what Walker Zimmerman has been able to do, Zach Loyd is terribly missed by this back line. Loyd always brings a confidence and spirit to the defense that is missing in his absence.
Not to mention, Hedges always seems to elevate his game alongside Loyd. The two of them work in tandem with one another unlike any other defensive pairing in MLS.
Personally, I would like to see Loyd take over for Je-Vaughan Watson at right back, giving us a back line of Hernandez, Zimmerman, Hedges, and Loyd. Even when out of position at RB, Loyd is still much better than Watson has been so far this season. Plus, that would allow Zimmerman to have more playing time to mature into the center back of the future for FCD.
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Lack of energy early is becoming a theme
The FC Dallas team that finished the game was nothing like the one that started the game. The energy and urgency was tangible in the final 20 minutes of the match. Unfortunately, they were fighting against the clock at that point.
With the exception of maybe the Houston game, FC Dallas has been too reliant on late game heroics this season. While it makes for exciting finishes, like what we saw against the Galaxy, it makes for finishes that are equally disappointing. This was a game from which Dallas really should have gotten a result.
It’s frustrating to see a great finish offset by a flat start. If FC Dallas wants to get anything substantial from this 5-game road trip they have just begun, they have to come out with more energy than they did Saturday night.
It shouldn’t be hard for Pareja to motivate his men. With this road stretch coming at a crucial part of the season where FC Dallas always seems to struggle, Pareja will be sure to remind his men of how important these next four games will be. They’ll surely define how this season shakes out.