/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66479528/usa_today_14165442.0.jpg)
FC Dallas got a bit of Deja Vu when they found themselves down 2-0 against the visiting Montreal Impact. The team would rally late to salvage a point with a 2-2 draw.
Note: 6 is the rating given for an average MLS performance
Man of the Match: Zdenek Ondrasek (8.1) - Cobra is out there showing everyone that last seasons scoring binge was not a fluke. Here is a player that has taken some time to find his footing on this team, and has simply looked dangerous ever since. Cobra almost got on the board early in the second half:
54' | A beautiful ball from Mikey finds the foot of Kobra, but our striker's attempt is deflected behind for a corner!
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 7, 2020
@TXA21
https://t.co/Np9YZzF4E8 or 1270 AM en Español#DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/Envt1Q98iO
Cobra just never stopped fighting, and would eventually get one back for the team:
Add another one to Kobra's 2020 account! #DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/hqzElbYUsF
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 8, 2020
Cobra would later get an assist on the equalizer. He has been excellent at home, so now it’s time to see if his form can carry on the road.
Jesse Gonzalez (5.6) - Jesse only faced two shots on goal in this match, and they were shots that due to the nature of the situation (chaotic mad scrambles), Jesse simply couldn’t do anything about.
Reggie Cannon (7.1) - Reggie looks to be hitting his stride just in time for Olympic Qualifying. In a match where he looked good on defense and in the attack, it was the beautifully weighed cross to Cobra that was the highlight of his day:
Kobra pulls one back for FCD with his 2nd goal of the season!
— Garrett Melcer (@GarrettMelcer) March 7, 2020
Great cross from Reggie Cannon to set him up.
5+ minutes to find an equalizer!#FCDvMTL | #DTID pic.twitter.com/3acshF0Mjh
Reto Ziegler (6.3) - Reto actually had a decent game, but he had a yellow card that knocked his rating down.
Matt Hedges (7.3) - Matt was big on both sides, he was actually quite involved on offense:
31' | Another great chance off a corner kick that Matt Hedges ALMOST puts into the back of the net.
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 7, 2020
@TXA21
https://t.co/Np9YZzF4E8 or 1270 AM en Español#DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/hzLgO2rLbN
He was even behaving like an extra forward when FCD was looking for the equalizer.
On defense, Hedges finished with five tackles, two interceptions, one block, and one clearance.
Ryan Hollingshead (6.9) - Ryan didn’t look quite like his normal self out there due to a minor injury he suffered earlier in the week, and still managed to have a solid game. Ryan finished with two tackles, four interceptions, one clearance, one shot attempt, two key passes, and 87.8% passing accuracy.
Tanner Tessman (6.5) - Tanner had a solid day in the midfield, although it was not as good as his debut match. He was involved in a turnover that lead to a Montreal goal, but it wasn’t really his fault, as he played the ball correctly only to see the ball bounce (over his head) in Montreal’s favor:
MAXI!! #ImpactTVASports #IMFC pic.twitter.com/RMwNsRVARM
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) March 7, 2020
Tanner actually lead the team with 95.6% passing accuracy.
Thiago Santos (7.2) - Thiago has taken all of two weeks to win over most of the skeptical FC fans. Thiago has done it by pulling off plays like this:
Thiago Santos already doing Thiago Santos things. #FCDvMTL | #DTID pic.twitter.com/vkPPweceFu
— Garrett Melcer (@GarrettMelcer) March 7, 2020
Last week he surprised by drawing more fouls than any player on the field, this week he surprised by beating mored defenders off the dribble (5!), and winning more aerials (4!) than any player on the field. His performance was good enough to land him once again on the bench of “MLS Team of the Week”:
Stepped up big time in Week 2: https://t.co/9NPO2i0Y0I pic.twitter.com/XPeuxKPESy
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 9, 2020
Jesus Ferreira (6.3) - Jesus struggled to create against the five player backline Montreal deployed. Jesus did have several chances to score, with none better than this one:
18' | OH SO CLOSE!!@Jesusfcd27 ALMOST opens up the scoring here early on in the first half!
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 7, 2020
@TXA21
https://t.co/Np9YZzF4E8 or 1270 AM en Español#DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/AgQ4L2BSWJ
Fafa Picault (6.5) - Fafa was solid on the left wing, but he was also the least involved off the starters, with only 27 touches in 61 minutes. By comparison, Paxton (34 touches) and Mosquera (32 touches) were more involved in the final 38 minutes of the match (including extra time).
Michael Barrios (7.6) - Michael was the most disruptive attacker through out the match for FCD, he had six key passes, completed six out of 11 crosses, completed one through ball, beat three defenders on the dribble, had 78.6% passing accuracy.
Mikey is ON ONE today, folks. #DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/i5bx2WaCyL
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 7, 2020
Bench:
Santiago Mosquera (5.7) - Santiago is a bit off an oddball on this team, as he is more of a one-vs-one type player who tries to take on defenders and beat them. The problem with that is that when he doesn’t pull it off, he comes off looking lost or completely out of position, just like he did against Montreal.
Paxton Pomykal (6.6) - Paxton did not have the big influential performance off the bench like he had the week before, but he was more involved than Ferreira (who he replaced) had been.
Ricardo Pepi (7.1) - It says a lot about a team, when it finds itself two goals down in the final 15 minutes of a match, and it brings on a 17 years old striker as their final substitute. It says even more about that 17 year old player, when he delivers:
Get out the way!
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) March 8, 2020
An incredible moment for @Ricardo_Pepi9 as he scored his first @MLS goal yesterday. #DTID | #SomosFCD pic.twitter.com/02F70yqyqv
Choo Choo! All aboard!!! “El Tren” has arrived!
Coach:
Luchi Gonzalez (6.9) - A tough match to rate Luchi on, as his team did almost everything right, only to see a scrappy and opportunistic Montreal team find a way to get two past the defense. In the end, Luchi got his substitutions right, and the team was able to battle back and save a point at home.