There are stretches in a season when everything starts to click. For FC Dallas, this certainly feels like one of those moments.
The Burn capped off another grueling stretch of three games in seven days Saturday night with a 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers. Logan Farrington scored his ninth of the season, while Joaquin Valiente added his second to help extend the club’s winning streak to three games for the first time since the 2020 season.
The wins are starting to pile up and they haven’t always come easily for FC Dallas.
But that might be what has FC Dallas head coach Eric Quill feeling so good about where his team currently stands.
“I’m really proud of the guys,” Quill said following Saturday’s win. “Three games in seven days and three wins with travel involved and the heat, and we’ve been on the road for a long time. They just play with so much heart and desire, and their work is why we are where we are in the standings right now.”
After spending the summer away from Toyota Stadium due to the renovation to the facility, Dallas has returned home and begun taking advantage of it for the first time in a couple of seasons. Saturday’s win also continued a run of results that has FC Dallas thinking about much more than simply securing a playoff spot.
Quill wants his side climbing the Western Conference table.
“I want to chase first,” Quill said. “That’s how I’m wired, and we have plenty of time to do it.”
A collective effort
Quill has consistently avoided putting too much emphasis on individual performances this season, and Saturday was another example of why.
Farrington opened the scoring with a well-timed run before halftime, finishing a pass from Shaq Moore. Valiente later provided the eventual game-winner.
“As a striker all you need is one chance,” Farrington said. “Shaq Moore played a great ball in behind and all I had to do was place it low and it went in.”
But the contributions went well beyond the two goals on the night.
Goalkeeper Daniel returned to the starting lineup after being out with a hamstring injury since late-July. His leadership in goal helped Dallas see out the victory.
For Quill, that is exactly what has made this recent run possible.
“Everybody’s contribution has mattered to the results,” Quill said. “When you have a variety of guys and the collective group contributing like that, they’re bought in. Everybody has a stake in the game, and they’re having fun.”
Homegrown defender Nolan Norris sees the same thing within the squad.
“It’s football, it’s a team game, and all of us are pushing each other, and that brings out the best in everybody,” Norris said. “Every day you have got to come in and earn your spot on the squad. But at the end of the day, we all have the same goal.”
That depth has become increasingly important as Dallas has navigated injuries, heavy travel and a congested schedule. Instead of merely surviving that stretch, Dallas has emerged with nine points.
Winning even when it isn’t pretty
Three straight wins doesn’t mean that FC Dallas has played perfect soccer in each of those matches. The wins last week against Sporting KC was tight down to the very end and this weekend’s win over Portland had only a few moments to highlight.
The players know it too but the team continues to find a different gear to fight through those tough moments when things aren’t going according to plan.
“We’re hitting our stride and you see us fighting out there for each other,” Farrington said. “I think you can see that mentality in every game, even if it’s not pretty. The fight that we have is what’s pushing us to go out there and execute.”
Quill on the other hand offered a more colorful assessment of what his players had left in the tank after Saturday’s win over the Timbers.
“They’re dead,” Quill said. “It was like a car on its last leg trying to get over the finish line, and they found a way.”
Now they finally get a chance to recharge as Quill is preparing to give his players a couple of days off to begin the new week before continuing the homestand that will see rivals Austin FC come to town next Saturday.
The goals are getting bigger
As the season continues forward into the final stretch, reaching the postseason isn’t the main target anymore.
For Quill, he wants to aim higher with securing a home-field advantage in the playoffs.
“We want home-field advantage in the playoffs because that gives you a statistical advantage to move on,” Quill said. “I want to chase first.”
There is still plenty of soccer remaining, with FC Dallas at home for the majority of it. The challenge now is making sure three straight wins doesn’t lead to the club getting too comfortable.
“We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground,” Quill said. “There’s a long way to go still.”
For a team that looked completely exhausted crossing the finish line Saturday night, FC Dallas suddenly has plenty of momentum carrying it forward.
