It all comes down to one final regular season game for FC Dallas. After a summer swoon that saw the club dip below the playoff line in the standings, the club is now on the brink of returning to the playoffs for the first time in two years.
Last weekend, the club had a chance to lock up a playoff spot in LA, but an early red card to Logan Farrington allowed the Galaxy to get the best Dallas, snapping that unbeaten streak.
Now FC Dallas has to go on the road on Decision Day, where they’ve been fairly productive this season (going 4-4-8 away from Toyota Stadium), in order to get into the playoffs. FC Dallas manager Eric Quill believes that his squad has the right mentality in place to get a result and secure a playoff spot.
“We have to point out all of the good things that we’ve been doing because we have been great in a lot of phases of the game,” said Quill. “I thought we did things well in the loss (at LA). We have nothing to hang out heads about, we fought and obviously we’re disappointed with the result. This is a fighting group and they know what is at stake. Our mentality is going to be high for this game and the fight has been out there in the training field this week. I’m really proud of who we are right now.”
FC Dallas still controls its own destiny for a playoff spot, but Quill will have to rely on some other players like Anderson Julio, Pedrinho, Sam Sarver or Deedson to step up in the attack with Petar Musa and Logan Farrington both suspended for Saturday’s game against the Whitecaps.
“They’re here for a reason,” stated Quill. “You never know when an opportunity comes but when it does you need to be ready. They’ll be ready. The adjustments that we’ll make will be different profiles, but I’m really excited about what they bring to the field.”
The Whitecaps are currently leading the Western Conference standings and have been dominant at home in recent games, outscoring opponents 16-6 in their last five home games.
“You have to be really locked in, you can’t turn off. They have a great mentality and we have to match and surpass their’s,” explained Quill. “There are naturally going to be waves that we’re going to have to weather. We have to weather it together and regain ourselves in those moments. We have to try to keep the crowd out if it and keep momentum plays of it. We have to play a smart game.”
FC Dallas hasn’t won in Vancouver since the 2018 series, but has come away draws in their last two visits to BC Place. Quill hopes that the mentality that the club has carried in recent trips to Canada will carry over on Saturday.
“We’re not going there scared. We’re not going there to go up against the ropes to get knocked out. We’re going there to throw punches and the group that we’ve been,” said Quill.
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