For 35 minutes on Saturday night, FC Dallas looked every bit like a team ready to keep rolling.
Petar Musa scored twice, Dallas carved open the LA Galaxy defense with what would have been a third Musa goal, and Toyota Stadium had the feeling of another home win in the making.
The numbers back that up. Dallas generated 1.81 xG to LA’s 0.79, put up 13 shots on the night to LA’s nine, and had a big 9-6 advantage in shots on target. Dallas got clean chances in central areas all night. But LA’s goals came not from quality but from Dallas’ defensive structure switching off at the worst possible time.
“In those low-block defending moments, your mentality has to be disciplined, together and committed on every play,” Quill said postgame. “On the two goals, we had numbers behind the ball. It wasn’t about being outnumbered. It was little details that changed the game, and we know those moments can’t happen.”
That line gets right to the heart of what has lingered around this team even during its five-game unbeaten stretch. Dallas has shown it can score with just about anyone in MLS right now. Musa is on a heater, as he currently leads MLS in goals, and there is enough quality in the group to put opponents under real stress. But leads only matter if you can actually hold onto the damn things.
Quill knows that, too.
