FC Dallas didn’t need a ton of fireworks on Saturday night. It just needed one moment, another strong defensive effort and the willingness to continue to grind out three points
Osaze Urhoghide’s first half header from Joaquin Valiente proved to be the difference as Dallas edged out LAFC 1-0, extending its unbeaten streak to six games and putting another exclamation point on an impressive September.
The win capped a 4-0-1 month for FC Dallas and moved Eric Quill’s side into second place in the Western Conference as the team heads into the international break before a busy October kicks off.
It wasn’t necessarily Dallas at its sharpest, but Quill saw plenty to like in the way his team handled a difficult opponent and found a path to victory.
“Yeah, it was a scrappy night where we had to compete for a lot of loose balls,” Quill said. “They sat lower against us, which is difficult for any team in the world to break down when you have 10 guys behind the ball.”
With LAFC content to stay compact and limit the space for Dallas to operate, Dallas struggled to create clear looks from open play. Eventually, the breakthrough arrived from a set piece as Urhoghide scored his second goal of the season on what Quill called a “beautiful header.”
The goal changed the complexion of the game. LAFC had to push higher in search of an equalizer, finally providing Dallas with some of the transition opportunities it had been missing.
Dallas couldn’t turn any of those moments into a second goal, as Logan Farrington nearly had one in the second half before he was whistled for being offside. Instead, Dallas had to protect the lead down the stretch as LAFC pushed for more chances.
“Nights like tonight are not easy to close out 1-0, so it says a lot about the collective,” Quill said.
Dallas won the aerial battles, cleared its lines and received another boost from its bench as Quill’s substitutes helped see out the final minutes with their pace and ability to keep the ball away from LAFC. It wasn’t pretty, but after a month in which Dallas repeatedly found ways to get results, perhaps it didn’t need to be anything special.
“I hope our fans are proud and see the fight in our guys every night,” Quill said. “There’s a consistent fight from us. It’s not just sometimes. It’s here all the time, and I’m proud of us.”
