FC Dallas hopes to limit Denis Bouanga and LAFC
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FC Dallas hopes to limit Denis Bouanga and LAFC
One of Major League Soccer's leading scorers has already found the back of the net against FC Dallas this season.
In 2023, FC Dallas has already faced several of the league’s top goal-scorers, like Nashville’s Hany Mukthar, San Jose’s Cristian Esponza, and Houston’s Amine Bassi. But on Saturday, the FC Dallas defense will get another big test in facing LAFC’s Denis Bouanga for the second time this season.
The Gabon national teamer has 11 goals in MLS games this season, including a game-winner against FC Dallas earlier this season.
Stopping Bouanga will be a challenge for the FC Dallas defense but one that head coach Nico Estevez feels they are up for on Saturday.
“First of all, the defenders and midfielders, we don't have to let them play comfortably,” explained Estevez during his weekly media conference call. “We have to apply pressure. We have to reduce the time that they have with the ball to think. And this will be an opportunity for us to disconnect the other players from them, reducing the amount of time their players have with the ball.”
Lately, LAFC has lost three of their last six games, including a trip to Texas last month, where they lost to the Houston Dynamo 4-0. They followed that up with a return match in LA, where Houston was able to get the best of them again. And last weekend, they went down early in a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
“I think you we’re in a similar situation on results-wise,” said Estevez. “Lately, I think, we both haven’t gotten the best results. It doesn't matter how they're coming in, we're motivated to perform well and to get a win here. We just have to know that we're gonna have to do it really, really well because they have quality, even though they're not getting better results lately. They have still a lot of quality, and we'll have to do a really good performance to beat them.”
While LAFC will have their top scorer in Bouanga, FC Dallas will still be without their leading attacker Jesus Ferreira, who is still with the United States national team for their Gold Cup run. Estevez is hoping for someone to step up and possibly find a bit of luck to help end this current rut that they’re on.
“The first thing is we've just played one game without Jesus Ferreira. We got like a 1-point or something on expected goals,” said Estevez. “I think we have to be able to create more. You see, other teams like Houston beat LAFC with four goals, and they had 0.7 expected goals. It's like sometimes you need that side of luck on your side. We know we have to create chances to score.”
Estevez is hoping to find more chances through set pieces and counterattacks on Saturday, two areas that LAFC has been vulnerable in recent games at defending.
“The counterattack is going to be an important part,” said Estevez. “We know LAFC is having some problems on that side. And on the run of play, to be a little bit more calm and patient, to have numbers in the box and be able to connect those balls.”
A win on Saturday would end a six-game winless streak for FC Dallas that dates back to the middle of May when they secured back-to-back wins over Vancouver and Austin in a single week.