What we learned in FC Dallas' win over Necaxa

FC Dallas took advantage of an early red card and found a way to advance in the Leagues Cup.

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When facing a must-need or cannot-lose type of game on Tuesday night in the Leagues Cup, FC Dallas showed some grit and played some of their best soccer of 2023 in a 3-0 win over Liga MX side Necaxa.

Sure, an early red card helped along the way, but unlike previous games that we’ve seen FC Dallas gain an advantage on the field and not do anything positive with it, they actually took care of business and ‘looked the part’ as some might like to say.

Here are some key takeaways from the night, as well as some things to keep in mind now that we know the Knockout Round is coming our way.

Extra space, better finishing

Even before the red card in the 11th minute, FC Dallas was finding some space in behind the Necaxa defense. The Liga MX side was playing a five-man back line, but with the full-backs pushed forward, there was a lot of space in the middle of the park that Jader Obrian and Bernard Kamungo were able to expose.

The red card just helped expose them even more.