FC Dallas executed their game plan in Game Two against Seattle
FC Dallas executed their game plan in Game Two against Seattle
Two early goals helped set the tone for another cagey match with Seattle.
There have been plenty of moments in 2023 where FC Dallas races out on top of their opponent. There have also been plenty of moments where they score late against their opponent.
On Saturday night, in game two of their best-of-three playoff series with the Seattle Sounders, FC Dallas raced out on top with an early two-goal lead in the first 20 minutes of the match. They then held off the Sounders for the next 60 minutes of the match before finding a late insurance goal to seal the deal.
“In the game plan, there were moments that were well executed,” said head coach Nico Estevez following the win. “The game plan is why we had two good chances in the first half. We had some other situations running in behind their backline. Today, we were a more complete team with a little more determination, speed and quality. When we play like this, we can win, as it is difficult for any opponent.”
The first 25 minutes of the match saw FC Dallas put Seattle on their heels defensively with several good attempts, including the two goals. Part of that was having Bernard Kamungo return to the starting lineup for the first time in two weeks following his ankle injury on Decision Day in LA. Kamungo set up the first goal to Arriola and then forced a penalty kick ten minutes later that Ferreira hammered home.
“Nico (Estévez) told me to be aggressive, and every time I got 1v1s, I was shooting or crossing,” said Kamungo. “I saw Jesús (Ferreira) and Paul in there and thought, ‘why not?’ and that’s what I did.”
FC Dallas held on as Seattle pressured for their first goal and then got a late insurance goal from Obrian outside the penalty box.
“I think the starters, we did a good job of continually trying to run them down. And then for those guys that come in with speed, Eugene (Ansah) with power in them, just taking the chance to be aggressive was really key for us,” said Paul Arriola. And to be honest with you, who knows what if that game is 2-1 in the end what it looks like, you know, so for us to be able to put that third one away was so clinical.”
FC Dallas will now head to Seattle on Friday night for the third and decisive match in the series that has already produced a lot of big moments.
“We want the best gameplan that’s going to allow us to be successful,” said Estevez. “It’s going to be hard work for the staff, and there will be a lot of analyzing. We learned things, and we have to be better at the end of the day. Playing at home or on the road doesn’t change our mentality. Our mentality is to improve.”