Another Eastern Conference opponent in October? Sure, why not?
FC Dallas gets their penultimate home game of the regular season on Wednesday night when they host old MLS original rival Columbus Crew.
Add in another weird wrinkle to this one, Dallas hasn’t beaten the Crew at home since 2011.
Both teams are coming off weekend wins at home, while the Crew also had to play last Wednesday in the US Open Cup final, that they ended up losing to St. Louis CITY SC on penalties.
Can Dallas luck out against the potentially tired legs from the Crew? Let’s dive in.
Tactic Style & Shape:
In league play, the Crew have been going strong lately, winning five out of their last six. That has helped push them up the standings and within a point of a playoff spot.
Columbus has undergone a significant transformation since the summer.
The departure of Diego Rossi removed one of the Crew’s most established attacking threats, while the arrivals of Brais Méndez, Santiago Rodríguez and several other pieces have forced the team to develop a different attacking identity.
Under interim head coach Laurent Courtois, Columbus has continued to emphasize possession and movement, but the Crew have also become more adaptable in how they approach opponents.
They can operate from a three-man back line, with wingbacks providing width and midfielders looking to create numerical advantages through the center.
There are still defensive vulnerabilities, particularly when opponents can move the ball quickly into space behind the wingbacks. Columbus has conceded multiple goals in several matches this season, and its willingness to commit numbers forward can leave opportunities in transition.
For Dallas, the objective should be finding those moments before the Crew can recover into its defensive shape.
Key Player: Brais Mendez
After Rossi left Columbus, Mendez came in and made sure the Crew didn’t forget how to attack.
The Spanish attacker arrived from Real Sociedad as a Designated Player and has quickly become one of Columbus’ most important attacking pieces.
Through his first 13 MLS appearances, Méndez has produced five goals and four assists, recording a goal contribution in eight of those matches.
Key Matchup: Ramiro vs Brais Mendez
If Dallas is going to pull this one out, it will be due to how they handle this important tactical battle in the midfield.
Ramiro will have a big responsibility in preventing Mendez from controlling the space between Dallas’ midfield and backline.
Mendez wants to drift into those central pockets, receive possession facing goal and immediately begin looking for runners moving behind the defense. And, that’s where he becomes particularly dangerous.
Ramiro needs to recognize when to step forward and close those spaces without getting pulled too far away from his defensive responsibilities.
Availability Report1:
Suspended: Sekou Bangoura
Out: Wessam Abou Ali (knee), Rudy Camacho (torso)
Questionable: Andre Gomes (back)
International duty: none
Quick Notes:
All-time at FC Dallas: Columbus has a 6-12-6 record in all-time regular season meetings in Dallas. But, they also haven’t lost in Dallas since 2011.
Current form: The Crew have been on a tear lately, winning five out of their last six matches.
Where they're at in the standings: With three games to go, Columbus sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. They have 38 points on the year, one point back of 9th place New York.
Three keys for FC Dallas
- Don’t let Columbus control the middle: Columbus has been good lately at going down the pipe and making life difficult for defenders. Mendez and Habroune can find dangerous spaces between the lines, and Dallas cannot allow them to repeatedly receive the ball facing the goal. Forcing the Crew into a less dangerous situation will go a long way in this one.
- Attack the space behind the wings: We’ve seen several teams lately that want their outside backs to be more involved in attacking situations. Dallas has done well to limit those wide areas in those matches. This will be another game where the battle on the wings will help determine who gets the bulk of the attacking chances. The more Dallas can force turnovers and limit Columbus from resetting defensively, the better.
- Keep the momentum rolling: First place is within reach for Dallas. The San Jose win over the weekend was the kind of performance Dallas needs to replicate. Plenty of chances, finishing those opportunities, a defensive shutout and momentum all over the pitch. Columbus is going to have tired legs because of the USOC battle last week. Dallas needs to jump on them early and force them to chase this game.
Want to know how Dallas should line up to exploit exactly what we just broke down? Our weekly ‘What to Watch For’ will tackle that later this week. Sign up free and we'll send it to you before kickoff.
1 Note: MLS has an injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. Our scouting reports will include last week's report and will be fully updated the day before with our injury report for FC Dallas.
