FC Dallas and MLS are back this weekend.
Eric Quill’s club heads to the East Coast for its second road match of the season following the international break. D.C. United presents a tricky test: a team that is dangerous enough to punish mistakes, but inconsistent enough that a discipline road performance can steal some points.
So yeah…a classic MLS trap game is upon us.
Let’s discuss the items we’ll be looking out for this weekend.
The free stuff tells you what happened. A paid subscription tells you why it happened, what it means for FC Dallas, and what’s coming next—before anyone else catches up.
Energy and sharpness following the international break
International breaks are always kind of weird in MLS, but ones in late March are especially weird given how they can throw off a team’s rhythm and form. Some teams come out flying, while others look like they just met in the parking lot 20 minutes before kickoff. In a way, it is a weird reset for everyone.
For FC Dallas this weekend, they’ll need to do the following against the Black-and-Red:
- Start fast instead of easing into the match
- Keep the passing crisp and purposeful, not back tracking for the sake of it
- Avoid sloppy defensive moments early
As any coach will tell you, the first 15-to-20 minutes will tell you everything about a club after an international break. If Dallas looks sharp, they’ve handled the break well. If not, well…buckle up.
Containing Tai Baribo
If there is anyone scoring for D.C. United right now, it is Israeli forward Tai Baribo. The former Philadelphia Union striker has three of D.C. United’s four goals on the season.
He’s an active player in and around the penalty box. He makes smart runs and doesn’t need a ton of chances to score goals.
The Dallas defense will need to:
- Track his movements inside the penalty box
- Stay tight on crosses and second balls
- Communicate clearly between the center backs
Baribo is the type of guy that if you lose him for a half second, you’re likely going to be picking the ball out of your own net. Atlanta United showed everyone two weeks ago that if you contain him properly, the DCU attack dries up entirely.
Drew Epperley
Managing the game on the road
We haven’t talked about it that much yet this season, but road form still matters a lot for this group.
Dallas doesn’t need to dominate this match. Instead, they need to be organized defensively, be smart in possession and be opportunistic in transition.
You don’t win road matches in MLS by being pretty. You win them by being efficient and a little ruthless when chances appear.
We saw that out of this group throughout Quill’s first season in charge, and at times in the first road game against LAFC. Being more on the front foot and looking for three points is in the DNA of this group right now. We just need to see it.
Getting someone else to step up in the attack
Look, whatever Petar Musa and Logan Farrington are drinking this season, it is working. They’ve combined to score nine of the 10 goals in the opening five games. If you are wondering who is third on the club in scoring, that is our fan-favorite Own Goals.
The Musa-Farrington-Valiente trio still feels like it is building towards something, we just haven’t seen it for the full 90 minutes yet. And that doesn’t even begin to introduce Santiago Moreno into the mix, who may or may not be debuting this weekend (as of this writing the club posted online that he is ‘unlocked’…so he’s probably just now starting to train with the team).
Going on the road, this is a good environment for someone else to make their mark in the attack. Either be finishing a corner kick (looking at you Osaze Urhoghide), a quality set piece into the penalty area (for some reason that has Herman Johansson or Bernard Kamungo written all over it), or just whipping a shot from distance that surprises everyone (yeah, that feels like Kaick).
Either way, we know Musa needs more consistent service. Farrington needs to be able to continue stretching defenses. And Valiente, he just needs to continue feeling out MLS defenses for what they will and won’t give him.
Against a D.C. defense that has been pretty stout so far (only four goals given up), this group has to find new ways to be dangerous.
Because it is worth repeating, MLS doesn’t reward teams for being “almost dangerous.”
The Bottom Line
Again, post-international break games are all about showing sharpness. Bring on the road post-international break may be more about the professionalism of this group.
If Dallas can:
- Limit Baribo’s impact
- Stay organized defensively
- Take their chances when the come
- Find a new scorer outside of Musa or Farrington
Then this is a match where they can quietly grab points and keep building off the momentum they established in March.
If Dallas wants to be considered a ‘good team’ in MLS this season, they don’t just win big games, they win weird ones like this, too.
The free stuff tells you what happened. A paid subscription tells you why it happened, what it means for FC Dallas, and what’s coming next—before anyone else catches up.
