There’s no such thing as an easy road game in Major League Soccer. Wednesday night in Saint Paul is going to be a reminder of that for FC Dallas.
Eric Quill’s team barely had time to unpack from a summer-long road trip before heading back out the door. Just days removed from closing out a nine-game road trip against St. Louis, the Burn head back on the road to Allianz Field for a midweek MLS match against a Minnesota United side that is desperate, at home, and perfectly capable of making your night miserable despite having just one win in their last 12 games. Dallas already knows this, too. The Loons beat them back in April, a rough 1-0 loss at home.
The good news is that the schedule sets up favorably in one key way: the next few weeks will be at home. Which means Wednesday night is as much about managing the squad as it is about the three points.
Here is what I’ll be watching tomorrow in Minnesota.
Rotation Is Coming - The Question Is How Much
Let’s plainly say it: Quill is almost certainly going to need to rotate his squad on Wednesday night. He’d be irresponsible not to and he nearly said as much following the club’s win over SKC last Saturday. The players who need rest should get it on Wednesday, while the players who need minutes should get them.
The question isn’t whether Quill rotates; it’s more about which guys he has the faith and trust to rotate into the lineup on Wednesday. The last time he did a full rotation, it turned out to be a blowout loss in Vancouver. That time came on the heels of three games in a seven-day period, all on the road. He at least has a weekend home game coming up to plan for.
Against a team like Minnesota, who is hungry and desperate for points right now, a full rotation like what we saw in Vancouver isn’t likely the answer. Maybe going swapping out two or three guys is the key.
Big D Soccer gives you the why — the tactical breakdowns, the honest assessments, the context that actually helps you understand what you watched on Saturday night.
If you're serious about this club, you should be reading all of it.
The Musa Question Changes Everything
If you are like me, you’re still wondering what is going on with Petar Musa’s shoulder. Here is what I do know, because Quill wouldn’t fully comment on his star striker’s injury after the SKC game, is that we won’t know until the injury report comes out later today.
When I was leaving the locker room on Saturday, Musa was walking out with a sling over his shoulder as a precautionary measure. The club was expecting to do an MRI on Monday to see how bad it actually is. But, again, we don’t have the answers yet on his status.
My gut tells me we won’t see him in Minnesota on Wednesday. Even if it is a minor injury, there is no reason to risk him for a road game when you have several home games coming up, where he will be able to fully heal.
That means the attack has to be split between Logan Farrington, Joaquin Valiente and Santiago Moreno. Those three have to get on the same page and find ways to force the Minnesota defense, which has given up eight goals in their last two games, into tough situations. I’d also toss out Sam Sarver for a second half appearance to really force the issue late in the game like what we saw against SKC.