Sometimes, you have to win ugly. Sometimes, you have to grind out results.
For the second straight weekend at Toyota Stadium, FC Dallas managed to do both. Thankfully, this time the shutout came with a goal on the other end to secure three points over LAFC and a jump into second place.
Let’s dive in.
International window games are weird
“They sat lower against us, which is difficult for any team in the world to break down when you have 10 guys behind the ball. We were just a little bit off in a lot of those transition moments. Maybe the final pass was a yard off, or our first touch didn’t take us across the defender to give us a window to shoot. Credit to them for the defensive effort they put in. They’re a great side, and LAFC is one of the best defensive teams in the league. You’re not going to score a bunch of goals against them.” - Quill on LAFC’s defensive structure
Games during international windows are always weird. Too many big names are gone and you are left with teams that lack a true chemistry to connect with one another.
While I don’t think that was the case for Dallas as much as LAFC, there were moments in this one that were rough to watch.
But, if there is one thing that FC Dallas manager Eric Quill will take from this 1-0 win, it may be that he’s got to figure out how to get his attack going against a low-block team. He certainly said as much after the match when he was asked what the team could do better despite the six-game unbeaten run.
But back-to-back games against teams who play a tight block of defenders does tell you that teams are starting to pick up on something against FC Dallas.
Want to read the rest of the full match breakdown? Upgrade to become a paid subscriber today!