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.
Dallas did manage to get one breakthrough, on a set piece goal from Osaze Urhoghide.
Those are the limited moments that Dallas has to be better at going down the stretch. More teams are going to realize that they can load up the line defensively and limit the space that Dallas has to operate in their attack.
The thing that will be a difference maker going forward, outside of not having guys like Petar Musa and Bernard Kamungo away for international duty, is that Quill and his staff have to find ways to get breakthroughs outside of set pieces.
Dallas has 11 goals off set pieces this season, but the majority (39 of the 50 goals) have come from open play. Dallas needs that transition play to be dangerous. Figuring out how to deal with teams that stack the line like LAFC did on Saturday will possibly be Quill’s biggest test of the season.
Early returns on Daniel Job
Newly signed U-22 attacker Daniel Job only landed in Frisco late last week and managed to make the game day roster. I asked a few folks around the club how things looked with Job after one day, and the comments were pretty much what you’d expect for a young guy that had only been in the country for 48 hours: not anything great.
I’ll say this about Job, I‘ve set a pretty low bar for him in my mind. I think most of us have done so after seeing the limited results the club has gotten out of its previous U22 players.
But, 10 or so minutes on the field and you can quickly (no pun intended) see why the club signed him.
“You saw what DJ can do. We all saw it. He drew a yellow card and a foul at the top of the box, played through the lines to Shaq and made the vertical plays that we know he can make. That’s why we brought him here, and I think if you’re a fan, you’re pretty excited about what you saw in 15 minutes from him. Even Sam Sarver coming on with fresh legs, Patrickson Delgado and the other guys did an amazing job. But there’s more to come from DJ.” - Eric Quill on Job’s debut
A fearless player going at tired defenders. Yes, please.
I know Quill loves to give guys starts based on how they do off the bench at times. But, I really hope he keeps Job as his bench threat for the rest of the year. That pace he brings is going to the field alone is worth conserving for late game situations.
Is he going to be a true game changer this season? Maybe, but also maybe not. But these limited minutes from Saturday, I kind of get it now.
Quick Hits
- Best moment - Go with Urhoghide’s goal, but really it was the Alumni Night festivities that the club had throughout the night.
- Most underrated player (not mentioned above) - How are we not talking about Joaquin Valiente more? He’s got 13 assists on the season now and should clearly be in the running for MLS Newcomer of the Year with those numbers.
- Player I may be most concerned about after his game - Honestly, for the second straight week, I’m coming up empty here.
Final thoughts
To close out the month almost perfect is a sight to see from this group. And really, if you go back to when play resumed after the World Cup break, this team has mostly been good to watch. They’re picking up points, they’re climbing the table and more importantly, they’re starting to really look the part.
The true international break this week will be a good one for everyone, though. These guys need a short break before six games get crammed into the month of October.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have reservations about this group’s chances in the playoffs to continue this type of play. But, I think the underdog role suits them very well, too.
