And just like that, FC Dallas has marched back up the standings into ninth place. Two months ago, I think we all had written this season off completely with the losses at Toyota Stadium piling up and the general mood just being flat and frustrating.
I know we can point to the departure of Lucho Acosta for part of the turnaround with this club, but the 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids this past weekend is proving that this team is starting to get where I think most of us expected them to be. A playoff contender.
There is still a lot of soccer left to be played this season, but also plenty to celebrate. After all, this is the first time FC Dallas is back in a playoff position since the beginning of May.
Let's dive into the victory over the Rapids with a few items we learned from the result.
Things are clicking
It has been a few weeks now since FC Dallas manager Eric Quill switched to a three center back system. The decision to move Shaq Moore inside that three-man defensive group, along with the emergence of Bernard Kamungo as a viable wingback has lifted FC Dallas in ways that we didn't think were possible a couple of months ago.
But the Colorado game showed me it was more than just those moves along the back line that have worked for Quill. It's also getting the very most out of guys like Patrickson Delgado, Kaick and Chris Cappis.
The Colorado game were possibly the best matches we've seen to date out of Delgado and Cappis, who combined for the club's game-winner in the first half. Delgado continues to prove that he belongs in MLS and is starting to become a pretty solid creative player in the attack. He ended the night with four chances created, most by any player on the field.