Another Home Game, Another Disappointment: FC Dallas Drop A Crucial Result to Houston

FC Dallas have lost the Texas derby in a disappointing, rain delayed match at home that further compound the problems with the team.

(Image credit the amazing FC Dallas media crew.)

With a weather-delayed start to the match, FC Dallas welcomed the Houston Dynamo to Frisco, hopeful that they would find another solid performance to turn the tide of a poor run of home games.

And for stretches in the first half, while struggling to turn anything into a strong chance on goal, the home side appeared confident. They got the ball forward, creating some opportunities that once again were a step shy of fruition. The best of the lot was Anderson Julio trying to catch Houston’s keeper Jonathan Bond out of goal, but the lanky GK was able to track back and fend off the long-range volley.

“I thought we were the better side up until their goal. Our ball movement was sharp and crisp. Our quick reflection - it was all us in the first half,” FC Dallas head coach Eric Quill told the media.

In the second half, FC Dallas had hoped to pick up where they left off, but Houston took that opportunity to grow into the game with physical defending and a scheme that was difficult for the home side to break down.

The Dynamo found two goals in the second half, the first a pure golazo from Houston player Jack McGlynn. Michael Collodi, in his second MLS start in goal, could do little to stop the incredible blast. The second from Griffin Dorsey came later after Quill made substitutes that further muddled the home side’s approach, stretching them out. Osaze, normally stout, was left in the grass as Dorsey ran by him and slashed in a goal from the right side.

While Dallas pushed for at least one goal, Houston found enough to thwart the game from becoming interesting late.

“We were trying to score, just lacking a little bit of that finishing touch. The second goal compounded that heartbreak,” Quill told the press after the match. “I take away a lot of positives. Again, I hate losing. I’m not the guy who blows smoke and positivity when we lose. There were way more positives than bad.”

With the result, El Capitan will head down to Houston for the first time since 2021.

Home form remains a major issue for this team. Simply put, they cannot count on away wins to keep them in the playoff hunt if they can’t win at home.

Quill recognizes it is an urgent problem, telling the media, “We can’t accept losing in front of our fans. We will figure out how to leave this stadium energized. I thought our quality was there, but the scoreline doesn’t say so.”

Lucho Acosta is not the answer right now either. Yes, he is an excellent dribbler. He had his moments in this match, but too often, he is passing to players who can’t match his skill or are simply not in a great position to do anything with the ball. After picking up a yellow card for dissent, he will miss the Seattle match, a tough place for FC Dallas to get results, regardless. But maybe that’s a silver lining, as it will force Quill to try something different with this roster.

Too many players off the bench are coming in unprepared or not in spots to make them succeed. You could argue that FC Dallas has had to deal with injuries so much that the team hasn’t been able to field a Best XI, but you can also argue that the team is still very much a work in progress. They desperately need fresh faces and an identity, something that Quill appears to be struggling to find.