Away draws are good, except when they are not?

FC Dallas found a rare away draw in Vancouver, but does it help?

After a busy weekend for FC Dallas and North Texas, let’s catch up with five thoughts after some interesting results from our boys from Frisco.

First, the Afterburn Soccer Show is not going live tonight, but we will go live on Wednesday evening at 8 PM CST over on Youtube. Jose and I will break down what this past weekend meant for FC Dallas in a little more detail than today’s post. Look for some fun exclusive audio from North Texas head coach Michel, and I should get an interview posted with a young defender.

Second, away draws are good… except when they aren’t.

If you have read me enough, you’ll know I have come to appreciate a solid away draw for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. Sure, away wins are better, but getting a road point is really valuable over the course of the season as teams push for playoff positioning. That is also why we have room to be a bit disappointed about Dallas’ 0-0 result in Vancouver - at this point in the season, with the lack of away points and uneven form at home, the Burn needed more than just a point.

Sure, if the squad had managed more draws earlier in the season, this point would have been excellent against a darn good Vancouver team, even without some key players. But the margin is razor thin for FC Dallas down the stretch. They likely won’t have another shot at three points on the road again.

While the team pushed the game in the second half and is fortunate not to have conceded at least one goal with backup keeper Jimmy Maurer, fans can be worried that this will be one of those matches, including the particularly atrocious Minnesota United FC away game, that could have pushed this team into playoff positioning.

Third, FC Dallas have been so fortunate to have a solid run of keepers as of late. Jimmy Maurer, called into action as stalwart Maarten Paes got his first call up with Indonesia, had the look of a guy scrambling around to adjust to the speed of the game, but when called upon, he found the right saves to preserve a clean sheet. We all expect that this is Maurer’s last season as a professional. If these are his last official minutes, what a way to go out in a super clutch performance.

Maurer is one of those guys that other MLS teams should have come sniffing around for when in need of a legit keeper during his time with Dallas. He absolutely has been an excellent roster piece and starter in his own right. Credit to him for giving us another reminder of the teamplayer he has been since arriving from the New York Cosmos several years ago.

Fourth, North Texas Soccer Club are still the more interesting team to watch for FC Dallas fans. They calmly traveled to Vancouver and found a one goal away victory. While they may not have been happy with the single goal (from Tarik Scott), their defense, led by stalwart keeper Michael Collodi, hung on. It’s a huge three points that have the side clear at the top of the MLS Next Pro Western Conference.

With a playoff spot secured, the squad has the potential to make a deep run and even claim hardware if they keep this up.

Fifth, how are we feeling about Peter Luccin? I am going to be asking Jose Carmona, our pod co-host, this question until the end of the season, because I imagine the front office is watching and considering carefully. In what was a must win opportunity, FC Dallas couldn’t find the way forward. What does that mean about Luccin’s long term job prospects with the organization?

Does Luccin get the job even if FC Dallas doesn’t make the playoffs? Does he have to make the playoffs?

Last season, John Gall took over as interim head coach of a struggling North Texas side, and while he showed a short term improvement but missed the playoffs, he was tagged as the permanent coach going forward. And the results were remarkable as North Texas opened 2024 with an unbeaten run. Now, John is with FC Dallas, helping Luccin try to make a similar case.

I can see both sides of this. Luccin has gotten this roster to perform a lot better and helped Petar Musa get going with one of the best offensive seasons for a striker that Dallas has had in a while. Maybe if he was given some opportunity to build the team to his tactical preferences, he could do more? Maybe the playoffs were never in the picture with the way this squad started the year anyway? Maybe Luccin has worked a miracle already?

Lots of questions, but we will begin to get some clarity over the next few weeks.

Thanks as always for reading and commenting below. We’ll go live Wednesday and should have some other good features ahead.