Big Wins: FC Dallas Saved by Sarver; North Texas SC Dominates Kansas City
It was a weekend of celebrations, as FC Dallas get a massive win at San Jose and North Texas SC crush SKC 2 at home. What it all means…
Yes, friends, Sam Sarver gave fans the euphoric moment we needed from the weekend, especially as FC Dallas came off a disappointing home loss against Vancouver on Wednesday.
Sarver’s late goal was the kind of goal we saw him score last year at North Texas SC, getting up field and in space and letting his teammates drop him the ball.
Watch it on repeat. This team will need a lot more of those moments on the long road trips ahead.
Here is what the weekend meant for FC Dallas and North Texas Soccer Club, both squads getting big wins.
FC Dallas 3 - San Jose 2
Add another marquee win for FC Dallas on the road at league leading San Jose Earthquakes.
Yes, that midweek match against the Vancouver Whitecaps was super disappointing, enough that Michael Collodi, who has not yet lived up to the form he showed at the end of last season, got benched. Jonathan Sirois stepped into goal, and while he wasn’t perfect, his clutch penalty save kept FC Dallas in control. This goalkeeping battle was not the story we thought we were going to see this season, but the front office looks smart to get a guy like Sirois who has oodles of experience.
Don’t write off Collodi just yet - he’ll get a chance to earn a starting spot again. It’s fair to say though that something does have to change. Could this personnel adjustment be a wakeup call for the sophomore keeper?
We didn’t write up the loss to Vancouver, especially with a busy personal week for me, but it highlights the challenges this FC Dallas squad face. For once, they are capable of scoring in bunches. We’ve seen different editions of this team in the past who could defend but not get the ball into the back of the net. Musa is in amazing form. Logan Farrington remains dangerous, already hitting last season’s marks. There are attacking minded players all over the midfield. It’s fun to know this team is going to cause team fits however they line up.
Now, though, the defense remains a work in progress. Some of it is just unfortunate luck. That Beau Leroux goal to equalize in the first half was insane, a one of a kind moment. We’ve witnessed too many bangers like that, and while I think the team needs to find a way to defend those and close them out, sometimes, your opponents score big goals.
FC Dallas had bangers of their own thought, with Petar Musa making a case for his inclusion in Croatia’s World Cup squad. By the way, he did make the final cut. What a massive moment for the veteran striker.
The new wrinkle is the depth of this team. Having a guy like Sam Sarver who can come in and help you find a magical moment, something he has done three times now in four games, is just a blessing in this sport. I don’t know why some bottom dweller team isn’t sniffing around Frisco on what a trade for Sarver would look like. I don’t want to see the guy gone — he is a huge locker room presence. But would some MLS team overpay a bunch of funny money to make Sarver a building block of a rebuild?
With a bunch of road games ahead, expect FC Dallas to continue to compete well and find points. They may not all be wins, but fans should feel really bullish about this team solidifying some postseason plans before home games arrive again.
Despite that Wednesday loss, where really the team was let down by some goalkeeping and tough moments, FC Dallas is in good form. We like what Eric Quill and company are cooking. The confidence and belief in this team is growing, and if they can just sharpen some details and keep finding the right formations to deploy, this team can be a force.
“We know we can play with anybody and win every game,” Quill said after the match. “Coming on the road against a top team like San Jose and getting this result changes the psychology of the group for the better. These are the kinds of marquee wins you look back on if you reach your goals at the end of the season or make the playoffs. They give you belief, and that belief is powerful. This result should give us confidence that we can beat anybody.”
North Texas 5 - SKC II 1
Moments before FC Dallas took the field, North Texas SC welcomed Sporting Kansas City II to Choctaw Stadium. Buoyed after a big win on the road at Minnesota United, one where maybe North Texas managed a clean sheet, we circled this one just because the rollercoaster of results haven’t been great for this young side. Too often, this group of guys follow a big result by letting off the gas.
On Saturday, they didn’t, crushing Sporting Kansas City at home with five goals.
Natty James had his first professional hat trick. Hilariously, all seven of Natty’s goals this season have come against Sporting Kansas City II. Seriously, the guy needs to diversify.
Nys also got on the scoresheet again. What a solid season for the rookie.
Brooks Thompson also made his debut for North Texas, another young talent and playing against his former academy.
Head coach John Gall was very pleased with the result and the continuation of the work in Minnesota. We know this roster has talent, but we talk about it on the podcast time and time again that this squad needs to develop and grow. Some of that is just figuring out how to be a team and find consistency. Some of it is also about talented players taking the next step as professionals.
This win was important to keep them trending in the right direction with a huge July 4 opening weekend at the new stadium on the way.
“That result in Minnesota was important for us to snap a four-game winless run. We went there, put in a strong performance, and the focus this week was to build on that, which we did tonight,” Gall told media. “Overall, I’m pleased with the performance. I am a bit disappointed with the goal we conceded. It’s something we’ve talked about in terms of box defending when the ball goes wide, and we were in the wrong spots. We responded well, though, and I’m really happy for Natty to get his first NTSC hat trick. I’m also pleased for Brooks Thompson on his debut, and for young Liam at the back, making his first start and doing very well. Overall, it’s a positive night, another step forward in our process as we continue to move ahead.”
We’ll be going live on Tuesday evening to break down all the results and get a glimpse of what lies ahead for both squads.