FC Dallas & North Texas SC Find the Wins They Needed
On a crucial weekend, both FC Dallas and North Texas SC found crucial moments and goals to push back into playoff position.
You couldn’t write a better script for the weekend.
Big goals. Big moments. Big wins.
FC Dallas, surging after shedding Lucho Acosta and finding newfound team unity, welcomed their playoff rivals Colorado Rapids to Frisco in a must-win. And let’s be clear - it was a must win with the playoff race tightening. Scoring three goals, the Burn took care of business and look to be improving every game, dominating 3-1. This is not the plot line we figured would be dominating the season, but here we are.
This was a game about moments, about a team finding a will.
Petar Musa continues to score, his 16th of the season.
Christian Cappis also added his first of the season, a game winner for the mid-season signing who has been central to the squad’s revival.
Pedrinho created the third though it was credited as an own goal as his shot and energy were rewarded late in the match to cement the win.
Against a potential playoff foe, FC Dallas looked confidently at another level.
“I mean, a lot like last week, we started on the front foot, wave after wave, aggressive to get the first goal. It was a great first goal, and we kept our foot on the gas, but a mistake poked a hole in our momentum. Then we showed our character, got back into the game, scored a great set piece goal, and in the second half the floodgates opened, “ FC Dallas head coach Eric Quill told media after the match. “Physically, I thought we looked great and were getting stronger as the game went on, which is a credit to our sports performance staff and the work they do to prepare these guys, especially for the late stages. Our subs came in and raised the level, every one of them, and that’s all I can ask. That’s what I hope for and challenge them with before every game: that everybody’s contribution is needed, whether it’s two minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes, and to play your heart out because every game is a final.”
I don’t know what to tell you fans, but this team is joyous to watch again. The road is not going to be easy, but they are not just on the outside looking in — they are in this thing!
North Texas SC, meanwhile, traveled to Minnesota to take on a playoff competitor in MUFC 2, full of doubt after dropping points at home against the lowly Sporting Kansas City 2 the previous weekend. On that stage, in a tough environment, Sam Sarver helped create a counter attack moment. In an instant, the ball bounced and ricocheted, and Caleb Swann was there. In a crucial moment, he found the go ahead goal to put North Texas in control.
That would not last as Minnesota United FC 2 would grab an equalizer, but as head coach John Gall has talked about all season long, this sport comes down to moments. Can the team find the next person to step up? Can they find the next stop?
They did that in Jaidyn Contreras with his second goal of the season on a well-designed and well-scouted goal on a corner kick. Jaidyn’s shot was next level and should go down as the goal of the week for MLS Next Pro.
Gall was so proud of this team to find these huge three points.
“It’s not easy. Being the second-youngest team in the league, it’s not easy dealing with errors and mistakes, and it’s not because these kids aren’t good enough, but because they’re young, inexperienced and still learning the game. There are a lot of teaching moments, and I assure you behind closed doors there are many conversations with players. It’s not easy trying to educate young players who are talented, but it’s a process I enjoy, and at some point you hope they’ll reap the rewards for all the sacrifices they’re making — all the time they have to deal with me and everything they have to listen to from me,” the North Texas SC head coach said to media. “Caleb (Swann) has been a consistent kid for us this season. From day one he’s played in every game, chipped in with a couple of big goals and worked extremely hard. You can tell he plays with his heart on his sleeve. And then you have Jaidyn (Contreras), who’s been biding his time, working hard in training, staying patient and dealing with me quite a bit this season. These types of moments are key because I think Jaidyn has grown a lot in the last six months, and for him to get that reward in a situation we knew he was good at is special.”
This is about a good weekend as you can get for FC Dallas and North Texas SC at this stage of the season.
We are going to break down these results a bit more tonight at a slightly different time on the pod - 6:30 PM PST, but fans, you have every right to be excited again. This team can make some noise.