FC Dallas Grind Out a Point on the Road in Atlanta

This matchup between Atlanta and FC Dallas was meaty, physical, and fun. Ultimately, Dallas will head home the happier of the two sides as they found an away point and stayed unbeaten on the road.

(Credit to the amazing FC Dallas social media crew for the graphics.)

The ongoing competition between who makes better barbecue, Dallas or Atlanta, spilled over onto the pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Georgia on Saturday, as FC Dallas and Atlanta United got reacquainted in a feisty, meaty affair.

A first-half penalty kick, awarded to Atlanta due to a foul in the box by defender Osaze Urhoghide, put the home side in pole position, but FC Dallas fought back. They scrabbled and clawed their way to an equalizer by the enigmatic Petar Musa, blasting the ball over the out-stretched arms of ATL goalkeeper Brad Guzan. As the final whistle blew, knowing that both teams had chances to claim all three points, the result was fair. Both teams, similar in their rebuilding and restocking over tumultuous offseasons, are a work in progress. Neither showed their full talent and capability on the evening.

“We didn’t find the rhythm we wanted to. Their pressure was getting to us early on. They had the better of the game in the first half I thought. At home, in front of 50,000 fans, when they smell blood, they take advantage,” Quill told media after the match.

Quill and company were happy to go in to the half having just given up one point.

No doubt, FC Dallas will be grateful not to face Emmanuel Lath again, as the star striker made their lives miserable time and time again with his presence and runs.

No doubt, Atlanta, who did a good job bottling Lucho Acosta for most of the match, won’t want to see Dallas’ sneaky attack soon either.

But Atlanta, like Dallas, looked like they were still finding rhythm together as misplaced passes and mistimed runs hampered the juiciest of opportunities.

Still, Quill found a lot to like in the way the team responded. “I love the mentality, the grind. We are becoming a team that believes.”

In particular, FC Dallas found themselves in counter-attack positions late in the match, but they couldn’t find the final decision or make the key pass to grab the win. I think the team will feel grateful for the point, as it keeps their unbeaten run on the road going, and also wonder if they can unlock that final bit of brilliance. Maybe Eric Quill would have sought to sub Musa off earlier to bring in the legs of Logan Farrington.

A point on the road is a good result, something to build on as FC Dallas builds on an intriguing season.

Here are some additional storylines from the match:

Anderson Julio needs to start. He brought a needed boost coming on for Leo Chu in this one. While Chu did score at home last week, Julio is simply the better player and keeps defenses nervous.

Quill told the media that the winger is still working on getting his fitness back after being away for a couple of weeks.

Kaick is also clearly ready for his start. The defensive midfielder has the potential to be a huge signing for FC Dallas in the long run. He changed the game via his presence, his precise positioning, his interventions, and his passing to start counters. Dallas shifted into a third gear when he came on.

Quill noted after the match that Kaick did his job as a substitute and changed the game with his energy.

Osaze Urhoghide looked headed for a down game after he got his arms wrapped up around Atlanta’s Emmanuel Lath early on. He appeared to lose confidence for a stretch there with some sloppy play, but then, whether it was a boost from his teammates or a needed moment to gather himself, Osaze once again looked like a rock-solid pillar for Dallas. He hardly put a foot wrong the rest of the game, and his fiery personality woke up his teammates to lock down the point on the road.

Quill was glowing about him after the match. “Osaze played an outstanding game. His athleticism, his anticipation in space, his ability to move. He was the man of the match for me. His physical numbers are off the chart - he has the physicals of a winger. Our guys are feeding off him.”

We’ll be doing some followup on this one and have some post-game video for you later in the week.