From Death to Life: FC Dallas Claims Dramatic Point in Cincy

From a first half that looked to shut the book on the season to a dominant second half, FC Dallas once again claw back to life. But can it continue?

There are so many strange nuggets about Wednesday evening’s away draw in Cincinnati for FC Dallas, but let’s start with this one.

Lucho Acosta did not have a revenge game in his first return to the team that he powered for the past four years, scoring 48 goals in 125 appearances for the Ohio team. In fact, he was once again active but not exactly on fire. Maybe even disappointing.

Evander, the rumored other target that FC Dallas were looking for when they acquired Lucho from Cincinnati for a pile of cash, also was not so effective in his minutes for the home side, a bit of a relief for FCD faithful.

But that didn’t mean the game was spared fireworks, as FC Dallas roared back twice to level the match after going down 2-0 in the first half. Petar Musa, Anderson Julio, and Sebastian Ibeagha all scored wonderful goals to rescue the vital point and slow the sudden drop down the Western Conference table.

With head coach Eric Quill out due to yellow card suspension, assistant coach Rodrigo Rios stepped in to the coaching box to guide the team for what was always going to be a challenging scenario. Would Rios pull enough levers to get something more out of the team? Would there be any answers after weeks of disappointment from the former Burn?

Of course, disappointment is a little harsh. FC Dallas continue to play with energy and commitment on the road. They took the New York Red Bulls to penalty kicks in Harrison, New Jersey. Their away loss to Seattle on Saturday, when they were clearly out-played but only gave up 1 goal, marks the grit this group of guys have.

Their home form has been dismal. And the disappointing lack of production from Lucho Acosta and his struggle to build strong rapport with his teammates underscore the enormous problems the roster has with personnel, an ineffective tactical setup, and injuries.

Heck, ask me at halftime, and I would have said to put a fork in FC Dallas’ season.

Now, maybe it’s not over. Quite yet.

Some of the fans most disappointing signings/roster pieces made it all the stranger by contributing on an unlikely goal to rescue the draw, with Ramiro (who is being given tons of minutes despite looking a step slow), Patrickson Delgado (purchased after a somewhat successful loan but hasn’t looked great), and Ibeagha (an overpaid veteran defender at this point) setting up a massive header.

It was strange, and with a tough home game against the Eastern Conference leading Philadelphia Union on Saturday, only has the purpose of keeping us hooked for another 90 minutes or so.

But here is what we know from this performance and where we are in the season:

Quill needs to figure out what he was and fast with this squad. The summer transfer window will open in a matter of weeks, and there is opportunity for this roster to make some changes and get better. They desperately need it.

Pedrinho is the key this season. His second half performance sparked the team on their comeback, and while he has been up and down, what else can you expect from a young player? His assist to Anderson Julio is why the team paid big bucks for Lucho Acosta. As a 22 year old, it’s now or never for him. He needs all the minutes he can get - he needs to be coached with how to persevere through the slumps that come with being a weekly starter.

Maarten Paes needs an intervention. He has lost confidence. Probably doesn’t help to have a rotating cast of CBs in front of him, but he just looks slow, contributing to the PK call in the first half.

Finally, if we lose Osaze with injury, things might get more difficult. Or, maybe not? Maybe two older veteran defenders who don’t do as much can help settle down the back line. I simply don’t know at this point.

So, yeah, this was a strange one. A fun one. A wild one. And all it says to us - be prepared for anything on Saturday against the Union.