Leagues Cup Out, COVID In

We've been a bit quiet with a round of COVID, but we roar back in with some questions for FC Dallas and some highlights of North Texas doing its thing.

Hey, folks, COVID-19 is still lurking around, and Afterburn Soccer was hit after FC Dallas bowed out of the Leagues Cup.

Yeah, while it wasn’t more serious than a cold, I admit it slowed us down from our posts and podcast for the past ten days.

So, let’s get caught up.

North Texas Is the (Maybe) Best in MLS Next Pro

While the senior team has been quiet, North Texas has been rolling.

Last week, they drew Austin FC 2 at home, a solid result when on the road. While they did lose the ensuing penalty kick shootout, the team of youngsters continued to find ways to grind out results under new head coach Michel Garbini.

Tonight, at home, North Texas dominated visitors Sporting Kansas City 2 with a 2-0 win that was more dominant than the scoreline suggests. SKC 2 had at best 1, maybe 2, shots on goal after 90 minutes plus. It was a complete performance, defensively, midfield-confident, whatever adjectives you can come up with.

I asked Michel about it, and this is what he said:

“It was a very solid team performance overall. We controlled the match from the beginning. In the first half we started with the front foot by getting the early goal. I think we could have pushed for more, but the heat definitely took a toll on us early. Second half we came back with high intensity and managed to score early again. We controlled the game at our tempo and the team did very well. Anthony (Ramirez) is a very special player; he is a high level player. Pedrinho did very well for 60 minutes after returning from injury. He found the pockets and put players into good space. The two players we give credit to for the goals, as well as Herbert (Endeley) who provided the two assists.”

Anthony Ramirez, who Michel praised, slotted away the opening goal, and Pedrinho punched in his sixth of the season. This team is fun. This team is good. They are at the top of MLS Next Pro, with only FC Cincinnati 2 sharing the spoils at the moment. Can they keep it going?

“As I told the boys, we have eight finals remaining and we will do everything it takes to finish at the top come the end of the season. The motivation is there for the players every day,” Michel said to Afterburn Socer.

FC Dallas Fans Are Wondering - Will Their Squad Make More Moves?

The most recent transfer move for FC Dallas has been the addition of Show Mufana, a defensive midfielder who is sorely needed with Liam Fraser being out for an extended stretch. But the guy, most recently playing in Israel, comes with lots of questions and on a deal that is low risk, high reward. In other words, the guy can play some mop-up minutes as needed, but the team won’t be hurting if he doesn’t turn out to be something other than a practice body. He’s on a loan with an option to buy. Worst case, he features a little and then returns to his parent team.

Best case - he shows some quality and ends up being a sneaky good buy.

Beyond that, questions swarm around this senior team like mosquitoes in the humid summer heat. Sebastian Lletget and Paul Arriola have reemerged as legitimate first team options, and the best news is that Jesus Ferreira and Alan Velasco are back in practice. The bad news is that the team flamed out of the Leagues Cup, tired, exhausted, and out of ideas.

Can they use these few weeks to get healthy and then push for a significant push into the postseason?

Or will this team end up squandering the momentum they have engineered since Peter Luccin took over as interim head coach and miss out on the playoffs?

That last Leagues Cup game, being at home, was a disappointment.

I enjoy the take of my fellow media people, and I agree that rest is sorely needed. Meanwhile, teams that are in contention for hardware continue to build squads with depth and plug away. What will it take for FC Dallas to build that kind of team?

Sure, injuries derail a lot of teams’ hopes.

But FC Dallas often falls into this category, year after year.

While the rest of Major League Soccer find ways to win and add significant pieces, FC Dallas hopes that a healthy roster will be the key to victory. But fans are rightly asking, what if it isn’t?

I know there is a bit of deceptiveness here. For instance, I play a lot of Football Manager. It’s addictive. It’s a time suck. And it makes it look easy from the outside to find quality players to plug into spots, often for a cheap price. Clearly, Major League Soccer isn’t so easy. FC Dallas simply can’t “scout” a quality guy and sign him on a free transfer. Working the market is much harder than what we fans see.

And yet, this team sorely needs to upgrade its quality. Is it a matter of math? Is it a matter of a scouting team? Is it a matter of confidence?

I get fans wishing for more. Will FC Dallas make some moves before the transfer window slams shut?

Has Peter Luccin Done Enough?

The other big question lurking in Frisco is how Dan Hunt is viewing Peter Luccin’s leadership since taking over as interim head coach.

On the surface, Luccin has done a bang-up job. He’s got the squad to play with an intensity and “verticality” that they lacked under Nico Estevez. They are within a shout of the playoff line. That’s something to build upon after a dismal start to the season.

But they have continued to struggle on the road, especially in the Leagues Cup.

And some of the home results have been shaky.

Again, injuries have played a huge part in Luccin’s choices so far. A ton of young players have featured, which I love, but young players are often uneven in their performances as they adapt and grow. That has perhaps dampened some of the results as of late. Can Luccin get more out of those guys as the season progresses?

Luccin’s job future will hinge on the final stretch of the season. If they can make the playoffs, Peter gets the permanent job without a doubt. In so many ways, he is a high profile candidate with a quality pedigree. He knows the FC Dallas culture. He is a players’ coach. He can connect with the team with plenty of other organizations in Europe by reputation alone.

But if they miss out on the playoffs, which is likely, the question becomes more difficult. Maybe the trend is still positive overall so Dan Hunt feels fine to give him more time and a year in charge. But it might be helpful to cast a wide net, especially with candidates like Gregg Berhalter out there who could bring some experience to building a competent MLS side.

I simply do not know the answer to the question, but the good thing is that Luccin has the time to show why he is right for the position long term.

What are your thoughts on Luccin earning the head coaching job going forward?