Monday Blues: Things Are Not Working for FC Dallas

While North Texas got some big away points against a rival, FC Dallas struggled again at home, losing to the lowly Seattle Sounders.

Can I admit to something about being a sports podcaster and blogger?

Sometimes, it’s not fun to write about the team you cover.

I’m not talking about the weekly grind or late night hours or whatever.

But rather, I’m talking about when you watch your team lay an egg for 90 minutes and then try to come up with something to say, something positive or something more intelligent than “they stunk”.

But, hey, FC Dallas stunk on Saturday evening at home against visiting Seattle Sounders.

For those of us who have sat through some of these home matches, the performance on Saturday was similar to what we saw against Chicago and Vancouver. Head coach Eric Quill adopted his diamond formation from the outset, but despite several attacking runs that brought them into the final third, the final pass eluded them time and time again. Lucho Acosta, in particular, was ineffective against their Pacific Northwest foe. Seattle’s veteran defense and their persistent press suffocated the home team’s game plan.

FC Dallas’ midfield were all over the place, and an early yellow card given to Kaick blocked the young phenom from getting into any rhythm. It was another question mark of a performance, especially as the squad missed Sebastian Lletget’s presence.

The few positives from the match against Seattle - our defense didn’t outright collapse. Osaze remains a bright spot, and Nolan Norris offered a strong shift at left back. But all Seattle needed was one fortunate bounce to find a go ahead goal.

And frankly, I thought Pedrinho and Logan Farrington brought much needed offensive energy off the bench that should give them another look soon.

Recall that Quill promised fans after their first home loss that these results wouldn’t happen again. Yet, here we are.

In truth, fans should temper their expectations the rest of the way. Yes, this roster has talent, but Quill and company have a lot of work to do with this rebuilt team. If anything, especially if some of the pieces do not fit on how the team wants to play, that work needs to continue and urgently.

I’m not saying that FC Dallas is going to lose more games than they win the rest of the way, but this is going to be a rebuilding year, whether we like it or not. The bright moments, including the road results, have obscured that there remain pesky issues that Quill has got to begin to figure out, even if it means benching a few guys and trusting a process.

The other disappointing side of this match is that Petar Musa went of with an injury, an ankle sprain that is hopefully going to keep him out for a week or two. We’ll have to wait and see, but his loss further adds to the problems facing this team.

Also, hey, anyone know a backup left back available for cheap? Do we miss Sam Junqua yet?

If you want some good news, North Texas Soccer Club traveled down to Austin and found some big road points. A late stunner from young academy product Ian Charles drew North Texas level, and they carried that momentum into the ensuing penalty kick shootout. Antonio Carrera came up big with some stops that will boost his confidence.

The end result felt right. While Austin FC II led throughout, North Texas fought their way back and stayed in it. I love that for this young side. John Gall’s substitute choices are working, largely because he is getting these players motivated however they enter the game.

All in all, this was a weekend that offered a very mixed bag for Dallas fans. Good for North Texas and the project there. But not great for where this senior team is at the moment.

And with three games on the road ahead, it’s going to be tough to find room in a packed schedule to diagnosis and solve some of these issues.

We’ll talk more about it tonight on the podcast at 8 PM CST.