Open Cup: FC Dallas Get the Job Done
FC Dallas cruised at home against AV Alta, 3-1, to advance in the Open Cup. We highlight a couple of key stories out of this one.
(Credit to the FC Dallas media team for the cover image.)
Against a lighter than usual crowd, FC Dallas welcomed AV Alta, the USL League One side, to town on Wednesday night as they opened play in the US Open Cup.
Within the first ten minutes, FC Dallas opened the scoring too, with Shaq Moore serving up a delicious cross that fed a waiting Lucho Acosta.
But despite the final score, AV Alta managed to get their foot in the game and proved no slouch against a somewhat rotated Dallas side, scoring a long range golazo that beat keeper Michael Collodi to draw things level. Then, FC Dallas made adjustments and took control over the course of the game with Kaick blasting him his first goal in Frisco and Bernard Kamungo adding his first tally of the year. When the final whistle blew, AV Alta had been run ragged.
Ultimately, FC Dallas needed this confidence boost after a dismal showing in San Diego the previous weekend. That they got to rest a few key players is just an added bonus.
They will travel to the East Coast to take on the New York Red Bulls in what will be a tough match on March 21.
What did we like the most out of the result?
Eric Quill’s mentality is that of a winner.
Yes, Quill is still new at this level as a head coach, and he is learning on the job with a group of players that he is still getting to know. It’s clear there is a learning curve. He’s show some very promising leadership to get a strong away run out of the group, while some of the home form has simply not been good enough. Quill wouldn’t argue with that at all, but he is setting a standard for what he wants from his group.
“It’s five finals. Five finals ahead of them, four now and they've got to play everyone like it’s a final, like this (tonight). It's not like league play where you get to make mistakes and you’ve got a game the next week. You get punished in this format. If you lose, you're out, right?” Quill told media after the match. “So you have to heighten the concentration, mentality, and effort. All that's got to be there and you can't take plays off. That’s the tournament format and I love this format because of that nature, because of the pressure. They’ve got four finals left, that's how I describe it.”
Bernard Kamungo got back on the scoresheet.
It’s been a tough run as of late for Bernard Kamungo, a player who once lived in a refugee camp and has carved an unusual and exciting path to first tier soccer. For a stretch during his emergence, he looked to be one of the exciting young talents of Major League Soccer, a surefire starter for this team, but then 2024 happened. We didn’t see the Kamungo that blasted onto the scene. Maybe it’s just a sophomore slump - maybe there have been some nagging injuries. Maybe teams are adjusting to him. Whatever it has been, the team has missed what he can bring.
For him to get on the score sheet, even against a lower tier opponent, hopefully it gets some confidence back in him so he can make a difference on Saturday, even off of the bench.
Frankly, the whole team needs that fresh boost of confidence as they prepare to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday.