Rollercoaster Weekend for FC Dallas and North Texas Offers Some Answers
North Texas played a marvelous match to claim the MLS Next Pro Invitational championship while FC Dallas collapsed en route to yet another home loss. What do we take away from the rollercoaster ride?
I’ve been pondering all that unfolded between Friday and Saturday for the FC Dallas organization at large, and truly, I wanted to be a little more circumspect in my words. Among two matches in 48 hours at Toyota Stadium, we have seen the worst of what the FC Dallas organization represents and also the absolutely best. Move over, Six Flags Over Texas - this was a rollercoaster.
Are there positives to take away as a fan in the long-term trajectory of this organization from what we witnessed? Yes.
Are there reasons to be pessimistic that this organization is aligned in the right ways to achieve its immediate goals? Yes, too.
Let’s start with Friday night.
Breaking News: FC Dallas Still Can’t Win at Home
I think our buddy Jose on the pod made this point a few weeks ago - had FC Dallas maintained a decent home form, this team would be more than good enough, coupled with its away points, to be in the thick of things playoff-wise. But, in one of the strangest twists of this season, Dallas has been awful at home. And for those who have watched the post-game press conferences, first year head coach Eric Quill hasn’t had many answers.
That rang true on Friday night as Dallas coughed up a 3-2 lead at the half to lose 4-3 to New York City FC in front of disappointed fans.
The game did not start well for FC Dallas.
Logan Farrington, in a theme that applies to the whole team, switched off or was just plain beaten on a bog basic corner kick to give NYCFC the opening goal.
But Dallas responded with Petar Musa slashing in an amazing goal and Logan Farrington earning a huge brace to give the home side an edge going into halftime.
As a head coach, this is what you want in a high-scoring game. Go into the locker room, look at what has unfolded, and make some adjustments defensively to shut out your opponent the rest of the way. It’s doable. It’s the basic thing that so many coaches and players know how to do in the game of soccer to grind out results.
But FC Dallas proceeded to come out at halftime as if the game was done. No urgency. No communication. No cohesion. NYCFC tied the game up with such ease, and then found a go-ahead goal as they tormented FC Dallas’ center back pairing time and time again. Not that the blame all rested on Ibeagha and Abubakar.
Quill brought Josh Torquato off, who didn’t have the best game in Dallas’ colors in his young career, for new signing Christian Cappis, who simply struggled to make an impact. That substitute set the tone for how NYCFC would boss the second half. Wouldn’t Marco Farfan at least have brought some different kind of energy and a commitment defensively?
The worst substitute was turning to Lucho Acosta, the recently benched Designated Player and former league MVP, who brought turnovers, fouls, and listless play once again to home fans. As much hype as the Frisco crowd anticipated having a legit No. 10 once again, not seen since Mauro Diaz or David Ferreira, Lucho has simply been a poor fit, to put it kindly. He is no longer a threat to defenders. He acts and looks like a player who doesn’t want to be in Dallas. Why bring him into the match at all?
(There are also reports that Lucho is trading insults with home fans after matches, a sign of a rapidly unraveling situation.)
After a 4-point week and a rare home win, fans hoped that the tables had turned, that Dallas would find a way to get at least a point at home. That was not to be.
The transfer window is open, and new faces are already joining this roster. Haitian winger Deedson is an offensive presence who could be useful. However, the offense hasn’t been the issue. Petar Musa is in hot form, and Logan Farrington is a starter in this 5-3-2 formation. The defense remains the Achilles heel of this team, especially with Osaze Urhoghide still making his way back to full fitness.
How will the front office address or develop the player who can step in now and help this team try to save this season?
Why is Quill so trusting of Ibeagha and Abubakar when they have only made mistakes and shown little leadership?
Why is there no leadership on this roster at crucial moments?
Where are the reinforcements to boost a back line that needs help?
Quill has sounded like a broken record in his post-game comments, and that is not a good sign for a coach who is trying to make his case for why he is a long-term answer for FC Dallas. Meanwhile, Nico Estevez, who seemed to wear out his welcome in Frisco, has Austin FC in the thick of things. This is not a good look for the organization.
The other knock against Quill is that he keeps putting his aging central defenders in positions where they are prone to fail. Ibeagha and Abubakar are not fast or agile enough to do what Quill wants. It’s one thing to make a mistake once - but to do it again and again?
North Texas Is The Way
On the opposite spectrum, North Texas Soccer Club is the bright spot in the FC Dallas organization, earning yet another piece of hardware to add to a growing collection for the young side. Welcoming C.D. Tapatio to Frisco, head coach John Gall had the luxury of several first-team players to add to his side ahead of this matchup. Pedrinho, Nolan Norris, Sam Sarver, Tarik Scott, Alvaro Augusto, Tsiki Ntsabeleng, and Michael Collodi all grabbed some valuable minutes in this one.
Pedrinho continued his strong form with the first team, grabbing two goals to put his side up. Tarik Scott added another to seal the victory, 3-1 in the MLS NEXT Pro Invitational. Tsiki earned himself two assists, a nice boost of confidence for a midfielder who hasn’t been given a ton of opportunity this season.
Overall, it was a complete performance, even with some rotation.
John Gall, after the game, acknowledged what this kind of win says about the development process at North Texas. Yes, the FC Dallas academy may not be as strong as it once was, producing a golden generation with the likes of Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, and Ricardo Pepi, but they remain a force, a pipeline to find and develop talent from home and abroad. That was on display yet again, going up against some of the best young Mexican talent.
And it offers a solution to the senior team as they turn to veterans who are putting up poor performances. Why not turn to the youngsters? Why not put in a system that helps young guys gain confidence and grow, especially when senior players falter?
North Texas is the bright spot once again, just like last season, for fans of the FC Dallas organization. If that helps the team in the coming years, then maybe it will be good. But for now, they offer a perplexing mirror as the senior team struggles.