“I feel like this is probably the best performance I’ve seen this year, from beginning to end on both sides of the ball.”
FC Dallas Head Coach Eriz Quill
With the win, FC Dallas climbed to 11th with 34 points, which is a positive step. They still need, probably, 42 points with 5 games to play. That’s 8 points in 5 games, so 3 wins or so.
FCD hasn’t lost since July (2-0-3), which is when Coach Quill stopped playing Lucho Acosta (last game the 7/25 vs NYCFC, the last loss).
Keep in the back of your mind, Austin has a US Open Cup semi-final on Wednesday and a path to a trophy. So they might have been distracted, and it likely affected personnel.
With the win, Dallas improves to a 6-0-1 record at Toyota Stadium when facing Austin FC
Lineups and Tactics
Coach Eric Quill stuck with the 3-4-1-2 (as the team has been calling it). After a week off, FCD socials found their game and nailed it.
Smart to get Sebastien Ibsagha back in his more comfortable RCB position. That worked well, and putting Shaq Moore at LCB freed up Bernie Kaumungo (more on that later).
Quill went deep into the game without subbing, bringing on Lalas Abubakar and Anderson Julio in the 76th minute for Kaick and Logan Farrington. Moore flipped back to RWB, Ramiro moved centrally, and Abubakar took up LCB.
91st minute, Sebastian Letget and Pedrinho came in for Ramiro and Patrickson Delgado.
97th minute, Nolan Norris, back from the US U20 team, replaced Petar Musa. Norris promptly got a yellow card.
Austin FC socials don’t do a shape, so we go to MLS for an image.
63rd minute, Coach Nico Estevez went with a triple sub: Besard Sabovic, Robert Taylor, and Myrto Uzuni for Nicolas Dubersarsky, Diego Rubio, and Osman Bukari.
72nd minute, CJ Fodrey and Zan Kolmanic came on for Guiherme Biro and Owen Wolff.
Goals
1-0 FC Dallas goal. 2nd minute. What a pass by Logan Farrington and what a finish by Petar Musa.
2-0 FC Dallas goal. 49th minute. Bernie Kamungo on a counterattack. He calmly brings it down (sometimes an issue for him) and finishes. Nice lead pass by Patrickson Delgado.
“It is just about belief and smelling the danger. I trust Patrickson [Delgado] and our goalie Jacob [Jackson] would play the ball either to me or Patrickson and Jacob found a way to find Patrickson who has good quality to just find passes. Thankfully, he was able to find me.”
Bernard Kamungo
Lo Bueno
Petar Musa was my FC Dallas Man of the Match. Musa had a great game; the early goal changed the FCD mindset, allowing them to clamp down in the back in their 5-4-1. 2 shots on target for a 0.7 xG. 4 shot creating actions, 3 progressive passes, and 2 progressive carries. With the goal, he broke the FCD record for goals in back-to-back seasons (31). This was also Musa’s 50th career start for FCD.
Logan Farrington has been playing great soccer over the last month, month and a half. He deserved to get the starting spot back and probably keep it for now. Anderson Julion doesn’t work as well in the 3-5-2 version of the shape. It’s not just his solo attacking (5 shots) but his combination play; 92% passing, 5 shot-creating actions, 1 assist, 5 progressive passes, 0.5 xA, 1/1 on take-ons. He’s effectively become FCD’s playmaker.
Bernard Kamungo had his best game of the year. As I said in my 3 Things, the shift to put Ibeagha right and Moore left allowed Kamungo to release (and the defense to slide), which led to Berni’s 7 progressive carries and a goal. Throw in 3 progressive passes and 1/1 on take-ons. 1 block, 2 intercepts, 2 clears, 4 recoveries… Still needs to clean up some miscontrols (4), but FCD can live with that for now.
“When I originally made the decision to start playing Bernard at the wingback position, it was because of his profile, he could be an elite wing back. If he starts scoring goals, and starts having that finishing product to him in that position, now we’re talking about callups to the U.S. National team, especially with his defending. He looks like a top 10 player in the league.”
Coach Eric Quill
Christian Cappis continues to play terrific controlling soccer in midfield. 4 shot-creating actions, 10 progressive passes, 90% passing, 6 passes into the final third, and 5 into the box. 5 recoveries and 2 blocks. Complete 2-way player.
Terrific collective team defense by FCD, limiting Austin to just 12 shots (fbref) and just 3 on target. Austin really struggled, it seemed to me, to break down FCD in midfield and get to their back line. Putting Osaze Urhoghide back in the middle, stop overthinking it.
“I feel like this is probably the best performance I’ve seen this year, from beginning to end on both sides of the ball. We had some great goals, chance creations, defended crosses beautifully, and we showed commitment tonight. I thought every phase was really good. I couldn’t be more proud as a coach. If you’re looking sharp on all phases and you win the game, that’s all credit to the players.”
Coach Eric Quill
Camino del Medio
FCD was lopsided left in the build they did have. It’s not a big deal because of how direct they are, but there was very little play through Sebastien Ibeagha and Ramiro.
Muy Feo
I know it’s fall, school is in, and football season has begun. But the “buts in seats” looked like it was in the region of 60%-70%. That’s trending the wrong way. Here’s a screenshot from Musa’s early goal. Maybe it filled in some.
