Nashville SC notched the club’s first MLS win in the first-ever meeting between FC Dallas and the Tennesse side in a low scoring affair in Frisco on Wednesday night.
FC Dallas was returning to MLS action for its first match in 158 days. The match drew heavy controversy as it is the first match in the United States to allow fans in attendance since the US Women’s National Team beat Japan in the same stadium on March 11th.
Two former FC Dallas players, Dax McCarty, Walker Zimmerman (edit: oops), and Dominic Badji, were in the lineup for Nashville. For the home side, Franco Jara made his FC Dallas debut atop a new 3-5-2 formation.
“The foundation was there,” Coach Luchi Gonzalez said of the formation after the game. “We need to generate more high-quality chances.”
“I take full responsibility for the tactical change,” Gonzalez continued “It did not pay off and I’m sorry, but it is a change I would do again”
The first half ended scoreless, as the Dallas attack seemed to still be working through the growing pains of a new formation. Nashville’s best chance came when Hany Mouktar dribbled past Bressan and Ryan Hollingshead before forcing Jimmy Maurer to tip it over the bar.
On the other end, Hollingshead nutmegged Brayan Beckeles and fired on target from a tight angle. The debutant Jara received a pass from a Jesus Ferreira interception but sent his curler straight to the chest of Joe Willis.
The second half was not much better for the home side, as David Accam blew past Bressan for the lone goal of the game in the 85th minute. Former FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty with the killer pass to spring Accam.
Prior to this both Bryan Acosta and Tanner Tessmann scored field goals with efforts from outside the box. FCD Fans had something to cheer for when Zdenek Ondrasek entered the game as a substitute but that high was short-lived.
After the game, Head Coach Luchi Gonzalez commented that the match was “very disappointing” and the “lows were too low.”
“We felt as if we controlled the game and created enough chances,” Gonzalez lamented. “[We] probably could have kept the same system and drawn the game out but we wanted to score”
Overall, Ferreira seemed lost in his role, the midfield did little to create, and the FC Dallas attack could not challenge Joe Willis in net. The attack seemed frustrated as service was slim.
FC Dallas will take on Nashville SC once again in 4 days.
Performance Ratings:
- Maurer – 5/10 one good save and a hand full of catches.
- Ziegler – 6/10 a few good chances created from set pieces.
- Bressan – 3/10 poor passing and poor defensively.
- Hedges – 6/10 contributed to forward distribution well.
- Hollingshead – 4/10 after his early chance he felt disconnected.
- Cannon – 7/10 ran the channels as a wing back well.
- Acosta – 5/10 good defensively, bad offensively, what’s new.
- Santos – 7/10 connected defense to offense and shielded well.
- Ferreira – 5/10 felt lost on the pitch most of the time but created a few promising chances.
- Barrios – 5/10 could not find the ball and push forward for most of the match.
- Jara – 5/10 not the worst debut but never challenged the keeper.
I know you are pushed for time at the end of the match to get the article out and don’t have time to fact check every little thing. Nashville has 3 (three) former FCD players Dax McCarty, Walker Zimmerman, and Dominique Badji.
Youre right, totally blanked on mentioning him even after his game saving tackle.
you forgot one…….Luchi 2/10
Pax on bench (was he injured?), starting Ferreira, subing in Pepi, taking Zeg out late leaving Acosta taking FK’s and moving Bresson to CB? LG played this game like it was a practice game and in doing so lost to a expansion team at home. You were very generous with the 5’s. Sunday will be telling if this team is anything but a mid-level first round out.
There we’re some rumors that Pax was injured and the way he played so withdrawn on the left it wouldn’t surprise me.
Not understanding your comment about first match to allow fans. USL has been allowing fans in all season (OKC as an example). USL is a professional league just like MLS!
Keep up the great work.
Youre right. Meant to clarify that it is the first top flight match (IE MLS, MLB, NHL, NBA, NFL) to allow fans.
This was a disgraceful performance on so many levels; the team was flat and disinterested after having been off for so many months. A lot of back passing and standing around. Instead of using the time off to improve like Pulisic did it appears the young players instead took a vacation and as a result took a big step backward.