FRISCO - While Saturday night ended in disappointment for FC Dallas, the team won’t have a lot of time to dwell on it.
Dallas faces a quick turnaround this week as part of a stretch in which the team plays three matches in nine days. The weekend defeat to San Jose was the first match of the stretch, with Thursday night’s trip to the Chicago Fire the second, followed by next weekend’s Texas Derby matchup with Houston at Toyota Stadium.
“This team has character. This team has a model of playing. This team has an idea of ‘we know what we are,” Oscar Pareja said. “So I don’t doubt about it.”
Pareja’s team stayed true to its model of generating chances against San Jose. Dallas held over 60 percent ball possession, attempted 16 shots and delivered 18 crosses during the match, but was unable to find a way past the San Jose back line. Pareja was still more than optimistic after the match.
“This group of players that I have, in moments like today, they just make me admire them more,” he said. “I see that they are looking for any way possible to get the result and I have such a great respect for that behavior.”
Match congestion isn’t new for Pareja and Dallas. Last season, Dallas played six games in 21 days from Sept. 10 to Oct. 1, losing just once, the team’s last loss in Frisco prior to Saturday.
A result of this match congestion is Pareja already having a plan in place for Chicago.
“Obviously we have a plan in mind and ready. We always want to see depending on the players that we can have available for the game,” he said.
With a 2-0-2 mark, Dallas is the last MLS team yet to be beaten away from home. In fact, Dallas is undefeated in its last eight MLS road regular season matches dating back to last August, something Pareja hopes to lean on this week.
“Normally, we’re strong away,” he said. “The boys have showed a lot of good things going away.”
