FRISCO - Lotsss of questions rolling in this week after FC Dallas’ second loss of the season. Everyone wants to know what exactly happened in New York. Let’s dive right in:
“Does this spell the end of the 3-5-2 for FCD? Why hasn’t it worked outside of preseason?” - Nathan Hill
I don’t think this puts to bed the 3-5-2 for Dallas. It obviously didn’t work out on Saturday, but for a variety of reasons. First, why the formation hasn’t been used to this point to start a match is because the communication between the three at the back and the wing backs on either side is so crucial. It’s such a fluid rotation at the back half that everyone has to know not only their responsibilities, but everyone else’s around them to fill in the gaps. It’s why the team worked on it in preseason against lower-level opponents and hasn’t broken it out until this point in MLS play - though they have continued to work on it throughout the season in training.
Secondly, the team didn’t really have time to grow into their new look. An early goal against put them in an early hole and then red card changed the game altogether. Kellyn Acosta came off in favor of another attacking option playing up a man and that was it for the 3-5-2 after 27 or so minutes.
It’s a work in progress, but I do think we’ll see it again at some point, hopefully with better circumstances.
“The Nedyalkov move came out of nowhere, any details that you can share? Why was Kellyn subbed so early?” - Joel Morrow
First, the easier question to answer here is your second one on Kellyn. Oscar said after the game it was a complete tactical decision and not one based on injury or otherwise. He simply wanted to add another attacking option playing with an advantage.
On Nedyalkov, this one was kind of the perfect storm in the information age of social media. There aren’t a ton of American eyes on the Bulgarian first division so any potential reports out of Eastern Europe pertaining to the defender might’ve gone unnoticed here locally. That’s one aspect. The bigger one, though, is that Nedyalkov has been rehabbing from his broken collarbone and hasn’t been training with the team in the last few weeks. So, when he left for Bulgaria for his physical with the new club and all that entails, it went unnoticed because it wasn’t unusual to not see him out there. Therefore, it came as a blindside to nearly everyone because the only report ahead of time came when Ludogorets announced his signing at about 4AM. By the time we at the club went out with the news four hours later, almost no one had seen it.
“Do you think Oscar will run with either Hollingshead or Figueroa at LB? Or is that position still a platoon until further notice?” - Christian Bussler
First, this weekend I think it’s in all likelihood going to be Hollingshead at left back because Figueroa will be likely pulled into the middle with Reto Ziegler suspended for the upcoming match. Going forward, though, I think it will continue to be all about the particular game plan, just like we see further up the field. Hollingshead provides the attacking threat going forward, so for instance, at home when you’re playing a more offensively-focused look, I think it’ll be Hollingshead. On the road, though, it depends. We saw in KC it was Figueroa because there was a heavy contingent sitting deeper in the field, not exactly playing into Hollingshead’s attacking ability with someone slightly further up the field in the midfield. At this point, it’s all about what Pareja is seeing in training.
