FRISCO - As FC Dallas gets set to return home against the LA Galaxy on Saturday afternoon, the offense is getting a lot of attention in this week’s Mailbag. Let’s dive right in:
“Are we practicing any set pieces or corner kicks?” - Shelby Walston
Yes, it’s been a rough go for FC Dallas offensively in the set piece department. FCD is has taken the third most corner kicks in MLS this season with 56. It’s an issue that dates back to even last season when Mauro Diaz missed time recovering from his Achilles’ tear.
Before his injury, Diaz was the no-brainer, go-to guy for Dallas standing over the ball.
In 2017, the club scored just five set piece goals in MLS play. They didn’t see their first of the year until the eighth match of the year. This weekend against LA will be the ninth match of 2018.
The issue lies that in his absence or since his return, FCD hasn’t been able to get the same delivery on a consistent basis. Part of it is because Diaz has never quite found that same touch yet - still only a year from returning to the field and to be expected with the precision needed in that role. Some of the inconsistency stems from the fact that it’s been a taker-by-committee since, either with Mauro on the field or without. This season alone, we’ve seen Diaz, Michael Barrios, Santiago Mosquera and Reto Ziegler, just to name a few. Each has success at times and struggles at others. And with each different free kick taker, there’s a different delivery on the ball.
“Yeah everybody has a different delivery. Some guys it’s more straight, some guys it’s more bent,” Matt Hedges told The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Arnold last week on the subject. “You know, we work on it in training all the time so we know what to expect from each individual guy. You just have to change your run a little bit depending on who’s out there taking the free kick.”
Until Dallas can find that go-to guy for every one, they’re not the same constant threat on set pieces that they’ve historically been. Instead, we’re seeing flashes of brilliance - like in preseason when Diaz appeared to be back to full strength standing over the ball.
“What does Dallas need to do to start scoring consistently?” - Giovanni Salazar
Simply put: keep shooting but with more high-quality looks. Dallas is still hovering under the 10 percent shots to goals conversion mark but has ticked slightly upwards in recent weeks. Some of the lineup shuffling is, in part, to find that best look and keep finding what is ultimately works best from an attacking face. But the thing to remember is this is a defense-first team, especially when they’re on the road. It’s hard to get a true sample size over the last two matches, but there is some hope in how the goals and chances are coming recently.
The next step is getting the confidence up front in finishing those looks. Maxi Urruti’s goal on Saturday in LA was one that wouldn’t happen without an uptick in confidence over the last two weeks since starting the Philadelphia game on the bench. That’s the kind of reaction the constant competition for minutes can bring and what Oscar Pareja hopes will continue going forward.
