FRISCO - The dust has settled on the weekend and at the end of it, Dallas earned their first point of August and showed some really encouraging signs in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Colorado. Here are three things we learned.
Offensive Flair
FCD put up 28 shots over the course of 90 minutes (really three hours, but 90 minutes of play) - the most they’ve produced in any match this season. The club’s 22 shots in the second half alone equaled their previous single-game high. Michael Barrios and Maxi Urruti led the way with seven and six shots, respectively, while Victor Ulloa had a resounding six chances created. Coupled with an 81 percent passing rate and nearly 54 percent possession rate, the Dallas attack is primed and ready for a high-scoring performance.
Defensive 180
After allowing seven goals in two matches, the FCD defense bounced back with their sixth shutout of 2017 and allowing the Rapids just five looks at goal, just one of which was on target. It’s a small sample size given Colorado’s conference-low 22 goals on the season, but a welcomed step in the right direction and a game Oscar Pareja called one of their best this season in that regard.
And of Course, Video Review
There is a whole lot of outspoken opinion on Dallas’ goal called back (full explanation on the call itself in the video below).
Yes, the frustration for calling a goal back for a foul 80 yards behind is warranted, but it’s exactly how PRO and MLS have designed their take on Video Review to be handled. The ‘Attacking phase of play’ will be the sometimes-indefinable, largely controversial aspect of the initiative going forward. There's a lot of question about why Alan Kelly didn't make the call right away, but sometimes what you might deem a 50-50 call you let play on in real-time becomes more clear on review. Video review, in fact, will lend referees to hold thier whistles in this instance, knowing they can go back and correct after the fact. If you stop the play on the spot, that's it (try to imagine a foul much closer to the box that is whistled and then clearly shown to not have been a foul, halting a goal scoring opportunity).
Like it or not, this is the new normal in MLS and it’s not changing at least for the rest of 2017. Both Atiba Harris and Mauro Diaz said after the match that it’s the new normal, and something they just have to get used to.
