FRISCO - Nine points in nine days for FC Dallas. It doesn’t get much better than that. As the team heads into U.S. Open Cup action this week in San Antonio, let’s take a look at some takeaways from Dallas’ 2-1 win over LAFC.
Flexibility in Formation
Perhaps the most interesting development in FC Dallas’ 2018 edition is the ability to play not only a variety of formations, but Oscar Pareja’s ability to asses the individual needs of every match and even moments within matches.
For instance, on Saturday Dallas came out in a 4-3-3 look that we’ve come to know more over the last two weeks. Mauro Diaz, just three days after playing in an advanced role in the same formation started deeper in the midfield. After just a few minutes, it was obvious though that an alteration had to be made. Diaz moved back higher, Santiago Mosquera flipped over to the right and Roland Lamah dropped into the midfield to assist there, where LAFC was taking control early.
“They came out with a lot of people in the middle,” Pareja said. “We tried to match that with a variation and it did not work. When we moved Mauro [Diaz] to the left as a false winger and moved Roland Lamah into the middle, I think we settled then.”
Once more, we’re seeing Pareja be quick to make a change when it needs to be done - something he’s not been so quick on the trigger of in seasons past. In the 66th minute, just after the visitors made a double switch, Pareja did one of his own bringing on Michael Barrios and Victor Ulloa for Mosquera and Lamah. Dallas wasn’t packing more numbers at the back which can sometimes cause confusion, but rather doubling down on their same formation with fresh legs playing the same role.
"They came out sharp,” the head coach said of his subs. “They understand positioning and what the game needed at the moment. Victor and Jacori gave us some extra muscles in there, freshness, and we could keep them up, higher in the field. LAFC was making us drop too much. We sensed at that point that any action around the box was going to be dangerous.”
Opponents truly have no clue what formation or personnel FCD will throw out to start a match or how it will alter within a match and it’s a tactical advantage that Pareja has build with this roster.
Two-Way Fullbacks
We’ve touched on the development of Reggie Cannon several times through the first third of the season, and the Homegrown continues to be one of the best players on the field week after week. He quietly shuts down the left side of opponents’ attacks and did just that against Diego Rossi on Saturday. LAFC’s second leading scorer managed just 25 pass attempts at a 66 percent accuracy.
Pareja couldn’t give much higher praise of the 19-year-old than he did after the match.
“The national team in America has a young player that is asking for an opportunity,” he said. “I am pleased to see him grow that fast. He shows a lot of maturity. I’m very pleased to see that this country has a right back that can take off.”
On the other side of the field, though, Ryan Hollingshead has earned himself a starting role for the next few weeks with his first two starts of the year. After a goal and an assist against the Galaxy Wednesday, he followed it up with another assist on Saturday and serves as a compliment to the work Cannon is doing on the right side. Just look at the advanced role the two play with their passes from the LAFC match.
None of this is possible without the shutdown work of Matt Hedges and Reto Ziegler in the middle, but this new-look back line in the absence of Anton Nedyalkov seems to be settling into their roles.
Set Piece Relief
It doesn’t have to be pretty, but sometimes getting the first one out of the way gets the proverbial monkey off the back. That’s what Dallas is hoping takes shape after their first goal of the season on a set piece.
Mauro Diaz found a wide-open Reggie Cannon at the top corner of the penalty area in the 25th minute, a play the club had been working on in the lead up to Saturday. Cannon took a shot towards goal, but it quickly redirected right to the head of Reto Ziegler, who scored his first MLS tally.
In their 13th game of the season, the first one is out of the way and that’s hopefully a positive for a club that is in the top third in MLS for corners taken this season. Dallas also has created a fifth-worst 14 chances from set plays this year, a point that the coaching staff has been emphasizing in recent weeks. Let’s see if the success can roll forward into the summer.
