Known for grinding out results, FC Dallas have been one of the toughest sides to overcome in MLS this season.
Gritty, disciplined, organized, and all on the same page collectively, Eric Quill has his squad playing a robust and effective brand of football, which has propelled them to third in the Western Conference standings.
Despite their disappointing 3–2 loss vs. Charlotte FC on the weekend – in which they led 2–0 with 20 minutes to play — taking on Los Toros still looms as a stern test for the Seattle Sounders, who will need to be at their best to extract maximum points on the road from a side that’s always up for the battle.
While they boast a squad full of diverse and interesting profiles, there’s no doubt Petar Musa is their star man, with the Croatian international establishing himself as one of the elite forwards in MLS.
Arguably the league's best No. 9 this year, the Dallas talisman sits second in the MLS scoring charts and has already broken the club's single-season goalscoring record, netting 19 goals in just 24 games. Seattle's backline will have its hands full trying to contain him.
Musa's instinctive movement to ensure he gets into quality locations to get his shots away, combined with his outstanding finishing inside the box, makes him a seriously challenging foe to nullify.
Standing 6'3", Musa uses his towering frame and excellent speed to great effect, offering Dallas a strong outlet in behind and in transition. His polished hold-up play also allows them to go direct and vary their attacks, with his aerial prowess helping them win second balls through nearby attacking midfielders.
"He’s a goalscorer. He’s always ready to make the right runs and ready in the box. He has a good shot and is good in the air. He’s also a very smart player, he knows when to come deep to help the team in the build-up and link-up play. He can hold the ball up if a team is pressing us man-to-man. He has all the attributes that fit how we want to play," explained former Dallas manager Nico Estevez.
Dallas have a handy supporting cast as well. In defense, the likes of Shaq Moore, Ran Binyamin, Bernard Kamungo, Osaze Urhoghide, Sebastian Ibeagha, and Herman Johansson, ahead of goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, have all been largely solid contributors. In midfield, names such as Kaick, Christian Cappis, and captain Ramiro provide steel, guile, structural stability, and balance, laying the foundation for the attackers in the form of Musa, Joaquín Valiente, Santiago Moreno, Logan Farrington, and Sam Sarver to cause problems in the final third.
With Quill bringing the nous, energy, solidity, and blend of profiles to set his team up in multiple ways, expect Dallas to line up in a base 3-4-2-1, even though he has used a back four at stages during the campaign.
Although Dallas rarely dominates possession, often finishing with less than 40% — they rank 29th in MLS for average possession with 42% — they are aggressive when the opportunity arises to attack. Quill's side looks to play forward quickly upon winning the ball, using Musa and their attackers as focal points to construct counters rather than simply launching hopeful long balls.
Though they’ve displayed they can exert greater control in some matches, especially at home, don’t anticipate a significant shift away from Dallas’ direct and vertical style when they take on the Sounders. Those tactics have powered them to the seventh most goals in MLS (1.65 per 90) despite averaging the fourth fewest shots (9.99 p90) and the sixth fewest touches inside the box (16.77 p90).
To further expand on their possession mechanics, they’ve illustrated they have many smart ideas to beat the press and progress in a coherent and astute way.
In build-up, they typically spread out to stretch the opposition's first line of pressure, with the wingbacks pushing on and the central midfield duo dropping to provide vital passing options. This helps open passing lanes and angles for progression while provoking the press to enable Dallas either to play through opponents or go long to bypass them and compete for second balls high up the pitch.
Courtesy of deploying a pair of No. 10s ahead of the central midfielders, Dallas frequently generates numerical and positional superiority in midfield. This allows them to shift opposition units, exploit their overloads to outfox the press, and manufacture an advantage to breathe life into their offense.
Watch for a host of rotations across the field too, just like in the example below, where Johansson, Kaick, and Valiente all interchange positions to pull apart the defense, gain separation, and destabilize LAFC's structure. These swaps make them difficult to handle, as they constantly alter reference points and prevent trackers from settling into a rhythm defensively.
The wingbacks provide an additional dimension to what is already a fluid attacking force, for they push high and wide to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically. This lets the 10s explore and get dangerous in interior pockets between the lines and in half spaces. Musa's ability to pin markers is also worthy of mention, as his presence creates room for colleagues and allows him to influence proceedings even when he's not directly involved.
Their smoothly executed counter movements are another asset, with the wingbacks, striker, 10s, and center midfielders dovetailing dynamically to unbalance opponents. In such instances, one player will drop short, which acts as the cue for a teammate to run in behind and attack the space vacated when a defender follows the dropping player.
Being so determined and disciplined in a mid or deep block, Dallas are content to drop back and absorb pressure. This makes them a formidable threat on the counter, where Musa acts as an expert backboard and outlet to initiate attacks, while receiving brilliant support from the fast-reacting wingbacks and offensive midfielders as they pour numbers forward. A daunting proposition in overloads or even-numbered situations against backpedalling, retreating defenses, this has become another key string for the team that ranks fourth for through balls in MLS (3.27 p90).
Known for being happy to cede possession and defend deeper for prolonged periods, they do this efficiently even though they've had some blowouts like the aforementioned Charlotte collapse, a crushing 5-0 defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps, and a 3-3 draw vs. St. Louis City SC.
Despite being a touch passive and susceptible to overloads in midfield, which Seattle will be keen to capitalize on, there's still been much to admire about the defensive efforts from a Dallas side who tops the league for interceptions (39.28 p90) and are third for aerial duels (29.10 p90).
Sticking to their trusted 5-4-1 or 5-2-3 animation, their aim when pressing is to deny access into central zones and encourage foes wide, where they can shuffle across and use the sideline as an extra defender. It's also important to note how they angle and curve their harrying to use cover shadows to block passing lanes infield to condense space for the ball recipient or holder.
Very sound at limiting supply lines and responding to triggers, Quill always ensures his Dallas side enter fixtures wholeheartedly prepared.
Another feature of their press is how the central defenders aggressively follow their opponents when they drop deep. Looking to get touch tight to stop them from turning, controlling cleanly, or laying the ball off to kickstart attacks, they've done this successfully to break up moves before they can develop.
Their assertive counterpressing has borne fruit as well from their centrally connected 3-4-2-1, for they've done a tidy job of regaining the ball as soon as they lose it, in order to attack again versus unset backlines.
If they fail to win the ball back, sometimes they can be exposed if their two central mids and wingbacks are caught high. But all things considered, the upside has outweighed the negatives.
Possessing plenty of aerial class and physicality when defending their box deep, adversaries regularly struggle to gain headway due to their awareness, compactness, and presence, meaning they're comfortable dealing with balls into the area.
Adaptable and versatile in their use of personnel, Dallas are also exceptionally well drilled in the finer details. Their attacking set pieces, along with their long and short throw-in routines, underline the quality work Quill and his staff are doing and highlights why they are such a fearsome opponent.
Definitely not a team to be taken lightly, the flat bill cap-wearing Quill deserves immense credit for getting the most out of his squad. His consistent messaging and clearly defined approach have forged a combative, well-organized outfit that persistently outworks and outfights any opponent. Seattle will have to be at the top of their game if they are to secure all three points in Texas.
All statistics sourced from Wyscout.
