Three questions following FC Dallas’ home loss to Vancouver – Dallas Sports Nation

It wasn’t an evening to recollect as FC Dallas returned to play from the worldwide break, shedding 2-0 to the Whitecaps. As FCD gears up for an enormous journey down I-35 to Austin subsequent weekend, let’s have a look at three questions the group must reply in the event that they wish to bounce again in opposition to their Copa Tejas rivals.

1) Who will get the beginning in just a few key positions?

The group as an entire was not anyplace close to their greatest on Saturday in opposition to the Whitecaps, however there have been just a few positions that appeared to stay out greater than others by way of spots which will see some rotation for the journey to Austin.

When it comes to who appears to be a lock within the lineup, I believe it’s protected to say that Maarten Paes, Matt Hedges (assuming he’s again from his final minute damage), Marco Farfan, Paxton Pomykal, Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira are locks to begin in Austin. That leaves the opposite middle again spot, proper again, the opposite 8 spot and left wing as positions I see as open. I think that Alan Velasco, although he performed poorly in opposition to Vancouver, will preserve his spot on left wing and Brandon Servania, though he was taken off at halftime, will preserve his spot reverse Pomykal on the 8. That leaves the beginning middle again reverse Matt Hedges, the defensive midfield spot and proper again to be contested.

Ema Twumasi didn’t have a very poor recreation at proper again however he additionally has not likely accomplished sufficient, both in opposition to Vancouver or in another latest video games, to definitively make that spot his personal. This can be an opportunity for Nanu to stake his declare for the correct again spot if Nico and his employees assume that the group must a change there. Moreover, Jose Martinez needed to come off in opposition to Vancouver with an damage (it didn’t look extreme however it may be exhausting to inform) and didn’t precisely have a stellar efficiency in addition. If Hedges is wholesome, he’s mainly a lock at one of many spots however the spot subsequent to him is a bit up within the air between Martinez and Nkosi Tafari. Lastly, Facundo Quignon had what was in all probability his worst efficiency of the season on Saturday, contributing to each targets conceded. Edwin Cerrillo was a second half sub for him and, together with his expertise beginning the Austin recreation final yr, could also be referred to as upon to make a uncommon begin away from residence. A few of these selections could also be knowledgeable by what we talk about with query quantity 3 right here, so extra on that in a bit, however I believe there are actually some lineup inquiries to ask right here.

2) How do you get the very best out of Alan Velasco?

The younger DP winger has been a scorching matter amongst FC Dallas circles since becoming a member of within the winter. Pleasure across the file breaking switch reached a peak when he scored an electrical objective on his debut however, since then, issues have gotten a bit dicey and up and down, with Velasco’s performances not assembly that commonplace and questions arising about how homesick he is likely to be as a 19 yr outdated in a model new nation away from his family and friends. The hope across the fanbase was that the worldwide break can be an incredible alternative for Velasco to get residence for a bit, spend some high quality time with family and friends and recharge and re-energize for the season. Which will but be the case, however these indicators weren’t there on Saturday in opposition to Vancouver. To be blunt, Velasco had a foul recreation. He was downright terrible within the first half, often conceding possession in poor areas earlier than not leaping within the wall (why was he even within the wall?) on Deiber Caicedo’s free kick objective earlier than half time. Velasco was higher within the second half however was nonetheless unable to actually get into the sport and create any massive probabilities.

So far, Velasco has had a really free position offensively. He’s nominally a left or proper winger however operates virtually as a free roaming 10, free to drop deep to select up the ball and function nearly anyplace alongside the ahead line, generally coming in centrally. With the soccer IQ of Paxton Pomykal on the sector, this has not brought about defensive points, but it surely does beg the query of whether or not or not FCD is getting probably the most out of the gamers on the sector when Pomykal is often compelled huge by Velasco’s roaming. Pomykal is a fantastic participant on the wing however his strongest qualities are actually in the course of the park. I’ll have an interest to see if Estevez and his employees attempt to rein Velasco in a bit and get him extra in a typical wing place. I believe it could be a mistake to completely restrain him to at least one facet or the opposite, but it surely virtually looks like he has a little bit bit an excessive amount of freedom to roam when FCD has the ball.

3) How do you strategy Austin tactically?

This can be a fascinating query to me as Austin and FCD strike up two very comparable poses on the sector. Each Nico Estevez and Josh Wolff have hung out as assistants to Gregg Berhalter, with the 2 really engaged on the identical teaching employees when Berhalter was the supervisor in Columbus. Each groups usually line up in a 4-3-3 with a single pivot and look to own the ball greater than their opponents and use the ball and ball motion to disorganize the opposition and create objective scoring alternatives.

With that in thoughts, and with this recreation at Austin’s residence stadium, it appears possible that Austin will look to have extra of the ball, setting FCD as much as play in an analogous means as they did in final season’s lone journey to Austin, taking part in in opposition to the ball and seeking to shortly counter after they have the chance. Establishing that means final season noticed FCD rip via the Austin protection who merely couldn’t sustain with the likes of Jesus Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi and Jader Obrian.

However Austin, like Dallas, are a a lot improved group in 2022 and are conceding far much less of those sorts of transition targets that plagued them all through 2021. Dallas has additionally not constantly been a group that wishes to play on the counter solely on the highway. Towards Orlando earlier than the worldwide break, possession was just about even and within the prior away recreation in Vancouver, FCD outpossessed the Whitecaps 57-43. It will not shock me in any respect to see each groups attempt to play their possession video games and this recreation finish in a stalemate possession clever.

The lineup deployed by the FCD employees will probably be telling right here. If FCD, for instance, elects to begin the pacey Jader Obrian over Alan Velasco, that might be a serious indication of a plan to sit down a bit deeper to attempt to hit on the counter. But when they roll out a really comparable lineup to the group that performed Vancouver on Saturday, we aren’t more likely to see a major departure from the “commonplace” setup. Search for how every group units up their strains on Saturday, it must be a enjoyable matchup.

How do you assume Nico Estevez and his group will attempt to reply these questions forward of the sport in opposition to Austin? What different questions do you assume the group must reply at this level within the season? Let me know within the feedback beneath!

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