Breaking down FC Dallas defensive issues – again
Or, how we learned to love former FCD defender … Jose Martinez?
For the fourth consecutive match, FC Dallas allowed two goals. Also, FC Dallas lost its fourth consecutive match – and you wouldn’t need Pep Guardiola’s help to connect those two disconcerting dots.
As I said last week, teams that allow two goals a game will not make the MLS playoffs – even in a league where the playoff structure allows for soft landings.
Before we break down the individual goals, pointing out some of the recurrent flaws, please indulge a quick sidebar that I’m certain no one saw coming: it’s about learning to appreciate Jose Martinez. (Or, at least the brighter elements of the Spanish center backs’ game.)
Martinez arrived into Toyota Stadium in 2021. As with all players, his skill set included assets and liabilities. By 2023, I had spent three seasons pointing out both on TV and radio broadcasts, but found myself more frequently drawing circles around those liabilities by the middle of the ‘23 campaign.
There were two that stuck out: his inability to stay healthy and, more damaging in match moments, his inability to defend out in space. In other words, Martinez isolated in a 1-on-1 situation with an attacker dribbling toward him at speed was generally Martinez at his worst.
This is where it gets tricky. See, in analyzing soccer (as in life, I suppose) we can lose the balance of “appreciating what people do right” versus the laments of “what they do wrong.”
Martinez could do two or three things quite well, even as he rounded the corner last year into the age-milepost we all talk about in sports: players arriving into their 30s. He could still:
Pass reliably out of the back
Organize the back line
Defend the goal area on crosses
This is where we get back to this year, to those ongoing defensive woes that have led to one of FC Dallas’ worst starts to date, with just 3 of a possible 15 points earned so far. Yes, injuries are absolutely playing a part, as the team continues to miss 4-5 starters every match. But at some point, teams simply have to find ways to be harder to beat, and that starts with not conceding preventable goals.
And it just so happens that Dallas finds itself flawed in some of the very areas that Martinez excelled. (For the record, I was personally on board with FCD not renewing Martinez’s contract. He’s 31 now, was on a relatively high salary and, as mentioned, just couldn’t stay healthy enough to be a game-in, game-out starter.)
Some good — but not all good
It must be said that Dallas’ general defensive shape was improved, as was attention to important details. Nico Estévez kept things quite simple, defending out of a 4-4-2.
Mostly, what was improved was commitment to one of the most basic tenets of defending: getting numbers behind the ball with urgency. That helped patch one big hole for FCD defending this year, the ability to prevent goals in transition.
But even there, we could see two issues, one significantly more important than the other: that everything fell apart after 60 minutes.
The shape and commitment did look better — but only for the first hour. And again, you don’t need a coaching license to understand how that isn’t good enough. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it must be sustained for all 90 minutes.
The other flaw was tactical:
FC Dallas kept allowing too much of a gap between the center backs and the outside backs, more often on the left. In the image above, you can see where Nkosi Tafari (center) and Sam Junqua (on the left) are too far apart. Sebastian Driussi certainly sees it. In the image, he’s about to slide a ball right through that gaping hole into Diego Rubio (making a run from between the two center backs).
There were times when these two were pulled even further apart. This is the first place we see where Martinez’s experience and ability to organize is being missed. Somebody has to close that gap; either Junqua sliding inside or Tafari pulling himself and the rest of the line over just a little further. Or at very least, one of the midfielders has to close the passing lane. Or, maybe best, all three things happening at once.
The first goal, a critical mistake
FC Dallas was warned and alert for Jon Gallagher’s long throw-ins. Maybe a little too alert — because here the team fell asleep to other possibilities. Maybe it was fatigue. Maybe something else, but this was right at the hour mark, where the mistakes began to compound.
Look at the image and count the number of FCD players ready to defend three Austin FC attackers (or four attackers, if you count the arriving player). There are eight of them. Which isn’t bad in itself.
The issue is what happens a few yards outside the penalty area. FC gets caught defending 2 v 1 (or, really, more like 3 v 1). Which leaves Gallagher well positioned to get a touch, get his head up and fire in an uncontested cross. Not great.
Now even then, Dallas would appear to have sufficient numbers to deal with the cross. Which brings us to FCD’s most pressing defensive issue this year: an inability to defend crosses. It is absolutely killing this team.
Third goal: clearing crosses
Julio Cascante converting a header off Gallgher’s centering ball for Austin’s equalizer (following Eugene Ansah’s goal to give FCD a 1-0 lead) is a disquieting, repeating theme. Getting beat on crosses in and around the 6-yard box keeps happening.
San Jose scored early off a Cristian Espinoza cross (2-1 win)
Montreal’s opener evolved from a laid off cross along Dallas’ defensive left side (2-1 loss at home)
All three Vancouver goals came off crosses, two headers from in close and one from a slick right-footed finish (3-1 loss at home)
Both of Austin’s goals, including Cascante’s equalizer and Rubio’s 70th minute game-winner, started with crosses
Rubio got between two defenders at the back post to nod in Austin’s second goal. Not great.
But this part wasn’t ideal either: Driussi, who is easily Austin’s top attacker, was afforded way too much space to — where have we heard this before? — get a touch, get his head up and pinpoint a swell inswinging cross. See the image above, and behold all the room afforded Austin’s chief playmaker.
Teams that have trouble defending crosses and / or defending the box will struggle. As we see.