FC Dallas v Seattle: a comprehensive review
Tactical setup, the big picture, Man of the Match, etc.
Sometimes the course correction needs a just a little, well … correcting.
That’s where we seem to be with an FC Dallas season that looks more stable than it did two weeks ago, but remains a bit on the brink.
There’s no other way to see a team that is inching toward the quarter-season pole having collected just 5 of a possible 21 points, now sitting 13th of 14 teams in the West.
Defensive calm has been restored. Now, about that attack …
The big picture
Dallas’ roster looked solid enough coming into the season: a pretty good starting 11 with some solid depth pieces. But when too many of the depth pieces are starting so many of the games (injuries, ya know), you can find yourself looking for tourniquets to cinch off the bleeding.
Thus, Nico Estevez has gone very defensive in the last two games. Which worked well at St. Louis (a 0-0 draw). But playing at home generally requires something more dynamic and forward-thinking with the ball. There’s just no hiding the raw numbers vs. Seattle: 12 shots, 2 shots on target, 43 percent possession and 0.9 expected goals — all well below average for home teams.
Not great.
On the other hand, Estevez and Co. have, as mentioned, certainly stabilized things defensively. Nothing wrong with two clean sheets in a row. Was there an over correction? A fair question. Let’s take a deeper dive:
Tactical: How it set up
FC Dallas was listed in a 3-4-3. And it was … kinda 3-4-3-ish, I suppose.
FCD infrequently pressed, generally settling into a mid-block. And that's where it certainly wasn't a 3-4-3.
As Seattle moved possession into Dallas' end, wingbacks Arriola and Sealy joined the back line, creating a line of 5. Sebastian Lletget dropped wide right while Eugene Ansah "mostly" dropped wide left. At that point, FCD was generally defending in a 5-4-1 setup, much the same way the team earned last week's clean sheet in St. Louis.
In possession the attack was a lopsided 3-2-1-4. Eugene Ansah would slide higher and central, hoping to connect with striker Petar Musa. While Arriola and Sealy occupied the wide channels, Lletget would play as a kinda-sorta right-sided playmaker, occupying the right-center channel. It looked something like this (below).
It “may” have just been the way the game unfolded; but I’m pretty sure all this was tactical. It looks very “Nico” in a fairly sophisticated tactical plan, the kind that he’ll design for a specific game, with a specific set of players, against a specific set of players.
I think the idea was something like this: Build around defense first, which means crowding and containing Jordan Morris along Seattle’s left side, and endeavoring to keep the game on that side of the field as much as possible. And it worked — so long as keeping the match contained and at something of a stalemate was the plan.
The plan for attack seemed to be: build out on the right side through the better pass-possession players: Ibeagha, Lletget and Arriola. That meant Arriola staying lower in the formation, which also helped him defend the speedy Morris. So they could try to build out of the right, pull Seattle over a bit, then keep Sealy high in the formation along the other side. See below:
You see above how everything is weighted to FCD’s attacking right side, with Sealy in wait, hoping to do his thing in open space, likely with a 1 v 1 if it all comes out. Which it did at times. FCD’s best chances mostly came exactly like this, with Sealy providing an early cross or dribbling inside to unleash a shot.
Unfortunately, the final product was generally lacking. And it didn’t happen as planned quite often enough. That’s when you get a home game with just two shots on target. (Against a 37 year old goalkeeper, Stefan Frei, who has already made some mistakes in the young season, as he got into the lineup late off a preseason injury.)
What went right
Seattle was coming off a 5-goal outburst at home, feeling good about Albert Rusnak running the midfield and a rejuvenated Raul Ruidiaz at striker.
But FC Dallas was generally tight. Sebastian Ibeagha had perhaps his best night of ‘24, with perfect timing in stepping off the back line to intercept balls or pressure attackers before they could turn. Omar Gonzalez is showing his value as an organizer.
Seattle created just two good chances all night: a Morris first half effort off the dribble that required a good save from Paes, and a 58th minute back post header that Morris perhaps could have done better with. That’s about it. After the hour mark, one probing dribble into the penalty area (that Ibeagha dealt with) was about the only touch Seattle had inside of Dallas’ 18.
Also this: Lletget continues to be the one player in the field (along with ‘keeper Maarten Paes, that is) who can consistently feel great about his performance; he’s having a good year.
As mentioned, the tactical plan wasn’t perfect, but there were moments where it all came together nicely.
One thing Sealy did well was look for early crosses. When he did, he created danger, as with Dallas' best chance, a nice ball into Lletget at the back post. That was FCD's top chance all night. The overall execution on the other hand …
What went wrong
Sealy is a bit tough to figure out right now. I’ll have more on him later this week, but there’s lots of good and bad to kick around. I’ll sum it up here: In a tactical plan designed to free him up and be dangerous, he probably didn’t manage to do enough when opportunities presented.
I know he’s young and needs to play in order to develop, but at some point, you have to wonder if continuing to start him in the absence of greater success (that is, “final product” and bottom line production in goals and assists) isn’t counter productive in the long run?
And then there’s Ansah. In a way he’s a microcosm of what’s happened to FC Dallas so far. (And ironically, the very reason there’s still hope for 2024.)
Ansah is among the worthy depth pieces I mentioned. A guy who can play multiple positions, who will give you effort and a pretty good tactical fulfillment of any assignment tasked. A lot of people seem to forget he scored two useful goals in last year’s Leagues Cup (plus two in MLS play, one last year and one in ‘24).
He’s Tesho Akindele from the Oscar Pareja years. And like Akindele, Ansah is a happy camper and a good teammate.
As a starter who is asked to make an impact, however, Ansah is a bit stretched. He was the right choice against St. Louis, perhaps, but struggled to find the game Saturday, when FC Dallas needed to have the ball more. Ansah played almost 70 minutes but managed just 18 touches and only 55 percent passing.
Again, he was asked do a lot, dropping in as a midfielder along the left defensively, but then hustling forward to connect centrally and then run the channels for Musa on attack. It was a tough assignment.
But then again, as Jesus Ferreira gets back into the lineup, and as Bernie Kamungo (who had good moments off the ball in limited minutes Saturday) rounds into form, as rookie Logan Farrington gets more experience — well, you get the idea. There are presumably options for the starting XI that just weren’t available Saturday for Estevez. Thus, hope.
Man of the Match
Ibeagha led or tied for team lead in tackles and clearances, so I’d give him the hat.
But if you went with Lletget or Arriola, who were tireless in work and attempts to create the build on the right side, I wouldn’t fight you.
Random notes
Just a few random notes I jotted down while re-watching this morning.
Way too many times when Ansah and Meus were completely isolated, 2 v 4 or even 2 v 5. Some of that was FCD’s defensive setup. Some was Lletget being asked to help so much along the right, defensively and in that build-out.
Neither team could progress the ball quickly enough through midfield … thus you get a low-event match, which this certainly was.
We remarked on the post-game show that last week's 0-0 was a better watch than this week’s 0-0. There were chances last week! And if not for two great goalkeepers having great days, there would have been goals.
Gonzalez is doing a good job of keeping things compact. Remember how gappy FCD looked vs. Austin? Not seeing much of that now. Meanwhile, Ibeagha is making good choices on when to break off the back line to close down something in front of him.
There are times when Sealy HAS to get to the far post a little quicker. Thierry Henry said it best: a winger (or wingback) will get 6-7 goals every year just by running to the back post.
Musah gets tired and seems to be less effective after the break. Maybe that shouldn't be surprising; all those years at Benfica that he spent primarily as a backup perhaps didn't get his energy systems prepared for 90-minute play.
Nobody around FC Dallas pulls those shorts up high like Illarramendi.
I liked Kamungo’s movement when he came in. Did exactly what he should have done: used his fresh legs in attempts to run behind the back line of off balls played into Musa.
Think Tafari's absence continues? It's hard to argue with two clean sheets, as you say, but he must have done or be doing something that has the coaching staff unhappy with him?