Three Things That Have Gone Right for FC Dallas in Their Back-To-Back Home Wins
The Burn extended their unbeaten streak to 6 games and won two consecutive games at home for the first time all season after back-to-back wins over Austin and Colorado, pushing them into the 9th and final playoff spot in the west.
Let’s look at a few things that have gone very right for FCD and helped push them up the table.
1) The Entire Defense
Over these two games, according to FotMob’s stats, Dallas has conceded a combined 1.43 xG and just 5 shots on target. This entire group, featuring Jacob Jackson in goal, Sebastien Ibeagha, Osaze Urhoghide, and Shaq Moore as the center backs, and Ramiro and Bernard Kamungo at wingback, has all been outstanding. However, this really starts and ends with Osaze, who has returned to his pre-injury levels and perhaps even surpassed them. His pace, physicality, reading of the game, and passing have all been top-level, particularly against Colorado, where he shut down a high-quality striker in Rafa Navarro.
Moving Shaq Moore to left center back has looked like a stroke of genius from Quill and his staff as well. On his own right, Moore has been fantastic despite playing on his weaker side. His defensive work has been outstanding, and he’s been solid in possession, occasionally driving forward to unlock defenses effectively as well. His ability to cover ground and his intelligence have also enabled Kamungo to rise higher up the field and impact the game offensively. On the other side, the typical maligned pair of Ibeagha and Ramiro has been extremely solid. What Ramiro lacks in pace, he more than makes up for in intelligence. He’s a wonderful player for any young player to focus on for 5 to 10 minutes in any game, as he always knows where to be and consistently makes the right play.
And finally, the most shocking part of this defensive renaissance, Jacob Jackson, has been great in his own right. In truth, his defense has largely kept danger away from him, but he has been solid when asked to stop shots and strong in defending his box against crosses and set pieces. Truly a fantastic story, and he’s surely making Dallas take some real consideration into what they might offer him in terms of a contract for the future.
Overall, the defensive resurgence has been incredible to see and has really been the key part of Dallas’ recent turnaround in form.
2) Musington
On the opposite end of the field, the connection forged by Petar Musa and Logan Farrington has been nothing short of a joy to watch. Musa is, obviously, an incredible player, and now sits on the verge of breaking the FC Dallas single-season scoring record. Three goals in the last 4 games will get him the record. And for the second consecutive game, Musa scored a goal from an assist from Farrington.
Against Austin, it was the unreal backheel, and in Colorado, it was a perfect chipped cross to find Musa’s head. Their connection yielded other chances and moments throughout both games, and they seem just to be vibrating on the same frequency. Two-striker set-ups are increasingly uncommon in the modern game, but the “Musington” combo is demonstrating that it is still very much a viable option that can work effectively.
3) The Cappis Impact
On the FC Dallas Agenda podcast, Steve Davis has made the point that Christian Cappis might be the most impactful summer signing in club history, and I think I agree with him. In recent history, certainly only Asier Illarramendi compares back in 2023, but Dallas were already a pretty good team in 2023 that Illarra came into and improved and solidified. The impact Cappis has had in his 7 games (only 6 in his actual midfield position) is really incredible.
Dallas’ recent upturn in form doesn’t directly coincide with Cappis coming into the team, but in the most recent 6-game unbeaten run, he has started every game in central midfield.
He isn’t any sort of incredible athlete, but his work rate is immense, his quality on the ball is plain as day, his range of passing has helped open up Dallas’ width, something that regularly troubled them in the first half of the season, and his soccer IQ is topped only by the likes of Ramiro.
So with all that in mind, it was wonderful to see him finally notch his first FC Dallas goal against the Rapids and get his first team-awarded man of the match award with the post-game big hat. Even the most optimistic observer could not have predicted just how quickly and how significantly Cappis would impact things on the field.
The feel-good story of his homecoming has turned into one of Dallas’ best-ever mid-season signings. I can’t wait to see what a full season with him in place looks like.
What are your thoughts on this recent run of form for Dallas?
Can they keep it up and solidify their spot in the playoff picture?
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