Welcome to MLS, folks. That was about as classic a match as you’re ever going to see in this league: chippy, end-to-end, and balanced on a knife’s edge. Your Loons turned in a second-consecutive 0-0 draw against FC Dallas tonight, but there was much more action in this week’s breathless affair.
An unchanged lineup from the Loons saw a very different FC Dallas side than we’re used to, with both Petar Musa (injury) and Lucho Acosta (bench) absent from the visitor’s starting eleven. While some may have seen this as a positive in the home side’s favor, the change in personnel opened up a different style of play for Los Toros, making for a very open, high-octane game.
The first half was defined by Dallas’ extremely organized press and MNUFC’s equally effective counterattacking ability. While these two strategies would normally force the opposition to adjust their approach, both sides simply kept doing what they were good at, and it was glorious. They fought for every ball, kept tight marks, and closed space with a pace that stirred the pot and threatened to see the game get out of hand quickly. Make no mistake, this Dallas side was far from toothless without their two leading scorers.
As the game developed, the Loons continued to hold a higher line than usual, leaving room for a talented, speedy Dallas side. The switch to a mid-block likely threw the visitors for a loop, and the cyclical movement of Wil Trapp in the middle of the park allowed his teammates to move with a freedom that added a dynamic edge to their possession.
The second half was a less polished continuation of the first, as Dallas noticeably dropped off around the hour mark. Tired legs resulted in a stretched field, leaving space for the Loons to dominate the vast majority of the closing half hour, as evidenced by the final xG of 1.6 to 0.7. The substitute additions of Morris Duggan, Carlos Harvey, and Samuel Shashoua in the 67th minute added just enough punch to give the hosts hope, but no goals came out of the final push.
Assistant Coach Dennis Lawrence was proud of the boys’ effort on the night, noting the physical nature of the contest after the match.
“It was a really, really difficult game tonight,” Lawrence said. “They were probably the most physical team that we’ve played so far in the nine. But the positives are another clean sheet, we keep the run going, and I think we created a few. Dayne had to make a few saves, so overall, it was a tough night. Credit to our boys for staying in there; it was one of those games that if you’re not careful, you could’ve easily lost the game.”
As Lawrence said, this one was long and difficult for both sides. The longer it went scoreless, the more the hosts grew frustrated. Meanwhile, the visitors saw that their initial strategy, while effective for an hour, wasn’t sustainable with limited personnel, opting to pack it in and try something new. Substitute Lucho Acosta failed to make an impact, and a road point was more than enough to satisfy Eric Quill’s team.
A standout performance from Dayne St. Clair gave the Loons a silver lining with their point, earning his second consecutive clean sheet and keeping pace with the league lead (5). Likewise, some fantastic defensive efforts from the entire backline kept the visitors from getting on the scoresheet, with captain Michael Boxall, Nicolás Romero, and Jefferson Díaz all putting in some exceptional minutes.
Now on 16 points, MNUFC sits in third in the Western Conference, level with Austin FC. The unbeaten run extends to eight in a row after tonight’s draw, and it won’t be getting any easier when the Loons host the white-hot Whitecaps next week at Allianz Field.
