QUEENS, N.Y. — Welcome back to Keeping Score: Your complete FC Dallas match day experience.
NYCFC entered Saturday's match unbeaten against FC Dallas in six straight games, dating back to 2016 (two wins and four ties), including a 1-0 victory last season in Frisco.
Here's how FC Dallas' trip to the Big Apple went:
FC Dallas missed its star goal scorer to start the game after he played a full 90 minutes in the United States men's national team not-so-friendly "friendly" against Mexico on Wednesday. Ferreira scored the USMNT's only goal in a 1-1 tie, and Nico Estevez told me this week the availability of both Ferreira and Paxton Pomykal would be determined after Friday's training after they returned from international duty.
So Pomykal, who played reserve minutes on Wednesday, got the start for FC Dallas and Ferreira was given some rest in the first half.
The match started very wide open and fast-paced, with both club's pressuring each others back. FC Dallas struggled keeping possession and passing in the first 20 to 25 minutes, turning the ball over in dangerous spots. An 15th minute goal by NYCFC midfielder Gabriel Pereira was reversed by VAR that determined that a player was offside.
FC Dallas found more success creating chances in the backend of the first half and looked much more comfortable on the ball.
Despite finding their rhythm for a moment, a turnover in the back line of the defense led to NYCFC's first goal of the match just before the half. Midfielder Santiago Rodríguez picked up a loose ball just outside the 18-yard box and fired a goal in the 44th minute.
Rodríguez picked up right where he left off in the second half, scoring a brace in the 50th minute. In the 55th minute, NYCFC extended the lead to 3-0 with a goal on the doorstep after a Maarten Paes save.
Ferreira was brought on as a sub right after the third goal.
Estevez made a triple substitution in the 69th minute, bringing on Bernard Kamungo, Tsiki Ntsabeleng and Ema Twumasi for Jesús Jiménez, Paxton Pomykal and Geovane Jesus. Sam Junqua came on for Marco Farfan in the 76th minute.
José Martínez got FC Dallas on the board with a header off a cross into the box in the 77th minute.
NYCFC remained unbeaten at home in 2023 with the 3-1 win over FC Dallas.
FC fit check
Having a grand time in the Empire City. FC Dallas stuck to the uniform look on road trips. I dig the hoodies.
Frisco Foodie Fun
No foodie fun this week with a road match. I did, however, go to the Rangers-Athletics City Connect game on Friday and tried the loaded brisket nachos at the Hurtado Barbecue stand in the left field concourse. It was amazing. Highly recommend if you head out to Arlington.
FCD Fan of the Match
Eric Heggie (and anyone else who was at the match 1,800-plus miles away from Toyota Stadium, this was just the only photo I saw) wins here for supporting the club all the way in Queens.
#DTID Man of the Match
In a match with no a ton of bright spots, you got to give it to the only goal scorer in my mind. Man of the match goes to José Martínez.
What they said
Head Coach Nico Estévez
It didn’t seem like the team possessed the ball the way it usually does. What was your assessment of that?
“I think we had a pretty good first half. We were very different than the way that you’re seeing. It’s really difficult to play in this stadium. It’s a small field, relatively smaller than the soccer fields that we usually play. I think that we were really good. We just had a mistake and we had chances to score even more than them and we went to halftime down 1-0. I think we were worse at the beginning of the second half. I think we lost possession there and it’s why they punished us with transitions. After that, I think we had the right mentality to get back into the game. We scored a goal and before we scored a goal, we created a couple chances that were dangerous, but the game was already very difficult for us. But I think I’m really happy on the first half, playing away against a team that usually wants to dominate the opponent.”
How crucial was Geovane Jesus’ verticality is to the FC Dallas attack?
“I think we see how important it is when he joins in the attack, right? Sometimes he needs to read when we are building and when the opponent is pressing high, not to be that high because sometimes it’s difficult if a team is pressing like New York. He was sometimes too high in some actions. In others, I think he did well in the attack.”
On how NYCFC contained Paul Arriola and Jesús Ferreira
“I think when Jesus came in, New York was up and it was more difficult to find spaces where he could be dangerous. Sometimes he dropped too much and where he was getting the ball, he didn’t affect the attack. He was more helpful in possessing the ball. Sometimes he didn’t help us to control the game but then we had difficulties finding more verticality in some moments in the second half.
With Paul, he got in really good position between the lines while we were transitioning in the first half a lot of times. He had one shot and he had some good passes wide. I think New York City’s back line did a good job becoming very narrow and forcing him to play those balls and after that it didn’t come. I think he had really good mobility. He took, a couple times, the center backs out of the box. We got crosses with a numerical advantage inside the box and it was part of the game plan. The thing is he was doing his side but on the other side we had more problems finding those crosses. When he was ready to go in the penalty box and probably for that situation he couldn’t get more goal-scoring opportunities today.”
Defender Sam Junqua
On the momentum shift before half time…
“The second half doesn’t represent who we are. Despite the late goal in the first half, that was one of the best displays we have seen in a while. Sometimes you concede a goal and that shifts the momentum. The first half was good and the second half was one to forget.”
On what went wrong in the second half…
“We will take a look at the film mid-week, but I want to say we were disconnected. When they broke our pressure and switched it, they had a jailbreak and came to our defense. Once they have enough of those, they will score some.”
On the team's mentality heading into Minnesota…
“With the disappointment that we are having from this game, we will look to turn it around during the week in training. We want to head to Minnesota with the best chance of getting the three points on the road.”
Injury update
No injuries to report.
What's next/8 ball prediction
FC Dallas continues the backend of a two-game road stint to end April. Next up, they'll head to St. Paul, Minnesota to take on Minnesota United FC. TV information: Apple TV+ – MLS Season Pass or Fox Sports 1 – 8 p.m. CST.
"8 ball" bold prediction tracker:
FC Dallas will have three players score 12-plus goals this season: Jesus Ferreira, Paul Arriola and Alan Velasco.
- Ferreira: 5/12
- Arriola: 0/12
- Velasco: 2/12
I'm starting to lose ground on this pre-season bold prediction. Don't report me to Freezing Cold Takes.
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