9/19 - DAL vs ATX

FC Dallas vs Austin FC

Dallas and Austin played to a tightly contested 0-0 draw in a rivalry match at Toyota Stadium. The result was enough for FC Dallas to secure the 2026 Copa Tejas, even with a match against the Dynamo still to play in October. It's Los Toros' third title since the competition was established with Austin's addition to the league in 2021, pushing them one ahead of the Verde & Black's two. The story of the match was Brad Stuver, who stole Austin a point. Dallas started the game on the front foot, keeping the intensity high for the first half hour. Austin absorbed the pressure and grew into the game but failed to create many gilt-edged chances. Dallas was the protagonist at the end, heavily pushing for a winner and ultimately fashioning some great looks on Stuver's goal: the home side generated 1.71 xG to Austin's 0.26. In the end, settling for one point is a missed opportunity for a couple of sides embroiled in tightly contested seeding battles in the Western Conference.

FC Dallas lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, which appears to be Eric Quill's preferred setup. In this match, Kaick was played as an attacking midfielder alongside Joaquín Valiente. As a natural central midfielder, he has a propensity to tuck inside. This means that Dallas adopted a 3-5-2 shape in possession, with Kaick joining the midfield. The wingbacks provide the width and Valiente is given a free role to find the game, while Musa remains up top to occupy the center backs and hold up play. This left Musa isolated at times. The Croatian striker wasn't very involved, which is not a recipe for success for Los Toros. Of course, Musa's best quality is his clinical finishing and movement in the box, but there is so much more to his game. His link up play is excellent; he is fantastic at receiving the ball under pressure and quickly getting it to his fellow attackers. Dallas didn't play through Musa enough in this match, and it showed on the scoreline.

Out of possession, FC Dallas reverted to their 3-4-3 structure. They pressed immediately when Austin was in possession in their own half. This is where having Kaick as an attacking midfielder was advantageous. The Brazilian led a Dallas press that was suffocating the Verde & Black in the first half hour of the match. When they turned over the visitors, Dallas made an effort to go forwards quickly, trying to exploit the space in behind Austin's defense before they settled into a low block. If Austin beat their press, Dallas retreated to a mid-low block. Dallas didn't maintain the press the entire match, but that mid-low block did a good job of not allowing much on Daniel's net. It was a game that looked increasingly ponderous, until Logan Farrington was subbed on in the 82nd minute. He instantly made Los Toros a much more dangerous side. His understanding with Musa - combination play, finding complementary positions on the field, when to press - and his runs in behind are high level, amplifying everything Los Toros want to do in attack. Dallas looked like they were going to score yet another late goal to capture all three points. Then Brad Stuver happened. But the fact remains that Farrington is an essential piece to this Dallas attack, who look like the best version of themselves when his on the pitch with Petar Musa. FC Dallas still has a home-heavy schedule for the rest of the season, but they need to put on more convincing displays at Toyota Field. The counter press is a good way to institute front foot soccer, but they need to play more attacking pieces like Farrington and Santi Moreno to fully assume a proactive approach. As Dallas battle for a home playoff spot, they need to figure out their home form if they want to keep their spot in the top 4 in the West.

Austin couldn't play through Dallas' press. They had too many numbers deep and had a tough time getting into attack in the first half hour of the match. This led to turnovers or long balls forward, very few which were completed. Austin's attacking midfielders, Facundo Torres and Jorge Alastuey, were virtually invisible. Then Arnaud made a tactical shift. He sent his wingbacks higher and dropped his attacking midfielders deeper. The positioning of the wingbacks afforded Austin just enough extra space in midfield to get Facu Torres and Alastuey on the ball. The Uruguayan in particular did well to drop back and get Austin going forward, giving the Verde & Black a foothold in the match. Jon Gallagher and Joseph Rosales, the Verde & Black's wingbacks, are uniquely utilized. They play inverted, meaning they line up on their weak side. This offers them variability in their function in Austin's system; they aren't simply going up and down the touch line providing width. In this match, Rosales and Gallagher operated as wingers in attack. They started high and wide to give the attacking midfielders space in the middle of the park, but once they received the ball they had license to cut inside and attack goal on their favored foot. It's a strategy indicative of an Austin team that wants to play quickly. Some of Austin's best chances came from Rosales and Gallagher getting into good positions high in the attack.

While Austin didn't do a great job creating quality looks on goal, their defense was solid. Austin's outer center backs have really thrived in Arnaud's 3-4-2-1 system. Guilherme Biro and Mikkel Desler, both natural fullbacks, are played in these roles. Biro, who has been outstanding since arriving in Austin, was suspended for this one. But Mikkel Desler went the full 90, and he was impressive as ever. The Dane is very comfortable defending in isolation, which is imperative when the wingbacks are sent high. When Desler and the Austin backline was beaten, Brad Stuver stepped up. Stuver recorded his fifth clean sheet of the season with a 4 save, 2.17 goals prevented performance. It's not the first time in Austin's 7 game unbeaten run that Stuver has come up big for the Verde & Black to salvage a result. The Austin legend leads the MLS in saves and continues to be one of the best keepers in the league. Austin are now in 12th in the West, but sit just one point below 9th place Portland. They are looking strong while the rest of the teams around them are floundering, and they have a match winner in net. With 5 home matches remaining, Austin FC has a real chance to make the playoffs.