FC Dallas vs. Minnesota United: Recap, Fan & Food of Match, etc.

FRISCO, Texas — Welcome to Keeping Score: Your full FC Dallas match day expertise. 

Throughout the 2023 season, I’m striving to deliver you full FC Dallas match day protection, masking all the things from the sport itself, to the meals, to the followers that make the sport so nice, our “Becky G forecast” (I’ll clarify later) and all the things in between in a enjoyable, digestible means.

So, with out additional ado, let’s dive into week one. It wasn’t one of the simplest ways to begin the season.

FC Dallas’ 13-match unbeaten streak in dwelling openers – seven wins and 6 attracts – got here to an finish on Saturday.

Minnesota United FC took down FC Dallas 1-0 with out its finest participant, attacking midfielder Emanuel Reynoso, who has been suspended with out pay by Major League Soccer for failure to report back to preseason camp.

The lone aim was scored within the forty seventh minute by Ménder García on a rebound shot after a volley was saved by Maarten Paes. FC Dallas practically scored within the forty first minute off of a Sebastian Lletget header and once more within the 81st minute with an Alan Velasco right-footed shot which missed a bit huge proper. Lletget’s header was the one registered shot on aim for all the match, nonetheless.

Watch the full match highlights here.

Big takeaway: What the bag?!?! This should be a soccer participant factor. I’ll ask round and get again to you on that.

FC Dallas began its first match tweets of the yr with the true FCD bromance, Paul Arriola and Lletget, who’ve identified one another for years. Arriola, who I’ve been informed is a notable fashionista, got here into the 2023 season rocking a three-piece go well with and black boots.

Defender duo Sebastien Ibeagha and Nkosi Tafari began their FC match verify debuts with a bang (see second tweet under).

The relaxation of the gang saved it extra informal, coming with numerous variations of the hoodie and pants comfortable look.  

Throughout the season, I need to spotlight you, the followers, who make up #DTID (for you extra informal followers, that is “Dallas Til I Die”). For this primary Fan of the Match, and since I used to be out of city (full disclosure) for the season opener, we’ll start this part with two high-profile followers whose fandom tales are extra well-known: the wifey membership. 

Paul Arriola’s spouse, Akela Arriola, and Lletget’s fiancé, star singer and actress Becky G, have been featured on FC Dallas’ Twitter feed earlier than the match exhibiting off the shiny new rocks on their fingers! 

Ever since FC Dallas traded for Lletget, Becky G has been featured on the group’s social channels usually, a sensible advertising transfer for my part. She’s undoubtedly amongst, if not probably the most well-known fan. 

To that finish, Becky G is a fan favourite by one of our digital producers, who impressed the concept behind our “Becky G forecast” match rating. Stay tuned. 

This will solely be featured in articles the place there was a house match, however since I didn’t attend this match in-person, here is an introduction for what to anticipate. It’s fairly easy: Reviewing the most recent meals gadgets at Toyota Stadium all through the season. Here is a listing of them. 

Which ones ought to I attempt first? Tweet me your suggestions here.

FC Dallas’ decide: Paxton Pomykal. Pomykal had 4 photographs, 9 duels received and three interceptions.

PLG’s decide: Maarten Paes. Paes made a handful of spotlight reel saves to maintain the potential of a win alive. The offense simply wasn’t there to go with in match No. 1. 

Head Coach Nico Estévez
General ideas on the match… 
Typical first sport of the season. Just a little bit loopy, you possibly can see some of the outcomes which have occurred and the way some video games have turned slightly bit. I feel, we did all the things that we might on the facet of effort, the combat, the will to combat this sport. But I feel we rushed within the worst moments. I feel we had some persistence, build up after we broke strains then we rushed slightly bit within the final move, the final cross, the final resolution. We didn’t do effectively.

Usually within the first video games (when) this occurs, there’s lots of nervousness on the gamers. We had the put up from Paxton, a pair crosses within the first half that didn’t end in something. We received the sport on anticipated targets, 1 to .06, however on the finish of the day, it’s to attain and execute and we didn’t at the moment.

For us, it is to get higher as a result of we had 11 photographs however just one shot on track and we had eight photographs from contained in the field. Usually, it’s a must to do higher. I feel we lack slightly bit on high quality on the final third at the moment and for this reason we couldn’t rating targets.

Sometimes it’s not like it’s a must to play the proper sport. It’s simply to have the proper execution up high and we didn’t have the day at the moment.

Midfielder Tsiki Ntsabeleng

On Minnesota’s defensive form…
“The space was mostly in front of their lines so it was tough to play in between them. That’s why I had the ball when I was in front of them as opposed to where I like to be—in between the lines. But you have to adjust to the demands of the game and I think I adjusted pretty well. Obviously, I would’ve loved to help the team more and create goal-scoring opportunities and be more dangerous but, like I said, they were really compact and made it difficult.”

On the inconsistency within the ultimate third of the sphere…
“I think we got in good positions but the final ball was missing most of the time tonight. The final run was missing. It’s early in the season and we need to figure some stuff out. I’m sure it’ll be better next weekend.”

Midfielder Paxton Pomykal

On the probabilities created from set items…
“It’s a positive thing going into the rest of the season. Set pieces are a huge battle. Typically, teams with a positive goal differential on set pieces do really well in this league. Last year, we were one of the best teams in the league defensively. We tried to capitalize and score more goals offensively from set pieces. It’s something that I think we need to work on a little bit more this year.”

Defender Marco Farfan
On wanting ahead to going through LA Galaxy…
“We are at home for the next match, and the goal is always to get three points. We need to have a short memory and forget about this game. We have another important match coming up against LA Galaxy and we will fight to get the three points at home against a difficult team.”

The solely damage to notice so far is a pre-season damage: Tarik Scott, a recently-signed academy product, will miss the 2023 season as a result of an ACL and LCL tear.

Here it’s … every week, I’ll fee all the match day with one cumulative rating of 1 by means of 5 “Becky Gs.” 

The season opener will get solely 1.5 Becky Gs. The match end result left lots to be desired, and there was not a meals evaluation to deliver it up (sorry y’all, that is my fault). The pre-game suits and introduction of the Fan of the Match, nonetheless, deliver up the rating only a tad. 

FC Dallas takes on the LA Galaxy subsequent on Saturday, March 4 within the first of its many themed drone present nights. For extra information, click on right here.

“8 ball” daring prediction: For the primary iteration, I’ll make a season-long prediction. FC Dallas can have three gamers rating 12-plus targets this season: Jesus Ferreira, Paul Arriola and Alan Velasco. Only two groups in MLS final season had three gamers rating greater than 10 apiece: Philadelphia and Cincinnati.