I was so ready for the playoffs it's not even funny. In the whacky world of Major League Soccer the regular season takes a back seat and in comes the always exciting, everyone starts over, forget the last 6 months, playoffs. Whatever system they have had there are always detractors anyway. You can argue playoff formats until you're blue in the face and anyway you twist it there is a reason that it can prove disadvantageous to the better regular season team.
Dallas has the best team in the West any way you shake it. Did they come into the playoffs in their best form? Maybe not, but they are riding a different kind of momentum of being the best team in the West in the regular season.
As a coach for the former Dallas Burn we always felt the season was about momentum and putting yourself in a position to be rolling into the playoffs. I have seen so many teams over my career peak too early and fizzle on their way to the finish line. We managed our seasons to make every effort to finish strong and in the end I think every champion since year one has been riding some major momentum into the final. D.C. in year one was riding a midseason turn around, and in year two they never slowed down and steam rolled until we beat them for the Open Cup championship.
Colorado that year however stunk up the regular season, barely made the playoffs but got an incredible win in K.C., which vaulted their momentum in the playoffs similar to Los Angeles in '05. The truth is that just having a playoff is disadvantageous to the better team over time if there is any chance of an upset so momentum is everything.
Part of gaining momentum means being able to win on the road in this league and in the end, whatever format, you always have to be able to win on the road. Going on the road first really put Dallas in a position where I felt they were in a must win. Don't get me wrong they would have said all the right things getting out of Colorado with a draw and could have won the series but they needed the momentum a road win in Colorado can provide to carry you further. It is a very tough place to play and the altitude can be a major factor. Colorado never seems to open up and play so you are always battling a mentality there.
The Dallas team in Game One showed something that we haven't seen in Dallas in awhile and that was the grit it takes to battle out a close win on the road. That was a huge step in the direction of MLS Cup in my opinion. Yes only one game is in the books but this is why I like FC Dallas's chances of getting to the final.
In Game Two, even with the first game under their belt, neither team is in a position to relax. Saying that, too many things can go wrong when the other team isn't forced to play What's my advice to FC Dallas coach Colin Clarke (if he was asking)? Of course, he didn't need my advice any this year in winning Dallas's first conference title but I am going to give it anyway. It is simple, Don't play not to lose, play to win.
After watching last week's Dallas game it was great to get back to games that had the intensity they had when they were battling for home field. My one negative feeling might be that in the first half the players seemed to let Colorado dictate the game and absorbed a lot of pressure from a team that can only be described as poor when it comes to attacking over the season. It was almost as if they would have been satisfied with a tie although I don't think they were playing for one. There will be a tendency for players to want to keep the lead and play not to lose rather then take a bigger lead and I think you need to guard against that.
Fortunately for Dallas in the first half of the last game, even though Colorado was out shooting Dallas, they were unable to translate shots into goals. I don't think you can rely on that good fortune again. You have to give Coach Clarke some credit for that because he elected to go with Dario Sala who had an outstanding game, getting the better of the usually spectacular Joe Cannon who was very average on this day, another thing I don't think you can count on. Coach Clarke has had a hot hand this year, which is another reason I like Dallas to go far, and even though it might have seemed an easy decision, going with Sala was pivotal and paid off in Game One.
In the end, watch this game for when play opens up as it could dictate the winner. Both Dallas goals came from defensive errors where players were found alone in 1v1 situations and Dallas was able to take advantage. This was done without Ronnie O'Brien or Kenny Cooper seeing a lot of the ball, which would be one of my keys to Game Two; getting Cooper and O'Brien involved. O'Brien's ball to Thompson came at the expense of Colorado's Terry Cook who is always a handful. When Dallas plays well it seems like the flanks are always involved and stretching Colorado out defensively should create plenty of chances. It also forces Cooke to be more honest and he is the main threat for assists in the Colorado lineup.
I think it is important to not let Colorado get any rhythm. Dallas did that very well in the second half of Game One. Colorado made some terrible defensive choices that led to both Dallas goals and I predict they will play a little closer to the vest in Dallas but at this point you cannot allow Colorado to get comfortable. They have shown they will make mistakes under pressure so do not let up.
If Dallas can force Colorado to chase defensively, they will expend a lot of energy which they will not be able to use in attack. They really don't have the individuals who usually break you down. Then when Colorado has to take the game to Dallas it fits right into the Dallas strengths. This could be over early if Colorado opens up right away but I expect them to play for the counter keep it close and try to win it at the end. Dallas' patience in possession and ability to keep Colorado under pressure will force Colorado out of their game plan. If they can do that, there is no reason they should not feel like they have a ticket to the finals this year and for the first time they don't have to pay for it.
Dave Dir was the first coach in the history FC Dallas, which was known as the Dallas Burn during his five-year tenure. From 1996-2000, Dir compiled a record of 81-75-0 and led the team to it's first-ever championship, the 1997 U.S. Open Cup. For the past three years, Dir has been the color analyst for FC Dallas TV broadcasts.
