Andrew Jacobson returned to the field after a two-game absence with a hamstring injury against the LA Galaxy on Saturday night in FC Dallas’ 1-1 draw, giving FCD a much-needed boost when they needed it most.
Jacobson started and logged 82 minutes in his first action since April 14, and his return couldn’t have come at a better time. The club endured three games in eight days with a litany of injuries, fighting for valuable draws from matchups against Real Salt Lake and the Galaxy.
“Three tough games, going into Vancouver, flying home two days later playing Salt Lake, then flying out the next morning to play LA,” Jacobson said. “We got two points out of the week, but [they were] good performances, those were very good teams. Everyone’s going to be up there at the end of the season, so it’s something we’re going to have to draw on later on in the season when we have that third game in a week again.”
OPTA Chalkboard: Chart Jacobson's return
Jacobson strengthened FC Dallas’ midfield against the Galaxy but couldn’t stop LA from rallying with a thrilling Pat Noonan goal deep into stoppage time, which tied the game at 1-1. The Galaxy created havoc in the late going as they threw numbers forward, taking five shots in the final nine minutes.
Though conventional wisdom says Dallas were prudent to attempt to defend their lead in the late going, Jacobson said the visitors needed to try to exert their will on the game more throughout the match to avoid splitting the points in heart-breaking fashion.
“We have a lot of great attacking players and we can’t try to be something we’re not. We need to come out and attack,” Jacobson said. "We want the ball, we’ve got guys that can beat guys and if we come and sit back, we’re not using them.”
After an eight-day stretch with little time to take a breath, Jacobson will have a full week to get over the draw and continue to get healthy. FC Dallas return to action on Sunday when they host the Colorado Rapids.
“It’s a long season, a lot of games,” he said. “If you can play like that for a whole season, you’re going to gain a lot of points. Maybe this time you gain one point, but if you can do that consistently, you’ll be getting three points a lot.”
