FRISCO, Texas – One week ago, Toyota Stadium was the site of something that has been sparse around these parts lately.
When the USMNT defeated Honduras 2-1 in the Gold Cup at FC Dallas’ stomping grounds, they were able to do so by capitalizing on set pieces – scoring from a corner kick and a free kick.
But FC Dallas have not had that same success this season, despite leading the league in set piece goals last year with 22. So far in 2015, they have only scored six goals from set pieces, and they have also allowed eight on defense – good for third-worst in MLS.
“Defending them, we were not good [last year] and we’re not good now,” head coach Oscar Pareja told MLSSoccer.com, also referencing the 12 set piece goals they allowed in 2014. “It requires commitment, compromise, and a lot of work. I think it’s deciding the games.”
It most certainly decided their 6-2 loss to Sporting Kansas City in the US Open Cup Round of 16 earlier this month, as SKC scored four times from set pieces against Dallas. It has crippled them in their MLS slate as well and is part of the reason Dallas has given up three or more goals four different times this season.
To put that in perspective, FCD only allowed three or more goals in a game twice in all of 2014.
“We know that we’ve identified it as a problem this year,” center back Matt Hedges told MLSSoccer.com. “We just have to be more concentrated and focused. Everybody knows their responsibility. It’s just the one-on-one battles that we aren’t winning.”
They are not winning the battles on the offensive end as much, either, which is the opposite narrative from 2014. Pareja mentioned the club rode momentum from game to game last year when they would consistently score from set pieces, but would struggle scoring in the open field.
The team is hoping that they have found the necessary momentum as of late, with midfielder Mauro Diaz scoring from a set piece in consecutive weeks following his penalty kick goal in a 2-0 win against Orlando City SC on Saturday. But Hedges, who scored one of Dallas’ few set piece goals this season, said teams have started to develop the blueprint to slowing down their once productive mode of attack.
“Teams are more aware of how dangerous we are and bring almost everybody back to the box now,” Hedges said. “I think it’s a thing they’re preparing for. We were really good last year. We hurt a lot of teams that way. Now a lot of teams this year are thinking that they don’t want to get hurt that way.”
Both the captain and the coach had the same solution to solving Dallas’ most current bugaboo – get creative.
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“You have to come up with different strategies,” Pareja said. “Now in this moment, everyone has access to media and videos more and more. So we have to be crafty and work to change the patterns.”
The squad also recognizes that improving from set pieces on both ends of the field will be the key to building on last season’s success.
“You see a lot of goals, especially in MLS, [that] are set piece goals. A lot of teams are built that way,” Hedges said. “So I mean, it’s a huge thing. If you can do it, you can be successful.”
