Fire 2, FC Dallas 1: First Thoughts

• Beautiful Thursday night for some soccer!
• Same lineup again, love it, and Bastian is invincible.
• My MOTM last week Brandon Vincent was in the MLS Team of the Week, no big deal.
• Dallas = Defense. Hedges has been great at the back and Gruezo has been solid in holding mid as well.

FIRST THOUGHT: Be patient, find your opportunity. Continue the good defensive effort, let Nikolic and Accam get on the end of some chances, but don’t let Dallas lull you to sleep and counter.

KICKOFF!

3- FIRE GOAL!!!!!!! NIKO’S HUNGRY! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

4- So much for patience! Now, keep your shape defensively and get that W!

5- Man, I’m still thinking about that switch by Schweinsteiger. What a pass; and Vincent gets service into Nikolic. Beautiful.

6- Dallas has allowed 7 goals in 10 games. Took the Fire 3 minutes to score.

6- Ouch. DALLAS GOAL. Two missed clearances by the center backs, and Lamah pokes it home. 1-1.

9- DAVID ACCCCCCCCAM SCORES! WHAT IS GOING ON IN BRIDGEVIEW?!

12- Oh, hello there. I finally have a second to stop typing goals.

13- Soli just nearly chipped the keeper. Good run up to the opp. This team is getting really, really dangerous moving forward.

18- YELLOW CARD - FIRE - SOLIGNAC. Just a bit late on a challenge and his studs were up.

19- The impact Bastian Schweinsteiger has had on this team cannot be overlooked. Everyone is picking out the correct pass, and the build up play is phenomenal.

21- The overlapping runs down the left wing are brilliant. Vincent and Accam really thriving together.

21- YELLOW CARD - DALLAS - GRUEZO. Arm to the head of Accam.

23- De Leeuw draws another good foul. He’s been putting in a really good shift tonight.

23- YELLOW CARD - DALLAS - GUILLEN. Delay.

26- Seriously, kids, get on the Fire website and get that iPad courtesy of IT Savvy.

33- Dallas trying to break down the Fire defense, and De Leeuw just made a really nice play to deny a chance on goal.

38- Lots of back and forth here, mainly in favor of the Fire. Good teams control games at home, and that’s what they’re doing here.

41- This is the part of every match where I get a lil’ nervous. Fire aren’t great from set pieces, and what’s more, conceding in the final 5 of a half is brutal.

45- This is, like, really weird, but I’m looking at the top of the East and I’m thinking if we could beat Toronto or NYCFC in a playoff matchup. That is a really fun thought.

45- YELLOW CARD - DALLAS - HUME.

45+1- Vincent! Nearly on the scoreboard there with a nice header. I love that kid.

HALFTIME THOUGHT: Well, that certainly wasn’t the start I was expecting. But I’ll take it! Meira a bit shaky at times, but other than that I’m pleasantly surprised again. Counter attack, make it 3 or 4-1.

51- Fouls making play a bit choppy here in the second half, not a ton of opportunities so far.

53- Pass DMC goes for a shot on target! Like to see that, didn’t miss by a whole lot...

54- Sometimes, I think De Leeuw forgets that he isn’t Gareth Bale. I never forget, though.

55- The space is starting to creep open, ever so slightly here.

59- JUNINHO in for Solignac.

64- Dallas with some pretty empty attacking chances. Back 4 are really holding their own and as long as they don’t get complacent, we should hang on here.

68- Similar to last week, boring is fine with me when we’re protecting a lead. This is clean, comfortable defending. Reminds me of the Euro final last night...

70- ACCAM With a clear chance on goal and he’s taken down! We’ll see here...... (And he really received a dirty challenge with the studs clearly up...)

70- YELLOW CARD - DALLAS - HEDGES.

75- CAMPBELL coming on for De Leeuw, who after a few weeks of abuse from me, really put in a good shift.

79- Once again, the Fire aren’t doing anything special on defense here, but FC Dallas seem incapable of getting an attempt on goal. Their attack is pathetic.

82- YELLOW CARD - FIRE - KAPPELHOF. Free kick coming in an iffy area...

84- Only six minutes left, and Accam is still blazing down the left. He would be a good feature in the next Energizer commercial.

85- Speaking of Accam, he’s given a hand here, as ALVAREZ comes on.

85- Fire going to a 5-4-1 here to try and close this one out.

88- “Vincent for LB @ Russia 2018”

89- Ohhhhhhh baby, Nikolic just set up Juninho and a good save by Seitz.

90- Come on guys, hang on here!

90+2- Vincent wins a corner. Did I mention I like this kid?

90+3- PENALTY to the FIRE!!! Nikolic knocked forward as he was attempting a shot...

90+3- NIKO DENIED BY SEITZ! Darrrrrrrrrrnnnnn...

FINAL THOUGHT: This is getting crazy. 5 in a row unbeaten, 4 consecutive wins. The attack is really coming together; crisp, one-touch passes, effortlessly moving up the pitch. Some screws to tighten on the back line, but overall, this is a really good soccer team.