Team Focus: Have FC Dallas Been Found Out?

Not so long ago FC Dallas were one of the frontrunners for the MLS Supporters’ Shield. As recently as May they sat atop the Western Conference. Now, having failed to win any of their last six games, they're slumped three points off pace-setters the Portland Timbers.

So what has gone wrong for Schellas Hyndman’s side? What has sparked this dismal run of form?

FC Dallas have faced a number of accomplished and high-flying sides over the course of this run but as many people’s favourites to finish top in the West that shouldn’t have spooked them. Games against Colorado, Sporting KC, Philadelphia and Chivas USA were all entirely winnable.

Of course of those six winless games FC Dallas have lost just twice, keeping their points tally soundly ticking over even as they struggle for traction. That resilience could be telling come the end of the regular season.

Fortunately for the Texans Real Salt Lake have been the only side to capitalize on their poor streak of form, and are still placed second in the overall league standings, on 31 points.

The return of forward Blas Perez from international duty with Panama has improved his side’s goal count, netting three of their last six. His role as the frontman of an attacking system that includes Kenny Cooper, Jackson and Fabian Castillo is crucial to FC Dallas’ style of play. But that improvement has been offset by a somewhat uncharacteristically slack backline.

Hyndman’s side relies heavily on set pieces, with 44.4% of their goals this season coming from such situations. In fact it may appear FC Dallas have become too reliant on set pieces, with four of their last six league goals coming from corners or free kicks.

This suggests FC Dallas are struggling to string together coherent attacking moves in open play. Hyndman has imposed a direct style of play upon his team, with 11.3% of accurate passes played by FC Dallas falling into the long ball category.

In line with the trends in other stats columns (including average share of possession, pass success rate and shots on goal per game) FC Dallas’ long ball attempt rate has barely dropped below their season average, rising above that mark in two of the six games in which they’ve failed to notch a win.

Defensively may be where the biggest difference can be found, with FC Dallas conceding an average of 15 shots per game, compared with just 12 per game before this winless streak.

Hyndman appears unsettled on his backline, using Walker Zimmerman to give his side further threat from set plays, with the rookie scoring in 2-2 draws with Sporting KC and the Philadelphia Union. Yet his tackle (0.8 per game) and interception rates (0.4 per game) pale in comparison with his fellow defensive teammates, like Matt Hedges (1.5 and 3.8 per game) and George John (1.3 and 2.6 per game). By playing Zimmerman FC Dallas look to be sacrificing defensive prudence for attacking potency.

Football is said to be a sport won and lost by small margins, but could FC Dallas be paying for that mantra through midfield ‘regista’ Michel, whose game has dropped ever so slightly in recent weeks?

Indeed, in last week’s 2-0 defeat to the LA Galaxy Michel failed to make a single key pass, something his style of play is based upon (his season average stands at 1.9 per game, the joint-highest on the team). His pass success rate or total passes played didn’t drop below his season average of 76.1% and 43.4 per game but his decision making on the ball has been rather disappointing recently, demonstrated by his performance against the MLS champions.

The reason for FC Dallas’ over-reliance on set plays could be a lack of traction through midfield, something Michel and partner Andrew Jacobson must take responsibility for.

Hyndman’s style at FC Dallas is particularly distinct in MLS. There aren’t many sides in the league that can claim to play the way his side does.

But given how little appears to have changed in terms of approach and statistics, could it be the case that the rest have started to figure out the Texans? Have they become predictably one-dimensional? The lack of correlation between results on the field and statistical fluctuation suggests that could be the case.