Previewing Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas with Big D Soccer
(image via Omar Duran)
The Houston Dynamo are taking the trip north on I-45 for a Texas Derby with FC Dallas tomorrow night. We talked to our friend Drew Epperley from Big D Soccer to get some insight on Dallas ahead of tomorrow’s match.
Bayou City Soccer (BCS): Dallas won the first game of the season but haven't won since. Is that injuries, bad luck, or what has contributed to the slow start in 2024?
Big D Soccer (BDS): Oh man, where do we begin with this one? I think it is a mixture of things at this point honestly. The club knew they'd enter the season with two long-term injuries on the books with Geovane Jesus and Alan Velasco being out until at least the summer months. They didn't do a ton in the offseason to address those injuries in terms of roster spots for new players. The other side is they got hit with big injuries at the start of the preseason, with Paxton Pomykal and Jesus Ferreira each missing the preseason with injuries. Both came back by the second week of the season, but once again, the injuries were not fully healed, and Pomykal got shut down for the rest of the season, while Ferreira has been limited.
The other side of it is that Nico Estevez wanted to change formations and tactics going into this season by switching from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 (or 5-3-2 at times). The problem with that was they didn't add enough quality players in the defense to handle that change in the offseason. Players have been playing a bit timid in that formation, and at times, it feels as though they're playing too tight or not to lose.
BCS: FCD have scored the fewest goals in the Western Conference this season with just 7 in 8 games. Is that strictly due to Jesus Ferreira's injury and how is Petar Musa coming along since signing with the club this offseason?
BDS: Much of it does have to do with Ferreira's injuries this season. Without him on the field, the team is a bit too one-dimensional. He also hasn't had enough minutes on the field with Musa to get a sense of how to play with him this season either. We have to remember that the club was pretty reliant on him to be the main scorer for the last two years and even with a guy like Musa in the attack, they're still struggling to figure out how to get someone else involved.
Musa hasn't really got going yet in MLS and a lot of it comes down to his adaption to MLS and his lack of service. Without guys like Velasco in the attack, the team lacks the service that Musa needs in and around the penalty area to do his magic. We saw last week against Colorado that when he is given a good pass into the penalty area, he can be extremely dangerous and will find the back of the net. The team has just struggled to give him those chances so far this season.
BCS: How do the Dallas fans feel about this rivalry with Houston, especially with Austin around now? Is it still a big derby for them and for the players?
BDS: For the fans, this is still the main rivalry that we look forward to, even with Austin in the mix. I don't know how Houston fans feel about Austin but they feel like the younger, more annoying brother to Dallas and Houston in this series. Hell, the way they won Copa Tejas last season will never not be annoying to fans and the team here. I recall having to explain the rules to a couple of players last season after a match and none of them liked how Austin won the series after they had lost to both Houston and Dallas to start the season.
I know the players and staff still get up for this series, though. A lot of the times we hear after the post game press conference and player interviews, Estevez will ask reporters or communications people at the club how Houston and Austin did that night. They want to see them lose as much as the fans do.
BCS: Do FCD have any injuries coming into this match and what do you expect for a lineup against the Dynamo Saturday?
BDS: This is a big weekend for Estevez. Many fans would like to see him removed as head coach, and a loss to the club's top rivals could push the Hunts in that direction. So, I think we'll see plenty of changes to the lineup this week, and the biggest may be getting Ferreira back from injury. He's been training and was held out last weekend in Colorado. I think he returns, and so could a formation shift as well, possibly back to the 4-3-3.
Paes, Twumasi, Tafari, Ibeagha, Junqua; Arriola, Illarramendi, Sealy; Lletget, Ferreira, Musa
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We want to thank Drewfor his time and wish our friends in Dallas the best of luck tomorrow night. Be sure to check out our answers to their questions about the Dynamo at Big D Soccer.
