Ah, Dallas.
The Big D may be too close to New Orleans (thank you, Grateful Dead and Bill Walton), but the Revolution are hoping to party like it’s Mardi Gras — which, incidentally, it is — at a place where they have not had the opportunity to do so in some time when the two sides battle it out at Toyota Stadium (4:30 p.m., Saturday, NBC Sports Boston).
As we mentioned earlier in the week, it has been nine meetings with FC Dallas since the Revs last won in 2011, with seven losses in the league and one in the 2016 US Open Cup Final. And New England hasn’t won in Dallas since 2008.
Really, it doesn’t sound like good news for the Revs, right?
However, New England takes on a new-look FCD side which has changed managers, and has gone with more of a youth movement — the club formerly known as the Burn signed its 25th Homegrown player this week — and will play with a different style as it has in the past.
Dallas is expected, as it has during the preseason, to play more of a high pressing style under new manager Luchi Gonzales, so expect FCD to play its defense much in the same way as the Revs did a year ago. FCD is also expected to build out of the back — much like New York City FC did during the first half of 2018 under former Arsenal man Patrick Vieira — which should work into New England’s hands, should Brad Friedel elect to press. Under former manager Oscar Pareja, Dallas built its attack from the wings.
With it building out of the back, it may be cognizant of fans to see what the Revs do on the second ball, as Dallas does like to try to go over the top with some deep passes. If the Revs can win that second ball, Dallas’ attack can fizzle out. In a preseason match against Seattle two weeks ago, FCD’s opening goal came as it won the second ball, changed the point of the attack, and slipped the ball through to an all-by-his-lonesome Dominique Badji.
34' - FCD strikes first!
Barrios sets it up perfectly for @dbadji14, who finds the back of the net. FCD up 1-0.#FCDvSEA | #FCDPreseason
Watch: https://t.co/fVjd7OShLJ pic.twitter.com/XVK6QZGzFs
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) February 16, 2019
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