Subscribe
Follow Us
After the disappointing season last year, FC Dallas are here to stay. The Texan team is very close to the top of the Western Conference, trailing LAFC by just four points. They currently occupy the second seed of the West, and they are just a single point behind the second team overall in the MLS, which is New York City FC. A great season for Dallas means that they will be in conversations for championship contention again. Here are three reasons why FC Dallas will win the 2022 MLS Cup.
Reasons why FC Dallas are winning 2022 MLS Cup
They are bouncing back in a big way
Sometimes, a lack of success can bring more success afterward. If we look at the Golden State Warriors, they missed the NBA playoffs two years in a row, just to make it to the NBA Finals this year. Now, FC Dallas only missed the postseason once and they have not won any MLS Cups previously, but missing the playoffs last year must have done a load of good in terms of motivation for this squad.
For this to be understood in the proper context, we have to take into consideration what FC Dallas are as a franchise. They have a huge history of being a team that never misses the postseason and while they have done so last season, it looks like they are not bound to make it happen again.
Overall, since joining the MLS in 1996, Dallas have made the playoffs all but six times, which is impressive in terms of consistency. They have done it consecutively only once, in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Interestingly enough, they have actually never won the MLS Cup, even with the 21 playoffs appearances in 27 years.
However, this team just looks different. They came out to play to the fullest this season and despite two defeats in the last few weeks, they have been undefeated from matchday two until matchday 12. When it comes to bounceback years, FC Dallas are doing it right and if they can keep this momentum up for the postseason, they could be looking at their first run to the MLS Cup.
They have taken care of business against stronger opposition
Out of the three losses this season, all three came against squads that are currently out of the playoffs. To be perfectly fair, Minnesota United beat them a few weeks back and they are level on points with Houston Dynamo, which is the last seed in the West right now.
However, their other two losses were against the New England Revolution and the Vancouver Whitecaps, both teams that are in the bottom half of their conferences. When it comes to teams they have beaten, the most impressive win was going to Dignity Health Sports Park and absolutely demolishing LA Galaxy, winning 3-1 away from home. However, it was not the only win FC Dallas had when it comes to stronger teams.
They have also gone away from home to beat Orlando SC in the latest matchday, winning 3-1 again. FC Dallas also beat Houston Dynamo 2-1, Nashville SC 2-0, and they got two draws versus Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls, both Eastern Conference playoff teams.
All in all, we can definitely say that while they did not always win, the Dallas squad almost always managed to get a positive result, and while the two defeats to the Revolution and the Whitecaps sting, they are nothing compared to winning against these stronger sides. Now, Dallas will have even more opportunities to beat stronger teams, as they will face Austin FC and LAFC in two consecutive weeks. If they manage to get two positive results there, Dallas could be branded top favorites for the MLS Cup.
The form of Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola
These two players, Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola, have been great for FC Dallas this season. Combined, they have 16 out of 24 goals scored by the club this year and while that could be bad, their form suggests that they will keep on gunning this season. Not only has this duo been the best rated and most prolific, but they have also been available for the club, as Ferreira played all the games and Arriola missed only one. Availability is huge, especially for a team that really depends on certain players. These two guys being there for the team spells disaster for all the teams that Dallas will face going forward.
What matters most is showing up, and if we look at the last few results, we can see that the duo is performing for FC Dallas and doing it almost in each game. Against Orlando SC, it was Arriola that scored two, and against LA Galaxy, it was Ferreira that scored a brace. They scored one goal each to win 2-0 versus the Seattle Sounders, and Ferreira's double brought all three points home for FC Dallas versus the Colorado Rapids. Showing up like this means that these guys should be there for the squad come playoff time, which is a huge reason why FC Dallas can make this run and win the 2022 MLS Cup.
