FRISCO - The FC Dallas offense continues to dominate the headlines surrounding the club, but on the other side of the field, there’s a unit that’s quietly getting the job done in impressive fashion.
Over the course of the first five games, the FCD defense has allowed a league-low three goals against with two clean sheets to their name. Coming into the season with a re-vamped back line, it’s just how that back line was put together that is the key to their early success.
While focusing on youth on the wings, handing the reigns to 19-year-old Homegrown Reggie Cannon on the right side and bringing in 24-year-old Anton Nedyalkov on the left, Dallas doubled down on veteran leadership in the middle, bringing in Reto Ziegler to pair alongside Matt Hedges. Even at his young age, Nedyalkov has played in Bulgaria's top flight since he was 18. That right mix of youth and experience is paying off in the early going of 2018.
For Cannon, who is quickly growing into his role game-in and game-out, the experience surrounding him is invaluable.
“Oscar stresses it, you have to have someone who knows what they're doing who can help when these young guys make mistakes or when they're not in the right position,” he said. “I think it's a lot different than just throwing young guys in there and hoping they do well, Reto and Matt are doing a very good job of dictating when we go, when we stay and just an overall consistency in the back line.”
“We were asking for leadership in the back and Reto is bringing that with Matt. Anton has refreshed us too there [on the left] and given us a different look,” head coach Oscar Pareja said of his additions across the back. “It's one of the ultimate goals that we have with this team is just to be better defensively. I know we're talking a lot about scoring goals, but if we get the defensive part set, we'll be fine.”
Even beyond the starters, the depth on the FC Dallas defensive roster is about developing youth with the right amount of leadership. Maynor Figueroa is the lone non-regular in a veteran role, with rookies Kris Reaves and Jordan Cano learning by example in training, biding their time.
"You just try to get them to the speed of play, it's different than the level that they're used to," Hedges told me last week about mentoring the younger players. "I always try to encourage them and give them good advice because I've been around for awhile. You want to try and pass that on."
This weekend’s match at Toyota Stadium will be a juxtaposition of Dallas’ approach to developing younger defenders and quite the opposite.
In 2018, the Philadelphia Union have gone all-in on a youthful defense. With lone veteran Fabinho injured early on, Keegan Rosenberry barely in his third year is right now the oldest regular starter at a spry 24-years-old. The youngest is 18-year-old Homegrown Matthew Real, but already with half a season of USL action under his belt. In between lies Jack Elliott, 22, and Auston Trusty, 19. Elliott came off after 52 minutes at home last weekend and in his place was the MLS debut of 19-year-old Homegrown Mark McKenzie.
While ambitious in the #PlayYourKids movement, the youth has shown in Philly. Although only allowing six goals over five games this year, it’s momentary breakdowns without that true veteran leadership that have played key.
In Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Orlando, both opposing goals exposed the trouble with throwing youth onto the big stage without surrounding them with some veteran leadership.
Left: Matt Real holds Dom Dwyer onside for Orlando's first goal;
Right: Chris Mueller runs through four defenders in the middle for Orlando's second
“We just have to learn the game plan and we'll be ready to go,” Cannon said, noting Philadelphia’s attacking ability on the wings. “Their back line I think is a little bit shaky compared to the rest of the teams in MLS. That's going to happen when you have a lot of young guys in the back line, so they have to get chemistry and experience. I think we're going to take advantage of that and I think we're going to keep the shutout.”
