FRISCO - Over the 34-game MLS season, FC Dallas proved themselves to be the top team in the league amassing 60 points for the second-straight season and winning the Supporters' Shield for the first time in franchise history. However, they know that all counts for nothing now as the playoffs begin with Wednesday's knockout round matches.
Two years ago, FCD won a knockout round match against Vancouver with a group of young, up-and-coming players, most of which had never even played in an MLS playoff games.
Fast forward to present day and this team heads into the playoffs with two trophies in hand, and perhaps more-importantly, a wealth of playoff experience to lean on in 2016.
"We’ve learned these games are going to be a lot tighter than the regular season games," said defender Matt Hedges. "It’s going to be a battle. It’s not going to be a lot of times the free-flowing beautiful soccer everyone wants to see, but we’re ready for it. We have the experience from last year, all the young guys have earned an extra year of experience which is a huge help."
Between a back-and-forth semifinal ending in a PK shootout win and the sting of last year's Western Conference Final in which FC Dallas was perhaps the better team, but were left to rue mistakes on set pieces, there are many, many lessons learned being brought into 2016. Most of FCD's starters head into this season with anywhere between four and seven playoff games under their belts.
"Getting the first away goal is key and big for us as a team and then last year against Portland, we ended up going down 3-1 and that last goal in the 90th minute really killed us," said Kellyn Acosta. "So we have to be mindful of set pieces and know what teams bring to the table and hold a result. [A close result] on the road isn’t the end of the world, I think we need to be mindful of [not being down multiple goals] coming home and needing to score multiple goals."
FC Dallas could learn their playoff opponent Wednesday night if Real Salt Lake upsets Los Angeles while if the Galaxy win, Dallas will wait to Thursday night where they would face the winner of Seattle vs Sporting Kansas City. Should Dallas face Seattle, it would be the third straight season meeting the Sounders in the playoffs while Dallas has incredibly not played Kansas City in the post-season since 1996.
"It’s going to be a battle. It’s a whole new season," said Hedges. "What happened in the last 34 games is over, now it’s five games."