What we learned against Real Salt Lake: Is counter attacking working?

Road wins are always hard to get in MLS. A win shouldn’t be taken for granted against a team of Real Salt Lake’s quality. The result itself shouldn’t raise any red flags, but FC Dallas, as they often do, struggled to pass the eye test.

It’s a possession game

FCD looked understandably exhausted after playing just three nights earlier, but they also struggled to retain possession and make simple passes. Yes, Dallas are a counter attacking team, but RSL overran Dallas’ midfield and were able to choke them out of the game.

Comparing Dallas’ midfield’s (Kellyn Acosta, Victor Ulloa, Carlos Gruezo) passing charts to RSL’s midfield’s (Kyle Beckerman, Kreilach, Alan Rusnak) tells a scary story.

While…