FRISCO, Texas — With midfielder Paxton Pomykal out due to injury, FC Dallas head coach Luchi Gonzalez was forced to make a change in personnel.
Without Pomykal, Dallas had only garnered one win in seven attempts. The strong homefield advantage of Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City was looming and FCD knew it needed a result after losing a winnable match against Minnesota United.
Trusting his versatile forward, Gonzalez elected to put Jesus Ferriera in the midfield, underneath forward Dominque Badji. The result was a goal for Ferriera and a solid showing in the 2-0 victory on July 20.
For Ferriera, it was just another day on the job. The team experimented with him playing as a midfielder in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and against Spanish side Sevilla FC, allowing an opportunity to play him a position where once his father won the 2010 MLS MVP in Frisco.
“We see him to have the ability to help us between the gaps in our build, play make a bit and get himself around the box and score, which he’s shown he can help this team with, in terms of production,” Gonzalez told Pro Soccer USA. “His next step is to continue to learn that position in our build and create and help us in transition, help us recover the ball with pressure. When do we go a No.9/10 versus a No.9/9 in our pressure, when is he covering for a seven or 11.
”He had a good performance and we’re going to build on that and it’s great to know he’s a good option there.
Ferreira bagged a goal in the 57th minute after deft control, pouncing on centerback Botond Barath’s errand touch. It’s Ferreira’s sixth goal of the season, tying him for most on the team along with Badji.
“When the coach needs something done from us, I think we need to have to do it,” Ferreira told Pro Soccer USA. “Luchi needed me to play the 10, Pax was feeling some tightness in his Ham. I needed to step it up and play that position.”
With different positions comes different responsibilities. Instead of looking for the ball to score, Ferreira becomes the provider offensively, linking play and helping the offense get going. On FC Dallas’ first goal, Ferreira was apart of the team’s press and was asked to play higher up the pitch, relative to his position. Stepping up and forcing SKC to play backward, Dallas’ press forced a turnover and a Badji goal in the first half.
Another underrated moment: The way the #FCDallas press contains SKC, not allowing them to play as direct and in the end, forcing a turnover and the Badji goal pic.twitter.com/DJJCZmllbx
— Arman Kafai (@ArmanKafai) July 22, 2019
“I just have to have to be open, be able to make those balls in diagonal,” Ferreira said. “I have to show for my teammates building up. It’s not always stretching the field, it’s more support player and create. I have to change that mentality. I have to know that I can create but I have to get in the box and help my teammate be one of the three that have to get into the box no matter what.”
Ferreira has shown to be versatile, a trait FC Dallas seeks out in its players. He has played as a winger, as a forward, and as a midfielder. Players in the offensive third will at some point play a different position. Dallas’ fluidity in the final half has players often switch sides, or even flipping specific positions. In the win against SKC, Michael Barrios was asked to play as the forward, with Badji playing as a winger.
It’s something the players have grown comfortable with, having played multiple roles alongside different personnel in training.
“When we play small-sided, we always get switched up in teams,” Ferreira said. “We all play with different formations, different forwards, different midfielders. That helps us in the big picture. It doesn’t really matter who you’re playing with, you just have to do your job and help them.”