FRISCO, Tx. — FC Dallas’ fate is once again in the balance heading into a critical Decision Day clash with Sporting Kansas City. After 33 matches, the team has one chance to secure a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs. A win and the team is in. A loss or a draw and FCD will be looking for other results to go its way.
It is reminiscent of the final day of the 2017 regular season, where the team went into Decision Day not knowing it’s playoff fate. Not controlling its destiny in that scenario, Dallas played the LA Galaxy at home. The team had to win in order to have a chance for other results to go its way and it did, dominating in a 5-1 victory.
All eyes went toward the San Jose match early on in the second half, where Dallas knew that the Earthquakes needed to drop points in order for FCD to make the playoffs.
“I think it’s illegal to have phones on the bench, but I think a cameraman or someone had a phone,” fullback Ryan Hollingshead recalled. “I think I was warming up at that time and we were asking them for the updates. We already had our game in hand and then they scored those two goals in the last little bit of time. You try to keep tabs as much as you can through whoever is allowed to have a phone like on the sidelines but it’s hard.”
Marco Urena’s 93rd-minute winner in San Jose stunned Dallas, who thought it could sneak into the playoffs after a disastrous second half of the season.
“It’s tough because back in 2017, it wasn’t in our control,” Hollingshead said. “We could do everything we wanted to do and if San Jose took care of their own business, then we weren’t going to go through, and we knew that. That’s the job though. You go and compete and do what you can do. We did well and got a big victory here and San Jose snuck out those goals late. That was something we’ve been trying to not be in that position all year. To have our control in our hands is a great position to be in.”
It’s a different feeling this season. A win and the team is in the playoffs. It gives players control. Don’t play well enough? You’re going home. Put on the best performance of the season? You’re going into the postseason with a chance to win MLS Cup. Dallas has fought for the right to decide it’s destiny, but now it’s time make most of the opportunity in front of them.
“It’s huge,” Hollingshead said when asked about control of their destiny. “It’s what we’ve been going for the entire season, playoffs. It’s all in our control so if we just win our game, it’s ours. We want to do that and go into playoffs on a high, on a streak and start this streak this weekend. But playoffs are crazy man, four games and you can win the whole thing. This group thinks we can make a run and we’re ready to do that. We need to take care of business at home.”