With David Ferreira leading the way, FC Dallas are beginning to find their swagger.
That was the feeling in the locker room Wednesday night after Dallas completed their most comprehensive performance of the season in a 2-0 road win at Vancouver. The win was Dallas’ first road shutout of the season and the first time Vancouver has been defeated at BC Place since April 18, a stretch of nine home games unbeaten.
“It was a complete collective effort,” Andrew Jacobson said of the team's performance after the game. “It wasn’t one guy making a difference and then packing it in. I thought everyone defended well, got behind the ball, got forward on the attack — and that’s what a team does.”
It’s becoming a broken record, but once again Ferreira was the spark for Dallas with two assists that turned a tepid, scoreless game into a vital three points for the road team.
“I think you can see it just kind of clicks when he’s in there,” Jacobson said. “Everyone kind of understands their role, what they’re supposed to do, and it brings a sense of confidence when 11 guys go out there and everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s a tough team to play against.”
Ferreira earned his first assist on a fancy flicked header that Fabián Castillo did well with to finish, but his second was vintage “Torito.” Ferreira used every bit of his 145-pound frame to muscle Vancouver defender Andy O’Brien off the ball before turning Martín Bonjour and passing to Homegrown forward Jonathan Top, who blasted home the easy finish.
It was Top's first career MLS goal.
“Any other player would’ve taken that chance and shot it,” Top said, "but he gave me the opportunity to score.”
Ferreira had primary helpers on both FCD goals, pulling him into a tie for the team lead with five assists in just nine games played this season. His impact has been felt much more than on the scoreboard, however.
“[He's] everything you want in any player and today he was a difference maker,” head coach Schellas Hyndman said. “[...] He’s not a player that I worry about. He’s not a player that the game gets too big for him or too emotional. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever been around.”