FC Dallas vs Chicago Fire: Game grades

MLS: FC Dallas at Chicago Fire — Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

There wasn’t a ton in this game for either side.

Last Saturday, FC Dallas drew 0-0 against the Chicago Fire, in a sloppy offensive performance from both teams.

Here’s a brief breakdown of how the FC Dallas players performed as they moved up into 4th in the Western Conference:

Maarten Paes (GK) – 5

Paes barely had anything to do in terms of saving shots as the Fire generated less than one expected goal in the match. However, the Dutch goalkeeper had no control over this and he did his job by keeping a clean sheet. While Paes attempted a lot of passes out of the back (40), he completed just 77% and 40% of his long balls, both of which are well-below average for goalkeepers.

Nanu (RB) – 6.9

Nanu had a solid all-around performance in another start for FC Dallas as he displayed his ability to get forward and create opportunities from the outside. He carried the ball about 55 times per 90 and racked up over 10 progressive carries, both of which are in the 90th percentile for fullbacks. Additionally, Nanu completed all of his five dribbles in the match, reverting back to his dribbling form at his home club Maritimo which attracted the likes of FC Porto. Aside from his dribbling, all other aspects of Nanu’s game (total actions, passing, playmaking, defending) were about average, similar to most other FC Dallas players on the night.

Matt Hedges (CB) – 7.1

Hedges had another solid performance in the backline for FC Dallas, as he ranked above the 50th percentile in all of our major categories, apart from his carrying grade. He completed 82% of his total actions in the match, which put him in the 90th percentile among center backs and provides an indication of his all-around game. The American international also completed a solid amount of passes (84%) and completed 50% of his six long passes. In the air, Hedges was solid as he won 50% of his six aerial duels. It’s been a good start for the FC Dallas defense this year, and they’ll look to keep it up this week against Colorado next week.

Jose Martinez (CB) – 7.4

Martinez had a good game against the Fire as he really showcased his passing ability and was about average to slightly below average in everything else. The Spaniard wasn’t required much defensively, but his passing was very good as he completed 95% of his passes (93rd percentile), 100% of his seven long balls, and all of his six passes to the final third. In this partnership with Hedges, it seems like Martinez is the better passer out of the back, while Hedges is more dominant in the air and defensively. I’d be interested to hear your guys’ opinion on this take in the comments!

Marco Farfan (LB) – 6.2

Apart from picking up a yellow card, Farfan was solid across the board, ranking above-average in all statistical categories apart from his passing. He wasn’t involved very much in the game, as indicated by his 52 total actions which ranks him in the 10th percentile among players in his position. However, Farfan did his primary job as he helped Dallas keep a clean sheet with his defensive dual, recovery, and pressing grades ranking average to above average for players in his position. The American didn’t register much activity going forward, as he completed just one pass to the penalty area and one pass to the final third and he’ll hope to improve his offensive production next week against the Rapids.

Brandon Servania (CM) – 5.1

Servania did not have a great game this week as he ranked below average in every major category except for his offensive grade. An overall outlook on his game can be viewed in his total actions percentage, where Servania completed just 60% and ranked in the 38th percentile among center midfielders. Additionally, Servania won only 43% of his duels and ranked even lower (25th percentile). He did do a good job of pressing the ball as he racked up 31 presses per 90 but ranked under the 20th percentile in his press percentage which means that his presses didn’t result in much. For the most part, nothing from the statistics of Servania’s game really “jumps out” at you, as he ranked around the 40th or 50th percentile. He’ll look to regain his good form this season when FC Dallas play the Rapids next.

Facundo Qiugnon (CDM) – 5.5

Like Cerrillo, who usually mans this position, Quignon didn’t display much of an attacking threat but performed solid defensively even though he picked up a silly yellow card in the beginning of the game. The Argentine completed just one of his three offensive duels and did not register a single progressive pass in the match. Defensively, Quignon attempted a lot of presses, ranking him in the 86th percentile, but succeeded in dispossessing the opponent just 20% of the time (16th percentile). It was a similar case with Quignon’s defensive duels, as he ranked in the 90th percentile for his attempted defensive duals, but ranked in the 53rd percentile for his defensive dual percentage. This week against the Rapids, Quignon will look to tidy things up defensively and try to play a larger role in the attack of FC Dallas. If he can do these two things, it will certainly help Dallas’ chance of winning, but I suspect that Cerrillo will start again.

Paxton Pomykal (CM) – 5.1

Pomykal had a very similar game to Servania as he ranked below average in all major categories apart from his offensive grade, where he was slightly above-average. The young American succeeded in 65% of his total actions which is pretty good, but ranked in the 26th percentile for total actions per 90, indicating that Pomykal didn’t involve himself enough in the game. He completed just 80% of his passes, 67% of his passes to the final third, and 62% of his forward passes, all of which are below-average and indicates a relatively inefficient performance. Additionally, he registered just two progressive passes and one shot-creating action in the game, indicating that his playmaking was also poor in this game. This was not a great performance from Pomykal, and like Servania, he’ll look to get back on track this week.

Jader Obrian (RW) – 3.8

In the absence of Paul Arriola because of a hamstring injury suffered in World Cup Qualifying, Obrian got his opportunity to start against the Fire but really struggled. He ranked well below average in each category except for his defending/pressing grade. Like other players but especially for Obrian, his poor performance can be summed up by looking at his total action percentage, where Obrian completed just 34% and ranked in the 4th percentile. The Colombian actually received a decent amount of opportunities as he was part of the 45th percentile for total actions per 90, but he just failed to do anything with those opportunities. He completed just 65% of his passes, 36% of his duels and 27% of his offensive duels (both well below-average) and attempted just one pass into the penalty area, which was not completed. Obrian will most likely move to the bench next week and he’ll hopefully have more of an impact in that position.

Franco Jara (CF) – 3.8

Because of Jesus’ Ferreira’s role in the United States qualification for the World Cup, Franco Jara got the start but failed to impress, as he was subbed off for the aforementioned Ferreira in the 63rd minute. Jara did not register a single shot and appeared isolated for most of the game, which partially could be due to the poor performances of the players around him. Nevertheless, Jara could not create any opportunities for himself or his teammates as he did not register a single dribble, recorded just one touch in the penalty area, and failed to record a single shot assist or shot creating action in the match. He’ll likely be on the bench next week against the Rapids and we’ll see Jesus Ferreira returning to the starting lineup and hopefully the form that led Dallas to a 4-1 win against the Timbers just two weeks ago.

Alan Velasco (LW) – 6.2

Perhaps the lone bright spot in the attack, Velasco had a solid game as he created some opportunities with his crafty dribbling and displayed some solid defensive work and pressing, but ultimately he could not produce the final ball or dribble for Dallas to break the deadlock. Velasco recorded 46 carries in the match (including 4 into the final third), put up a whopping 13 dribbles (100th percentile) while completing a solid 64% (65th percentile) and completed 68% of his 19 offensive duels per 90. The Argentine was going by players for fun, but he could not translate it into any real goal-scoring opportunities as he generated just one shot, one shot assist, one cross (which wasn’t completed), and one shot-creating action. Hopefully, over his next few games, Velasco can produce more quality after beating players with his dribbling because we all know that he can dribble, but we need to see more of that final ball or shot creation in the future.

SUBS

Edwin Cerrillo – 2.8

Coming in for Quignon a little after the 62nd minute, Cerrillo really struggled to get into the game. He completed just 81% of his passes compared to Quignon’s 92% and did not successfully complete a single dual in his time out on the pitch. Cerrillo did look to move things forward a bit though, as he registered over eight progressive passes per 90 and had a progressive distance of 18.63 yards for each pass, indicating that he was attempting to progress the ball forward in search of a goal. However, outside of this one viewpoint on the game, Cerrillo struggled and he’ll look to regain his form next week against the Rapids.

Jesus Ferreira – N/A

Kalil ElMedkhar – N/A

Tsiki Ntsabeleng – N/A