July and August are really the grinding part of the MLS season. The summer moves have for the most part happened and teams get into their push for the playoffs mode. Around these parts with the heat and the usual inability to make an impactful midseason signing, FC Dallas has to dig down and grind.

Which brings us to the game Saturday night against Real Salt Lake. With their best player, teenager Paxton Pomykal, missing in a precautionary move FCD had to try and deal with a similarly young and talented RSL side who have lost only once in their last six coming in.

And a grind is exactly what this game was.

Let's break it down.

Lineups and Tactics

FC Dallas repeated their 4-2-3-1 form the previous weekend's big win at Sporting KC. As mentioned, Paxton Pomykal didn't start but was on the bench. Dom Badji continues his run as the 9 with Jesus Ferreira taking Pomykal's position.

FC Dallas starting XI vs Real Salt Lake. (7-27-19) (FCD / FC Dallas )

Trying to spark his side, FCD Coach Luchi Gonzalez went to Pomykal earlier than expected in the 58th minute, surprisingly - to me anyway - bringing off Brandon Servania. That move left Pomykal as a deeper 6/8 hybrid next to Bryan Acosta rather than as the higher "free-8" we are used to seeing him play.

New winger Edwin Gyasi came on for Santiago Mosquera in the 69th minute. And lastly bust-signing, but by all accounts a great dude, Zdenek Ondrasek came on for Badji in the 85th minute.

The 18 we picked today were the ones we felt, with the circumstances, earned the right to play today. - Coach Luchi Gonzalez

Real Salt Lake coach Mike Petke was suspended by MLS late in the day so Assistant Coach Freddy Juarez ran things from the sidelines as RSL rolled out their usual 4-2-3-1. Albeit missing perhaps their most dangerous player Albert Rusnak.

RSL's starting XI against FC Dallas. (7-27-19) (RSL / Real Salt Lake)

Oh, that's right. RSL is stupidly paranoid about their lineups. Here's their real lineup.

RSL's actual starting XI at FC Dallas. (7-27-19) (MLS)

Juarez brought on Brooks Lennon for Sebastian Saucedo in the 78th minute. Then Nick Besler for Corey Baird in the 88th minute - a play-for-the-tie kind of sub - and Tate Schmitt for Jefferson Savarino in the 95th minute.

Goals

There were none. Like I said, a grind.

OK, here's one. From the Special Olympics game afterward.

.@SpecialOlympics athlete Caden Benson scores a great free kick for FC Dallas' Special Olympics Unified Team 👏



(via @FCDallas)pic.twitter.com/DvLM5fNNHF — ESPN (@espn) July 28, 2019

El Bueno

Jesse Gonzalez was the Man of the Match for me with 5 saves. He kept FCD in it with a clean sheet and gave them a chance to win the game when the Texas Toros pretty much got outplayed. It really was a top-notch performance by him... for the most part. Gonzalez really is one of the best pure shot-stoppers in MLS. It's why he's the starter over Jimmy Maurer. But his decision making still isn't great, he's still learning. Check out this clip, it includes a fabulous save made mostly by positioning and making himself big... but prior to that a poor choice to punch rather than catch the ball. Catch the ball and the great save isn't needed.

From the first cross they sent in I feel like I could've resolved it better but you have to keep yourself calm and look for a way to keep out the second ball. - Jesse Gonzalez

I thought Reggie Cannon looked particularly good in this one. His verticality was on display and he was giving RSL some troubles down the line. But I really liked Cannon's rapidly improving defensive instincts, not that he was bad before by any means. His game reading is growing and his confidence is up, probably because of his time doing well with the National Team. I love the intercepting of passes and jumping of lanes Cannon is starting to do. 93% passing on 61 touches. Good stuff.

And congrats to Cannon on the 50th start of his career.

It's a great achievement for myself. It feels like new beginnings. Luchi has helped me improve my game to the next level, so it's a huge milestone for me because I love this club and I love giving everything to FC Dallas, so it's a great feeling to feel cemented and almost be a veteran. It's a great feeling and I give my life for this club. - Reggie Cannon

With RSL's strong wing play - and Ryan Hollingshead seemingly staying home defensively more - Reto Ziegler and Matt Hedges looked to try to do to more with their passing into the offensive half. Both, I thought, did fairly well with that. Both were about 2% above their season average in passing percentage, but where it really showed was long passes. Ziegler averages 4.5 long balls a game and Hedges 4.3. In this one? 9 of 13 for Ziegler and 11 of 15 for Hedges. That's quite a jump.

Reto Ziegler (left) and Matt Hedges' (right) passing charts vs RSL. (7-27-19) (MLS / MLS)

And congrats to Ziegler on his 50th start for the club as well.

Somebody told me that after the game, I didn't know that, so I'm proud of that and hope for fifty more. - Reto Ziegler.

El Camino del Medio

I don't dig the long term viability of Brandon Servania and Bryan Acosta as a double-6 pairing. I think they are too similar both being, in my opinion at least, pure 8s. I would prefer to see a purer 6 in there with one of them or the other. This used to be Carlos Gruezo but he was sold - which may be a big blow for this season if things continue - and then it was Edwin Cerrillo. With Paxton Pomykal also being more 8 than 10, FCD has ended up playing a midfield of three 8s. Perhaps we could call them pure central mids if you are more old school. Yet someone needs to be the "water carrier" (copyright Eric Cantona).

Muy Feo

Without Pomykal, RSL was better than FCD. They controlled possession, passed better, and created better chances. Once Pomykal came in, FCD was able to right the ship and get some play going. So much so that possession ended up being 50/50 when RSL controlled the play most of the game. Point being, Dallas really is limited in creating against quality teams if they are missing Pomykal. That dependence is troubling.

It's good to have Paxton back, healthy and confident. We build him into the game and he made an immediate impact, he was breaking his line, pressing, he helped dispossess them in his first play of the game. He was positive and he contributed and it's good to have him back in the groove to help us be optimal. - Luchi Gonzalez

With their yellow cards against RSL, both Bryan Acosta and Reggie Cannon will have to sit out the game against Orlando City next weekend.

The connection between Michael Barrios, who had a great game, and Dom Badji isn't where it needs to be. Barrios is one of FCD's most dangerous attackers with 2 goals - and more specific to this point - 8 assists in 2019. Check out Barrios' passing chart from this game. Three key passes, excellent, but two were from corners. More specifically, look at the pile of passes from the dangerous spot on the right, just outside the box. They aren't connecting with anyone. Is it on Badji? On Barrios? A little of both? Although with 8 assists on the year it's probably only a little bit on Barrios.

Michael Barrios' passing chart against RSL. (7-27-19) (MLS / MLS)

Which brings me to conviction. Coach Gonzalez used this word in the post-game press conference to describe what is missing from FCD in the box and final third. Certainly, there was something missing, as clearly no one had the confidence to pull the trigger. There were multiple occasions when multiple opportunities presented themselves with no shot taken. Badji has more conviction when he's playing mad, he showed some at Sporting KC on his goal. But FCD was missing it big time in this game and as a consequence was outshot 17 to 10 at home. Shots on target? 2 to 5. That's inexcusable.

We need shots, we need shots on target. If we don't shoot, we can't score and then, following that shot, following the rebound. I think we could have had a little more conviction and to push that. That's not the forward's job, that's everybody's job, that's everybody's job to create shots and to follow them up. - Luchi Gonzalez

Next Game

Next Saturday, FC Dallas travels to Mickey Mouse territory to take on Orlando City. Kickoff is at 6:30 CT.