11th in the West FC Dallas (20 points, 5-8-5) travel northwest to take on the 10th in the West Sounders of Seattle (22 points, 5-7-7) at Lumen Field. Kickoff is set for 9:30 pm CT.
Dallas is just 2 points back and Seattle boasts a 2-1-5 home record. They are as vulnerable as they have ever been.
BUT, and it’s a big BUT… Dallas is just 1-10-4 all-time at Seattle in MLS regular season play. The one time they came away with 3 points was back in 2011. Even draws are rare there.
A win in this one would be truly remarkable no matter what Seattle’s home record is.
Seattle is celebrating its Pride Match at this game, with various matchday activities taking place to honor the LGBTQ+ community.
Broadcast Info
TV: MLS Season Pass.
Apple TV English: Mark Rogondino, Heath Pearce
Apple TV Spanish: Alejandro Luna, Diego Arrioja
English Radio: 1190 am and the FC Dallas App. Owen Newkirk, Mark Dodd, and Steve Davis are on the call. Pregame at 9 pm with Sam Hale.
Spanish Radio: FC Dallas app with Carlos Alvarado and Jimmy Venegas.
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
OUT: Geovane Jesus (knee)
OUT: Paxton Pomykal (knee)
OUT: Alan Velasco (knee)
Seattle Sounders
QUESTIONABLE: Pedro de la Vega (Hamstring)
OUT: Jonathan Bell (Jamaica)
OUT: Alex Roldan (Head)
Discipline Report
Suspended
Asier Illarramendi – yellow cards.
Suspended on Next Yellow
DAL: Paul Arriola, Sebas Ibeagha
FCD Lineup Prediction
Interim Coach Peter Luccin has used three tactical shapes in two games. Heck, he used three in one game. We have to do some guesswork here. So instead of predicting 100% what he will do, I’m going to include some of what I want him to do.
First, I loved the 4-1-4-1 shape. I love how Asier Illarramendi sat in as a deep protective 6 and playmaker. I loved the 4 attackers under Musa. It led to greater possession, midfield control, and quality chance creation. I want to see that again.
But with Illarramendi out on yellow, Luccin will have to weigh his midfield and best decide how to compensate. Here’s my thinking, Sebastian Lletget stays in as one of the 4 across and Liam Fraser dops into the deep 6. Fraser is the most pure 6 and will give the back 4 protection. In that role he won’t need to get forward, he can stay home and keep it simple. Just find one of the 4 playmakers ahead of him.
I so want to predict Nolan Norris as the Illarra replacement, he’s the most similar in terms of passing and vision. But Norris is still just 19 and he’s been gone with the US U20 team for a couple of weeks and probably isn’t as dialed into whatever new concepts Luucin has been putting into place. I dream of a Norris start but assume it will be Fraser.
Reasonably, some more light rotation back in. Patrickson Delgado for Tsiki Ntsabeleng, Omar Gonzalez to give Sebas Ibeagha a rest, and a sort of rested Marco Farfan for Sam Junqua.
This gives FCD that quadruple threat out of midfield and the shape compresses into a 4-5-1 low block when required. And if you need a double pivot, Lletget can drop in next to Fraser and morph the shape into a 4-2-3-1, even in the run of play. One sub and it’s easily turned into 3-4-3.
Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Sebastien Ibeagha
Nolan Norris
Sam Junqua
Tsiki Ntsabeleng
Eugene Ansah
Ema Twumasi
Dante Sealy
Logan Farrington
MLS Kit Assignments
Officials
REFEREE: Malik Badawi
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Micheal Barwegen, Eduardo Jeff
4TH OFFICIAL: Elton Garcia
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero, Peter Balciunas
More Game Info
- FCD record: 5-8-5 (20 points, 11th in West)
- SEA record: 5-7-7 (22 points, 10th in West)
- FCD vs. SEA all-time: 8-14-10 (33 goals scored, 47 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. SEA away: 1-10-4 (10 goals scored, 32 goals conceded)
FCD is 2-6-0 in games decided by one goal.
Dallas is 1-7-2 when conceding first.
15 of 24 FCD goals have been scored in the second half.
20 Dallas players have combined to miss 73 games.
Dallas has scored 19 goals in the past eleven games.
FC Dallas had a record of 0-4-1 when trailing at halftime.
Dallas is now 5-3-3 in its last 11 matches across all competitions.
Dallas has one goal scored by a substitute. (Logan Farrington 06/19)
No FC Dallas player has been sent off during the current campaign with a straight red card.
Interim head coach Peter Luccin became FC Dallas’ first interim head coach to win his first two games in charge.
Maarten Paes ranks second overall in MLS in saves made with 80. Paes also ranks No. 7 in balls won (37).
Petar Musa has 8 goals on an xG of 6.08. (MLS calculated xG)
Stefan Frei is the only player in soccer history to win a USOC, MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and CCL trophy
Seattle has won 8 trophies since 2009, the most in MLS in the span.