“I want to play football until my body says, ‘You can’t run anymore: you’re dead.'”
Heung-Min Son
11th in the West FC Dallas (29 points, 7-11-8) hosts 5th in the West LAFC (40 points, 11-6-7) at 7:30 pm at Toyota Stadium tonight. LAFC has a 3-3-5 road record, so they aren’t as lethal on the road as at home.
This is a big game for FC Dallas; there will be lots of eyes on this one, as LAFC’s newest signing is pretty good.
We still think FCD will need 40-42 points to make the playoffs, that’s 11-13 points from 8 games. Doable, but difficult. RSL, on 31 points, and Houston, on 29, are also targeting San Jose’s 32. Austin FC on 35 might also factor.
Broadcast Info
TV: Apple TV and MLS Season Pass
– Apple TV English: Nate Bukaty, Devon Kerr
– Apple TV Spanish: Pablo Ramirez, Jesus Bracamontes
– Dallas Audio (& FCD ap): Ryan Figert, Steve Davis, and Sam Hale.
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
Maarten Paes – Upper Leg (Out) – a.k.a. hamstring
Paxton Pomykal – Knee Bruise (Out)
Suspension after NEXT yellow: None
Suspension after 2 yellows: Logan Farrington, Eric Quill, Drew Keeshan, Michel Garbini
LAFC
Maxime Chanot – Head (Out)
Lorenzo Dellavalle – Leg (Out)
Jeremy Ebobisse – Leg (Out)
Aaron Long – Achilles (Out)
Suspension after NEXT yellow: Ryan Hollingshead, Sergi Palencia
FC Dallas Lineup Prediction
Coach Eric Quill, we think, is dialed into his 3-4-3…. 3-5-2… 5-4-1… Whatever it is, tactics are fluid. We call it the 3-4-3 because of the way it defends in a low block, which is a large chunk of the game since they are a low-possession team.
The key to this one is the fitness of Petar Musa. He’s not on the injured list, so we know he could go, but since he was lifted at halftime last weekend as a precaution, we have to wonder… Will FCD still be careful with him?
If Musa in, I think Logan Farrington will still play wing. If Musa is out of the XI, Farrington will play the 9, and Anderson Julio, who is still working back to full form, will come back in as the wing.
Might it be more important to protect Musa for the 7 games after this one than it is to run him out for this one game?
I didn’t think Sebastian Lletget got forward enough vs Austin playing the false wing/10, so I’m going back to Patrickson Delgado. But you could flip a coin on the two and be just as accurate. Or is Pedrinho out of the doghouse enough to factor?
Christian Cappis at the 8 wasn’t epic, but he did provide more play through MF than Kaick, so I penciled Cappi in the XI for now.
Bench Prediction
Jacob Jackson
Sebastian Lletget
Louicius Deedson
Sam Sarver
Kaick
Josh Torquato
Nolan Norris
Pedrinho
Petar Musa
MLS Kit Assignments
Officials
REFEREE: Ricardo Fierro
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Adam Garner, Ben Pilgrim
4TH OFFICIAL: Jair Marrufo
VAR: Geoff Gamble
More Game Info
- FCD vs. LAFC all-time: 4-7-1 (15 goals scored, 20 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. LAFC home: 4-1-1 (12 goals scored, 7 goals conceded)
FC Dallas is 4-6-0 in games decided by one goal.
Dallas is 3-9-4 when conceding first
FC Dallas is 2-4-3 when trailing at halftime.
Dallas is fifth in aerial challenges won with 383.
FCD is first in MLS in clearances with 240.
Dallas ranks 21st in xG across MLS with 39.24 xG.
No FC Dallas player has scored more goals (27) in his first two seasons with the club than Petar Musa.
Dallas‘ lone loss versus LA at Toyota Stadium was on Oct. 21, 2021. Dallas’ record at Toyota Stadium versus LAFC is 4-1-1.
FC Dallas defender Sebastien Ibeagha spent 2021-22 with LAFC. Ibeagha appeared 36 times for LAFC, winning the 2022 MLS Cup with LAFC.
Ryan Hollingshead made his professional debut with FC Dallas in 2014 and spent 2014-21 with Dallas. Hollingshead appeared 222 times for Dallas, scoring 20 times and assisting twelve.
Sebastien Ibeagha is seventh in MLS in aerial challenges won with 71.
In 4 seasons with LAFC, forward Denis Bouanga has 89 goals in 140 games in all competitions.
Nathan Ordaz has scored three game-winning goals in 2025 for LAFC in all comps.
Veteran midfielder Mark Delgado (14 seasons) is the only player in MLS history to play for all three Los Angeles-based MLS teams, appearing for Chivas USA from 2012-2014, the Galaxy from 2022-2024, and
now LAFC.
Ryan Hollingshead is the ninth player in LAFC history to play in 100 regular-season matches for the club. (Up to 115.) He is the highest-scoring active defender in MLS with 31 goals, ahead of another ex-FC Dallas player, Walker Zimmerman.
Aaron Long was the 2018 MLS Defender of the Year and has scored 14 regular-season goals.