Canada is like a loft apartment over a really great party.
Robin Williams
This one is for all the marbles.
It’s decision day, 8th in the West FC Dallas (41 points, 10-12-11) heads to Canada to take on the Best in the West Vancouver Whitecaps (63 points, 18-6-9) at 8 pm CT on Saturday at BC Place.
The Caps have scored 65 and allowed just 36. Amazing.
With a win or draw at home against FC Dallas on Decision Day, Vancouver could clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
Your hometown team is in a 4-way fight for 2 spots at the bottom of the West playoff picture. With a win, Dallas is in. After that, it gets messy.
The Burn are in a good’ish spot cause even a tie helps, as it takes San Jose out, and then FCD would just need either Colorado or RSL to lose/draw.
Los Toros can even get in with a loss if SJ doesn’t win and either COL or RSL loses, or if SJ does win, then if both COL and RSL lose. So cheer for SJ/COL/RSL losses, I guess.
Broadcast Info
TV: AppleTV and MLS Season Pass
– Apple TV English: Josh Eastern, Calen Carr
– Apple TV Spanish: Jose Bauz, Nacho Garcia
– Dallas Audio (& FCD ap & Youtube): Ryan Figert, Steve Davis, and Sam Hale
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
Logan Farrington – Suspended (Out)
Petar Musa – Suspended (Out)
Ramiro – Suspended (Out)
Vancouver Whitecaps
Sam Adekugbe – Achilles (Out)
Tristan Blackmon – Knee (Out)
Sebastian Schonlau – Achilles (Out)
Ranko Veselinović – Knee (Out)
Brian White – Hamstring (Out)
One yellow card away from a fine: Sebastian Berhalter, Belal Halbouni, Mathias Laborda
FC Dallas Lineup Prediction
With Petar Musa, Ramiro, and Logan Farrington all suspended, Coach Eric Quill is forced into some changes.
I was so tempted to do something interesting, like start Sebastian Lletget at right wing back. If I were the coach, I would do it. I really like this idea. But, admittedly, Lletget can’t go 90 anymore, so that one sub the coach would be forced to make. If you leave him on the bench, he can be a 30-minute weapon.
So I will predict the conservative approach of bringing in both Lalas Abubakar and Sebastien Ibeagha, thus moving Shaq Moore to wingback. (I would really prefer to keep Moore at left center back.) This is the dreaded “change two things to fix one” scenario, and if there were another right wingback, I would take that route. But there isn’t.
Up top, Anderson Julio is a no-brainer. The other wing I debated between Lucious Deedson and Sam Sarver. Deedson mainly on his Haiti form. But in the end, I opted for Sarver cause of his work rate to go all game and even press pretty relentlessly. And the fact that Sarver’s been producing for North Texas SC and playing 90 minutes all the time. Deedson hasn’t been playing enough to assume he can go 90 if needed.
And yes, I predict Maarten Paes will get the nod.
Bench Prediction
Michael Collodi
Lucious Deedson
Sebastian Lletget
Paxton Pomykal
Nolan Norris
Josh Torquato
Alvaro
Pedrinho
Diego Garcia
MLS Kit Assignments
*Sigh*
The caps go to their change strip and force FCD into their white/blue abomination. According to our own Dan Crooke, FCD has a 0.67 PPG in the secondary kit. That’s just 2 wins in 18 games.
Officials
Ref: Allen Chapman
AR1: Chris Elliott
AR2: Felisha Mariscal
4th: Alain Ruch
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: TJ Zablocki
More Game Info
- FCD vs. VAN all-time: 11-11-9 (128 goals scored, 139 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. VAN away: 3-7-6 (14 goals scored, 20 goals conceded)
Vancouver is riding an eight-game unbeaten run that includes five wins and three draws.
FCD went on an eight-game unbeaten streak from Aug. 9 to Oct. 11, 2025.
Dallas is currently on a three-game winless streak versus Vancouver, and their last win in Vancouver was in 2018.
Since arriving in Vancouver, Thomas Müller has tallied seven goals, including three game-winners, and four assists in just seven appearances (5W-0L-2D) across all competitions
Dallas has scored in 12 consecutive matches dating back to July 16.
Dallas is 5-7-0 in one-goal games.
Dallas is 4-10-8 when conceding first.
FCD has scored 23 first-half goals and 27 second-half goals.
Dallas is 2-5-4 when trailing at halftime.
On the road, Dallas is 2-4-6 when conceding first.
Dallas has led at halftime in ten games, posting a 7-2-1 record.
Dallas ranks fourth in MLS in aerial challenges won (472) and is first in clearances (297).
FCD is 22nd in xG (50.4).
Dallas is tied for fifth in counterattack goals (7) and tied for 9th in goals from open play with 44.
Anderson Julio leads the current Dallas roster with three goals each against the Whitecaps. For the Whitecaps, Brian White has scored four times against Dallas.
Anderson Julio recorded the fastest Dallas speed this season at 35.28 kph (21.92 mph).
Petar Musa and Sebastien Ibeagha are eighth in MLS with 85 aerial challenges won. Ibeagha is also tied for 12th in clearances (50).
Maarten Paes has 12 opponent crosses punched clear, tied for sixth in MLS.
‘Caps head coach Jesper Sørensen coached Dallas midfielder Christian Cappis at Brøndby IF (’23-’24).
