Eleventh-place FC Dallas (5-9-7, 22 points) visits 12th-place Austin FC (5-11-4, 19 points) tonight at 7:00 pm CT.
It’s the second of three meetings between the teams this season.
Gameday Social: #ATXvDAL
TV: 7 pm on FS1
Streaming: 7 pm on FOXSports GO app and at FOXSportsGO.com.
Radio: 7 pm CT on FCDallas.com/Radio (English) and 1270AM (Spanish)
Buzz’s Lineup Prediction
There are multiple uncertainties in the XI prediction today due to players with injuries and their availability. Multiple options were going to be tested in the latter half of the week’s training. I’ll go over them here.
One name we know is still out, is Paxton Pomykal. Coach Luchi Gonzalez – as I discussed on the podcast this week – said Pomykal is progressing well but won’t play against Austin.
Facundo Quignon was set to return to training on Thursday and if he came through well, he’ll start. If not it’s Edwin Cerrillo in his spot. Faco is listed as out on the injury report by MLS and FCD so he must not have cleared. Look for Edwin then.
Bressan is going to be out a couple of weeks with this sprained AC (again, see the Podcast), Matt Hedges should start at left center back.
Jimmy Mauer was also given some time off this week but he too was set to return on Thursday. Again that’s a simple change to Philepe – who has been really pushing Maurer anyway – if Maurer can’t go.
Bryan Acosta is suspended for yellow cards, Andres Ricaurte will take his position.
One change I don’t like, given Freddy Vargas‘ underwhelming outing last game, Jader Obrian will likely return at right wing. I’m sure we all wish there was someone else, like Paxton, who could go there. While Kalil ElMedkhar is showing flashes, I don’t think he’s a 90-minute option yet and is much better left than right anyway.
The x-factor might be Ema Twumasi, who could play right wing with Justin Che – who is back from his injury and has enough training time to start again – at right back. I consider this option a long shot though.
Bench Prediction
Phelipe
Justin Che
Edwin Cerrillo (or ???)
Eddie Munjoma
Kalil ElMedkhar
Freddy Vargas
Jose Martinez
Brandon Servania
Franco Jara
MLS Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
- OUT: Beni Redžić (ankle sprain)
- OUT: Paxton Pomykal (knee)
- OUT: Johnny Nelson (back)
- OUT: Facundo Quignon (groin)
- OUT: Bressan (shoulder)
Austin FC
- OUT: Ulises Segura (left knee)
- OUT: Ben Sweat (ACL)
- OUT: Aaron Schoenfeld (left knee)
- OUT: Danny Hoesen (left hip)
Suspensions
SUSPENDED:
DAL: Bryan Acosta (caution accumulation; through Aug. 29)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD:
DAL: Ema Twumasi
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD:
ATX: Daniel Pereira
DAL: Jader Obrian, Matt Hedges, Edwin Cerrillo
Officials
REFEREE: Jair Marrufo.
AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson;
AR2 (opposite): Cory Richardson;
4th: Baldomero
Toledo; VAR: Hilario Grajeda;
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
Marrufo MLS Career:
281 games;
FC/gm: 22.9;
Y/gm: 2.8;
R: 44;
pens: 87
MLS Kit Assignments
I love the white shorts with the red top but I do wish it was blue socks instead.
More Game Info
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Austin FC 0 wins, 0 goals …
FCD 1 win, 2 goals …
Ties 0
AT Q2 STADIUM:
First meeting.
Sunday’s game will be FC Dallas’ very first trip to Austin FC’s new home, Q2 Stadium. Since 1996, Dallas has a 9-13-5 record in its first away game against a new MLS team.
Austin FC is currently ranked first in saves percentage (78.4) league-wide.
Midfielder Diego Fagundez is three (3) assists short of joining Major League Soccer’s 50 goals-50 assists club. Fagundez is on track to become the second-fastest MLS player to join the 50-50 club. Landon Donovan became the youngest ever to join the club (25 years, 55 days).
Austin FC is also currently first in MLS in pass percentage (86.1%), accurate passes per match (430.0) and second in average possession (55.6%).
Brad Stuver currently leads the league in saves (87) with 78.4% shots faced saved and leads Austin FC in minutes
played (1800).
FC Dallas is tied for 14th in the league with three other teams with 25 goals scored, while Austin FC ranks last with 17 goals scored. Homegrown
Ricardo Pepi is tied for seventh with nine goals scored, is the highest-scoring American in the league, and is one of eight players with two multigoal games.
FC Dallas is tied for 18th along with the Vancouver Whitecaps with 30 goals allowed, while Austin FC is tied for ninth in the league with 24 goals conceded through 20 games.
FC Dallas is unbeaten in three straight away matches (W1 D2) for the first time since May 2018. Dallas hasn’t gone unbeaten in four straight away matches since its first four road games of 2017.
FC Dallas has a 2-3-0 record (0.400 winning percentage) in games decided by one goal in 2021, while Austin FC is 2-6-0 (0.250 winning percentage) in games decided by one goal.
Since 2015, FCD is 77-5-18 when scoring first. FC Dallas has a 0.917 winning percentage (5-0-1 record) when scoring the first goal of the match and a 0-9-5 record (0.179 winning percentage) when conceding the first goal in 2021.
Since 2015, FC Dallas has a 0.891 winning percentage and 78-3-15 when scoring at least two goals.
FCD’s Jimmy Maurer (1.53 GAA) is 25th in the league, while Austin FC’s Brad Stuver (1.20 GAA) ranks 15th.
50 FCD APPEARANCES
Jimmy Maurer (49)
Ricardo Pepi (44)
50 FC DALLAS STARTS
Jimmy Maurer (49)
Bryan Acosta (47)
Bressan (41)