4th in the West FC Dallas (35 points, 9-7-8) stayed in the Pacific Northwest this week and takes on 8th in the West Portland Timbers (32 points, 7-6-11) in the MLS Saturday nightcap. Kickoff is at 8:30 CT at Providence Park, one of the best venues in the league.
Broadcast Info
TV (English): TXA 21 and the FCDTV Network.
TV Spanish: Estrella TV (KMPX-29).
Local Stream: fcdallas.com/stream
Out of Market Stream: ESPN+
English Radio: FCDallas.com/Radio
Spanish Radio: 1270AM
Lineup Prediction
With the squad being rotated mid-week at Seattle, Coach Nico Estevez should be able to go back to his first choice XI if he so chooses.
Might we see some rotation back the other way, for example, Matt Hedges back in and paired with Nkosi Tafari with Jose Martinez moving to the bench? It’s possible, but with Portland being just 3 points behind FCD I anticipate the best XI Estevez can field.
Paxton Pomykal and Facundo Quignon are both listed as out so midfield will be interesting. New edition Sebastian Lletget could move right into the XI as he’s the closest profile to Pomykal. With Tsiki Ntsabeleng‘s recent health issues, I’ll pencil in Brandon Servania as well. A Tsiki/Brandon pairing won’t shock me either.
Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Nkosi Tafari
Beni Redzic
Nanu
Tsiki Ntsabeleng
Eddie Munjoma
Jader Obrian
Franco Jara
Joshué Quiñónez
MLS Injury Report
FC Dallas
OUT: Facundo Quignon (adductor)
OUT: Paxton Pomykal (thigh injury)
Portland Timbers
OUT: Diego Gutierrez (right foot)
OUT: Felipe Mora (left knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Claudio Bravo (right hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: George Fochive (groin)
QUESTIONABLE: Cristhian Paredes (right ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: Eryk Williamson (left hamstring)
MLS Discipline Report
SUSPENSION AFTER NEXT YELLOW:
DAL: Jesús Ferreira, Brandon Servania, Alan Velasco
POR: Dario Zuparic, Jose VanRankin
MLS Kit Assignment
Officials
Referee: Ted Unkel
AR1: Ian Anderson
AR2: Meghan Mullen
4TH: Natalie Simon
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero
AVAR: Jose Da Silva
UNKEL REGULAR SEASON:
143 games,
4.09 Yellows/game,
44 Reds,
70 penalties,
23.29 Fouls/game
More Game Info
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- FCD record: 9-7-8 (35 points – 4th in West)
- POR record: 7-6-11 (32 points – 8th in West)
- FCD vs. POR all-time: 9-8-7 (41 goals scored, 30 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. POR all-time away: 1-9-3 (9 goals scored, 30 goal conceded)
The away side has won only two of the 25 all-time regular-season meetings between Portland and FC Dallas.
Dallas has just one win in Portland, a 3-1 victory in April 2016.
The Timbers have trailed at some point in five of the nine matches in their current unbeaten run (4-0-5), coming back to collect at least a point in each game.
In Portland’s nine-game unbeaten streak, Santiago Moreno has racked up 12 points through four goals and four assists.
Dallas has allowed just one goal in the first 15 minutes of matches, with only the Union and Red Bulls (none) allowing fewer, while no team has conceded fewer goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half than Dallas.
FC Dallas’ 1-0 defeat at Seattle on Tuesday was the fourth 1-0 scoreline in the club’s last five games (W2 L2).
The FC Dallas defense has conceded 25 goals in 23 matches this season, tied for fifth in the league (second in the Western Conference) with the least amount of goals allowed.
The Portland Timbers are tied for fourth in the league with 40 goals and fifth in the league with 39 assists.
Since the start of the season, 24 of FC Dallas’ 33 MLS goals have been scored by Americans.
50 MLS APPEARANCES
Nkosi Tafari — (41)
50 MLS STARTS
Brandon Servania — (42)
100 MLS STARTS
Jesús Ferreira — (89)
300 MLS STARTS
Matt Hedges — (289)