FC Dallas at Portland Timbers – Lineup prediction and game info

Twelfth-place FC Dallas (2-5-5, 11 points) visits ninth-place Portland Timbers (4-6-1, 13 points) tonight at 9:30 pm CT. It’s the second and final meeting between the teams this season.

FC Dallas returns to Providence Park this Saturday for the first time since Dallas defeated the Timbers on penalties during last season’s playoff run.

Gameday Social: #PORvDAL

TV: 9:30 pm on TXA 21 and FCDTV Network (English)

Streaming: 9:30 pm on FCDallas.com/Stream

Radio: 9:30 pm CT on FCDallas.com/Radio (English) and 1270AM (Spanish)

Buzz’s Lineup Prediction

Based on what I witnessed in training and some stuff Coach Luchi Gonzalez said this week, I’m going with Frano Jara at the 9. In theory, this move is about Jara’s hold-up play allowing FCD to get out of their own end. Luchi could have easily changed his mind of course.

There was a lot of experimenting on the wings this week as well but I think Ricardo Pepi will stay on the field so I’m keeping him in and putting Paxton Pomykal on the other wing (they could easily swap sides). Instead of Pomykal, it could be Szabolcs Schön or Jader Obrian instead. But I think Luchi wants to start Pomykal.

Edwin Cerrillo – after a solid start last game – will pair Facu, although Brandon Servania is close.

With the recent mental mistakes, I think Ryan Hollingshead will be on the bench.

Bench
Phelipe
Andres Ricaurte
Ryan Hollingshead
Jader Obrian
Kalil Elmedkhar
Dante Sealy
Szabolcs Schön
Ema Twumasi
Brandon Servania

MLS Player Availability Report

FC Dallas

  • OUT: Beni Redžić (ankle sprain)
  • OUT: Matt Hedges (hip)
  • OUT: Kyle Zobeck (quad)
  • OUT: Jose Martinez (thigh)
  • OUT: Bryan Acosta (international duty)

Portland Timbers

  • OUT: Eryk Williamson (international duty)
  • OUT: Claudio Bravo (international duty)
  • OUT: Jaroslaw Niezgoda (left ACL surgery)
  • OUT: Ismaila Jome (left Achilles tendon surgery)
  • OUT: Jeff Attinella (right thigh)
  • OUT: Andy Polo (right thigh)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Sebastian Blanco (right knee)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Marvin Loria (concussion)
  • QUESTIONABLE: Cristhian Paredes (left thigh strain)

Good grief, that’s a lot of missing bodies.

Potential Suspensions

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD:
POR: Dario Zuparic
DAL: Bressan, Andres Ricuarte

SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS:
POR: Claudio Bravo
DAL: Bryan Acosta, Franco Jara, Jader Obrian

Officials

REFEREE: Joseph Dickerson.
AR1 (bench): Nick Uranga;
AR2 (opposite): Apolinar Mariscal;
4th: Brandon Stevis;
VAR: Sorin Stoica;
AVAR: Joshua Patlak

Dickerson MLS Career: 50 games;
FC/gm: 27.4;
Y/gm: 4.1;
R: 9;
pens: 16

Kit Assignments

Kit assignments for FC Dallas at Portland Timbers, July 17, 2021. (Courtesy MLS)

White on white shorts. I don’t mind shorts conflict but some do.

If the FCD kit had red socks it would be a candidate for the best kit in club history.

More Game Info

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Timbers 8 wins, 32 goals
FC Dallas 8 wins, 38 goals
Ties 7

AT PORTLAND:
Timbers 6 wins, 16 goals
FC Dallas 1 win, 10 goals
Ties 3

Portland’s leading scorer is midfielder Dairon Asprilla with three goals from 11 appearances (six starts). 

The Timbers fell to a second defeat in a row, dropping a 4-1 decision to Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on July 7. Jeremy Ebobisse scored his second goal of the season for the Timbers goal, both coming in the last three games.

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. FC Dallas got goals from four different players as
they took a 4-1 win May 1 at Toyota Stadium, their first meeting in league play since 2019.

When playing at Providence Park, the Timbers are 90-35-45 all-time.

Portland has scored 299 regular-season goals at home since joining the league in 2011.

Since 1996, FC Dallas has an overall record of 53-41-25 during the month of June with a 0.550 winning percentage

FC Dallas Homegrowns have played 2,607 minutes and have made 55 appearances in the past 12 matches during the 2021 season.

FC Dallas is tied for 16th in the league along with Portland and two other teams with 14 goals scored.

FC Dallas is tied for 23rd in the league with FC Cincinnati with 20 goals allowed through 12 matches, while Portland has allowed 19 goals and is tied for 21st in the league.

FC Dallas has a 1-1-0 record in games decided by one goal in 2021, while the Portland Timbers are 2-3-0 (0.400 winning percentage) in games decided by one goal in 2021.

Since 2015, FCD is 74-5-18 when scoring first.

Since 2015, FC Dallas has a 0.891 winning percentage and 75-3-14 when scoring at least two goals.

Excluding penalties, Ricardo Pepi has the second-best goals per game ratio in MLS (Chicharito). Pepi has 5 goals from his 547 minutes this season (6 starts, 5 sub appearances), scoring .89 goals per 90 minutes.

Ricardo Pepi is currently also the highest-scoring American in MLS.

50 FCD APPEARANCES
Paxton Pomykal (50)
Bryan Acosta (48)
Bressan (47)
Jimmy Maurer (40)

50 FC DALLAS STARTS
Bryan Acosta (44)
Jimmy Maurer (40)

MLS ALL-TIME ROAD WINS

  1. LA Galaxy — 128
  2. Sporting Kansas City — 115
  3. Columbus Crew SC — 111
  4. D.C. United — 111
  5. New York Red Bulls — 110
  6. FC Dallas — 108

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