This is the big one, the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup against Sporting KC, the best chance to salvage the 2024 season. The game comes just a few days after the two clubs met in league play, a 3-2 win for the former Wizards.
11th in the West FC Dallas (23 points, 6-11-5) is at 13th in the West Sporting Kansas City (20 points, 5-13-5) at 8 pm CT at Children’s Mery Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
FC Dallas has yet to win a road game this season against a MLS opponent.
“This is a trophy that is close to our hearts here in Dallas,” said Maarten Paes, recently named one of three MLS All-Stars for the goalkeeping position for 2024. “If we win this, we’ll get to host the Semi and it’s a chance for the club to write history.
Maarten Paes
“Any time you have a chance to win a trophy, that’s a huge opportunity. It would be incredibly welcomed by everybody. It’s a great, great opportunity for the club.”
Sporting KC Head Coach Peter Vermes
Sporting KC is a club that has always taken the US Open Cup very, very seriously.
Broadcast Info
TV: Free on Apple TV
Apple TV English: Tyler Terens, Devon Kerr
Apple TV Spanish: Unlisted. Not sure if there are any.
English Radio: 1190 am and the FC Dallas App. Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis are on the call. Pregame at 7:30 pm with Sam Hale.
Spanish Radio: FC Dallas app with Carlos Alvarado and Gustavo Caballero.
How Dallas Got Here
Dallas entered the ’24 Cup in the Round of 32.
Round of 32: FC Dallas 1, Memphis 901 0
Rounds of 16: Tampa Bay Rowdies 1, FC Dallas 2
If Dallas advances, they will face Indy Eleven in the Semifinals, who knocked off Atlanta United 2-1.
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
The injury report is a holdover from Sunday’s meeting.
FC Dallas
OUT: Geovane Jesus (knee)
OUT: Paxton Pomykal (knee)
OUT: Alan Velasco (knee)
OUT: Patrickson Delgado (knee)
OUT: Jesus Ferreira (officially upper leg, unofficially hamstring)
OUT: Liam Fraser (officially upper leg, unofficially groin)
Sporting KC
OUT: Felipe Hernández – (Adminstrative leave)
OUT: Logan Ndenbe – (Knee)
Questionable: Robert Castellanos – (Ankle)
Questionable: Nemanja Radoja – (Foot)
Questionable: Dany Rosero – (Hamstring)
Questionable: Remi Walter – (Knee)
FCD Lineup Prediction
This is it, it’s all in on this one. Interim Coach Peter Luccin will be using every arrow in his quiver. The lineup for the meeting on Sunday was predominantly picked to make this game a peak XI.
Marco Farfan and Paul Arriola were rested on Sunday. Sebastien Ibeagha was suspended. They should all re-join Nkosi Tafari on the back line.
In midfield, Asier Illarramendi and Sebastian Lletget were rested as was Petar Musa in the front line. Logan Farrington started and like Tafari went 90 but he’s young and should be fine.
That leaves only a couple of questions starting with the shape. Farrington has been quite dangerous of late, notably playing higher almost next to Musa.
While I might predict a 4-2-3-1, that would move Farrington more wide than I like. So I’m going to lean into a more hybrid 4-4-2 look.
A hybrid 4-4-2 style shape allows Bernard Kamungo to play wider on the left. Tsiki Ntsabeleng will nominally have to play more of a wide right midfield role but because Paul Arriola will be behind him, Tsiki can cheat centrally into the channel – and vice versa if Arriola goes underneath. This is the hybrid’ness of the concept.
Final question, has anyone returned from injury? Jesus Ferreira, Patrickson Delgado, or Liam Fraser perhaps? I’m going to assume “no” for now as all are still listed as “out” by FC Dallas. Fraser less so, but Ferreira and/or Delgado would change the XI if healthy.
You could easily change this into a more standard 4-2-3-1 if you prefer.
Bench Prediction for Medium Rotation
Jimmy Maurer
Ema Twumasi
Tomas Pondeca
Sam Junqua
Carl Sainte
Eugene Ansah
Omar Gonzalez
Dante Sealy
Nolan Norris
MLS Kit Assignments
Based on the FC Dallas social media, Dallas will be in the white secondary kit. Both Sporting kits are blue, but perhaps FCD being in white means Sporting will be in their dark blue.
If I had to bet, FCD in solid white and Sporting in solid Navy, so slightly different than this pic.
Officials
VAR was implemented in the 2024 US Open Cup beginning with the Quarterfinals yesterday.
REFEREE: Tim Ford
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Tyler Wyrostek, Matt Rodman
4TH OFFICIAL: Matt Gerringer
VAR: Kevin Stott, Craig Lowry
More Game Info
- FCD vs. SKC all-time: 30-29-14 (117 goals scored, 109 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. SKC away: 12-17-9 (51 goals scored, 68 goals conceded)
In Open Cup action, Dallas has never defeated Sporting Kansas City on the road. Dallas is 0-4-0 from Children’s Mercy Park.
FC Dallas won the 1997 and 2016 US Open Cup. I believe 1997 is still the only time a team won the Cup entirely on the road.
Sporting KC has won the Cup four times (2004, 2012, 2015, and 2017) and is looking to be the first MLS team to win a fifth. Peter Vermes coached them to three of those (and two MLS Cups).
FC Dallas is 2-9-2 when conceding first.
Dallas is 3-9-0 in games decided by one goal.
Dallas is now 6-6-3 in its last 15 matches across all competitions.
Willy Agada scored two of KC’s three goals against FC Dallas on Sunday. Memo Rodriguez had a goal and as assist.
FC Dallas had a record of 1-5-1 when trailing at halftime.
Daniel Salloi has eight goals and two assists against FC Dallas. Johnny Russell has six goals and an assist against Dallas.
Sporting has gone 16 straight matches without a draw in all competitions, tied for the third-longest streak in club history.
Dallas is winless in 11 regular-season road matches this season with a 0-8-3 away record. Dallas has 1 away win this season in all competitions, at Tampa Bay Rowdies in the US Open Cup Round of 16.
21 of 30 FCD goals have been scored in the second half.
Dallas has scored 26 goals in the past 15 games.
FC Dallas leads MLS in Aerial challenges won in ball control with 49.75%. (I’ll be honest, I find this stat surprising given how bad FCD is at balls from wide into the box.
Petar Musa ranks 18th across MLS in xG (8.04) and the highest on FC Dallas.
Sebastian Lletget has assisted 5 goals this season, the highest for FC Dallas.
Maarten Paes ranks number one overall in MLS in saves made with 93.
Sam Junqua has covered 126.52 miles (203.62 Km), the most by an FC Dallas player this season. He ranks 66th across MLS.