11th in the West FC Dallas (20 points, 5-9-5) hosts 2nd in the East FC Cincinnati (39 points, 12-4-3) at 7:30 pm CT at Toyota Stadium on Saturday night.
This is a massive fit check for Interim Coach Peter Luccin‘s team even at home. Cinci has a 7-1-1 record on the road and is, in the standings, twice as good as FC Dallas. FCC is missing their top 2 CBs, but the chili-eaters remain excellent.
Edit: Steve Davis says FCC is missing their top 3 CBs and their starting 6. They are still better than FCD.
Broadcast Info
TV: MLS Season Pass.
Apple TV English: Mark Followill, Warren Barton
Apple TV Spanish: Raul Guzman, Carlos Ruiz
English Radio: 1190 am and the FC Dallas App. Ryan Figert, Mark Dodd, and Steve Davis are on the call. Pregame at 7 pm with Sam Hale.
Spanish Radio: FC Dallas app with Carlos Alvarado and Jimmy Venegas.
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
OUT: Geovane Jesus (knee)
OUT: Paxton Pomykal (knee)
OUT: Alan Velasco (knee)
OUT: Patrickson Delgado (knee)
OUT: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (illness)
OUT: Carl Sainte (lower leg)
OUT: Jesus Ferreira (upper leg)
FC Cincinnati
OUT: Corey Baird (hip)
OUT: Nick Hagglund (leg)
OUT: Matt Miazga (leg)
OUT: Miles Robinson (USA call-up)
OUT: Malik Pinto (ankle)
Discipline Report
Suspended
Obinna Nwobodo – Red card
Suspended on Next Yellow
DAL: Paul Arriola, Sebas Ibeagha
CIN: Obinna Nwobodo, Luca Orellano
FCD Lineup Prediction
Interim Coach Peter Luccin has his hands full with the resurgence of the injury problem. He too is being hit hard in midfield. Jesus Ferreira, Tsiki Ntsabeleng, and Patrickson Delgado are all out in addition to Paxton Pomykal and Alan Velasco.
Since taking over, Luccin has not used Ema Twumasi, Herbert Endeley, Eugene Ansah, or Nolan Norris for various reasons so I am not considering them as likely options today. Sam Junqua is also seemingly out of favor.
Asier Illarramendi is back which helps but I can’t get the team into a 4-1-4-1 without using Liam Fraser as an 8/10… so double pivot 4-2-3-1 it is.
Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Omar Gonzalez
Nolan Norris
Sam Junqua
Amet Korca
Eugene Ansah
Ema Twumasi
Dante Sealy
Tarik Scott
(Or pick who you want for the last spot: Enes Sali, Antonio Carrera, Herbert Endeley, Tomas Pondeca, etc?)
I also consider the 3-4-3 to get Omar Gonzalez back in, so here’s what that might look like. Kamungo makes way for this shape.
MLS Kit Assignments
Officials
REFEREE: Malik Badawi
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Micheal Barwegen, Eduardo Jeff
4TH OFFICIAL: Elton Garcia
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero, Peter Balciunas
More Game Info
- FCD vs. CIN all-time: 1-0-0 (3 goals scored, 1 goal conceded)
- FCD vs. CIN home: 1-0-0 (3 goals scored, 1 goal conceded)
FC Dallas is 2-7-0 in games decided by one goal.
Since the start of the 2023 MLS Regular Season, FC Cincinnati is 24-5 (.828) in games decided by one
goal.
FCD is 1-7-2 when conceding first.
FC Cincinnati has won five straight matches away from home.
21 players have combined to miss 74 games for FCD.
No current player on FCC’s roster has ever scored against FC Dallas in their career.
Dallas has scored 21 goals in the past twelve games.
Interim head coach Peter Luccin is the only FCD interim head coach to win his first two games in charge.
There have been a surprising number of shared players between these two teams despite only having met once before: Dom Badji, Johnny Nelson, Victor Ulloa, Eric Alexander, Roland Lamah, and Andrew Wiedeman.
Petar Musa ranks 27th across MLS in xG (6.36) and the highest on FC Dallas.
Maarten Paes ranks number one overall in MLS in saves made with 86.
Maarten Paes needs eight saves to tie his season-high total that he has reached in only 19 games so far (92 saves in 30 games, 2023).
FC Dallas used 17 different lineups in 19 games.
Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati is 10-3-4 against West opponents in MLS Regular Season play, including 3-0-0 this season.
why hasn’t Eugene ansah been used?
Just coach choice. But it’s been both coaches. Clearly they don’t think he’s good enough.
This is the guy that the club said they had been scouting for over a year before they brought him in . The FCD foreign scouting department must be one of the worst in the league.
It’s mystifying.
Unpopular opinion. Ansah should be getting more minutes than sealy and kamungo
Certainly Sealy and Kamungo aren’t doing anything to keep their PT.