FC Dallas vs Houston Dynamo – lineup prediction and game info

3rd in the West FC Dallas (21 points, 6-3-3) hosts 9th in the West Houston Dynamo (14 points, 4-5-2) at Toyota Stadium at 7:3p pm Saturday night. It’s the first leg of the Texas Derby.

Broadcast Info

TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

English Radio: 1190 AM and the FC Dallas App.

Spanish Radio: 1270 AM TUDN.

FCD Lineup Prediction

Coach Nico Estevez is missing a few players (see injury report below). Tsiki Ntsabeleng should keep his spot filling in for Sebastian Lletget in midfield and Jader Obrian will continue to spell Paul Arriola at wing. Ema Twumasi continues at right back with no Geovane Jesus.

Nkosi Tafari should stay in and since the Jose Martinez rotation didn’t happen midweek I’ll predict it for this one.

Paxton Pomykal is technically listed as questionable but Coach Nico says his young mid is available. The midfield is the strongest part of the Dynamo team but handling them is about experience and not effort and pace so I will assume Coach Nico pics Facundo Quignon.

Maarten Paes is the big question mark as he got a knock last game and is officially questionable – Coach Nico said on Thursday they will see how Paes feels.

So if Pares can’t play and Jimmy Maurer starts expect an emergency singing/loan for the FCD bench. Michael Webber from North Texas SC perhaps? Antonio Carrera is with the US U20s for the World Cup and FCD can’t use U17 standout Julian Eyestone or NTX’s Jack Stewart as both are amateurs.

3rd Degree's FC Dallas XI prediction vs Houston Dynamo on May 20, 2023.
3rd Degree’s FC Dallas XI prediction vs Houston Dynamo on May 20, 2023.

Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer (or Michael Webber if Maurer starts?)
Bernard Kamungo
Sam Junqua
Jose Mulato
Jesus Jimenez
Amet Korca
Edwin Cerrillo
Jose Martinez
Nolan Norris

MLS Injury/Player Availability Report

FC Dallas 

OUT: Tarik Scott (season-ending injury)
OUT: Sebastian Lletget (quad)
OUT: Paul Arriola (quad)
OUT: Geovane Jesus (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: Paxton Pomykal
QUESTIONABLE: Maarten Paes

Houston Dynamo

OUT: Ifunanyachi Achara – Knee
OUT: Teenage Hadebe – Leg
OUT: Tate Schmitt – Knee
QUESTIONABLE: Erik Sviatchenko – Lower body

INTERNATIONAL DUTY:
Antonio Carrera (United States U-20)

SUSPENSION AFTER NEXT YELLOW:
Edwin Cerrillo, Jáder Obrian, & Paxton Pomykal

MLS Kit Assignments

FC Dallas is going to be wearing the Burn-Baby- Burn white kit with, we hope, the preferred black shorts and socks. That means the Dynamo, rather than their road blacks, will probably be in their home orange.

Officials

REF: Victor Rivas
AR1: Micheal Barwegen
AR2: Eduardo Jeff
4TH: Alyssa Nichols
VAR: Jair Marrufo
AVAR: Fabio Tovar

Other Game Info

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS

  • FCD record: 6-3-3 (21 points – 3rd in West)
  • HOU record: 4-5-2 (14 points – 8th in West)
  • FCD vs. HOU all-time: 14-13-7 (70 goals scored, 63 goals conceded)
  • FCD vs. HOU all-time home: 10-3-8 (37 goals scored, 24 goals conceded)

Six of the Dynamo’s 10 goals this season have been scored on set pieces as the club’s four open-play goals are the fewest in MLS in 2023.

FC Dallas has allowed only two set-piece goals this season with only the Sounders (1) allowing fewer.

FC Dallas is unbeaten in 13 straight home matches against Houston in all competitions (W9 D4) dating back to 2013.

The visiting side in this series hasn’t won any of the 17 meetings between the sides since the beginning of the 2017 season (D9 L8).

FC Dallas has lost only one of its last 14 home matches (incl. playoffs) dating back to mid-July (W9 D4), with four wins and one draw this season at Toyota Stadium.

FC Dallas has conceded exactly once in each of its last 10 home matches (incl. playoffs) dating back to a 1-0 win over the Union last August.

Dallas hasn’t allowed more than one goal in a club-record 16 straight home matches, with Vancouver (0-2 last June) the last visitors with multiple goals at Toyota Stadium.

All six of FC Dallas’ wins this season have come in matches in which Jesús Ferreira has scored. Dallas has a 15-1-2 record in the 18 matches in which Ferreira has scored since the start of last season.

FC Dallas has lost only one of its last 14 home matches (incl. playoffs) dating back to mid-July (W9 D4), with four wins and one draw this season at Toyota Stadium.

MLS ALL-TIME HOME WINS

  1. LA Galaxy 242
  2. FC Dallas 238

200 MLS APPEARANCES
Sebastian Lletget 197

FC Dallas All-Time Regular Season Goals

GoalsGames
Jason Kreis91247
Kenny Cooper46121
Jesus Ferreira44127

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