What again? Didn’t they just play?
Oh right. That’s the game against the Loons while they were missing 14 players that got Nico Estevez fired.
12th in the West FC Dallas (17 points, 4-8-5) hosts the Loons of 4th in the West Minnesota United (29 points, 8-4-5), game time 7:30 pm at Toyota Stadium. The Loons are still depleted, but less so than before.
It’s FC Dallas’ Juneteenth celebration. It’s also $1 hotdog night. So enjoy.
Broadcast Info
TV: All MLS games are free today on AppleTV and MLS Season Pass.
Apple TV English: Mark Followill, Shep Messing
Apple TV Spanish: Raul Guzman, Carlos Ruiz
English Radio: 1190 am and the FC Dallas App. Owen Newkirk, 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)
Minnesota United
OUT: Devin Padelford (Concussion)
OUT: Hugo Bacharach (Knee)
OUT: Teemu Pukki (Knee)
OUT: Alejandro Bran (Costa Rica)
OUT: Carlos Harvey (Panama)
OUT: Tani Oluwaseyi (Canada)
OUT: Dayne St. Clair (Canada)
OUT: Ethan Bristow (loan – Stockport County)
OUT: Mikael Marqués (loan – Västerås SK)
OUT: Derek Dodson (loan – Birmingham Legion)
Discipline Report
Suspended
Moses Nyeman (MIN) – red card.
Suspended on Next Yellow
DAL: Liam Fraser, Paul Arriola, Sebas Ibeagha, Asier Illarramendi
MIN: Wil Trapp
Minnesota Short-Term Signings
With that many bodies out Minnesota signed three of their MLS Next Pro players to short-term contracts for this game: midfielders Kage Romanshyn Jr. & Molik Jesse Khan and defender Finn McRobb.
FCD Lineup Prediction
I was expecting Interim Coach Peter Luccin to immediately swap to four at the back and was surprised he didn’t against St Louis. Word around the water cooler is he wants to change but we’re getting a lot of “no time to implement it” narrative from FCD peeps.
If that’s true, then expect more 3-4-2-1.
You see, since the last game, there has been a recovery day and a walkthrough day. And before this weekend there will be a recovery day and a walkthrough. So if we buy the “no time” narrative last game, then don’t expect a back four until the FC Cincinnati game on the 29th.
So I’m gonna keep predicting 3-4-3 until proven otherwise.
A little rotation might be in order, particularly at wingback where they are finally getting up and down as they should. Could Sam Junqua spell Marco Farfan? Is Ema Twumasi good to rotate in for Paul Arriola? Coach Luccin mentioned Tsiki Ntsabeleng like 300 times in the last game’s press conference so I’m putting him in for the tired-looking Patrickson Delgado.
Or leave those three in.
“They’re [FC Dallas] in a difficult position. They’ve obviously been beneficiaries of what is almost guaranteed post managerial change bounce. We would hope that wouldn’t extend into our game, but of course anytime there is a change of staff, typically that brings new energy, new ideas, and a freshness. They didn’t play in a distinctly different way to a way in which they played against us, despite having changed the manager. Their coach has spoken pretty openly about that being the case. I wouldn’t expect anything all that different from when we played them aside from maybe a renewed energy and a group that’s maybe looking at a situation a little bit differently.”
Loons Head Coach Eric Ramsay on facing Dallas again after just two weeks
And if it is a 4, I predict Luccin will drop Sebas Ibeagha to add Bernie Kamungo.
Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Bernard Kamungo
Paul Arriola
Marco Farfan
Patrickson Delgado
Carl Sainte
Liam Fraser
Dante Sealy
Logan Farrington
MLS Kit Assignments
Officials
REFEREE: Sergii Demianchuk
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Jeffrey, Greeson
4TH OFFICIAL: Joe Dickerson
VAR: David Barrie, Robert Schaap
More Game Info
- FCD record: 4-8-5 (17 points, 12th in West)
- MIN record: 8-4-5 (29 points, 4th in West)
- FCD vs. MIN all-time: 6-7-4 (22 goals scored, 21 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. MIN home: 4-2-2 (14 goals scored, 8 goals conceded)
FC Dallas is 2-6-0 in games decided by one goal.
FCD is 1-7-2 when conceding first.
Dallas has scored 14 goals in the past ten games.
Dallas has 0 goals scored by substitutes.
FC Dallas has only faced 11 shots from counterattacks – only Los Angeles Football Club has defended better in this area.
FC Dallas has taken fewer shots from counterattacks (8) than any other MLS team.
Only two MLS teams have fewer crosses from open play than FC Dallas (109).
[How is that even possible??]
Petar Musa ranks 29th across MLS in xG (5.64) and the highest on FC Dallas.
Maarten Paes ranks second overall in MLS in saves made with 76.
[He’s amazing, but that’s actually bad.]
Hassani Dotson has started in 99 MLS matches in his career.
The Loons attempted just five shots in their defeat at Seattle on Saturday, failing to get any of them on target.
FC Dallas snapped a five-match winless run (D3 L2) with a 2-0 victory over St. Louis City SC on Saturday.
Robin Lod has 29 goals across all MNUFC competitions, making him the all-time leading goal scorer for MNUFC (all competitions).