5th in the West FC Dallas (2-2-1, 7 points) hosts 9th in the West Portland Timbers (1-3-1, 4 points) at 7:30 pm CT at Toyota Stadium.
Portland is pretty banged up and doesn’t do well in Dallas. So, FCD better take care of business.
Rolando Blackman (former Dallas Mavericks player) will be lighting the shield. That’s cool.
Broadcast Info
TV: Free on Apple TV.
English Radio: 1190 AM and the FC Dallas App.
Spanish Radio: 1270 AM TUDN
FCD Lineup Prediction
With a red card last week, Ema Twumasi is out and the obvious answer is Geovane Jesus in at right back.
Beyond that, Portland plays a mid-low block and will let FCD have the ball so perhaps Jose Martinez (not on the injured list) will be the choice from Coach Nico Estevez over Sebastien Ibeagha. Martinez is coming off a knock, however.
The real question is Sebastian Lletget. Missing last week for personal reasons, Coach Nico says Lletget is training and can contribute. Might they try and ease him back in? Maybe. But a home game seems like the time to get him back in rather than at Miami next week. And as my friend Peter Welpton pointed out on the pod, Lletget might be a guy who wants to be playing to take his mind off his troubles.
If Lletget sits there are multiple options: start Tsiki, shift 4-4-2 and start Jimenez, shift 4-2-3-1 bring on Facu with Paxton as a 10 (that tactic feels like a road tactic given this coach’s tendencies), go three at the back and bring on Ibeagha (3-4-3)… 4-3-1 with Jimenez on and Ferreira as the 10 and Paxton in a double-pivot with Cerrillo? Could be anything.
Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Jesús Jiménez
Sam Junqua
Seba Ibeagha
Jader Obrian
Tsiki Ntsabeleng
Bernard Kamungo
Facundo Quignon
Jose Mulato
MLS Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
OUT: Tarik Scott (season-ending injury)
OUT: Isaiah Parker (hamstring)
OUT: Ema Twumasi (red card)
Portland Timbers
OUT: Felipe Mora (L knee)
OUT: Sebastian Blanco (L knee)
OUT: Yimmi Chara (R hamstring)
OUT: Cristhian Paredes (R hamstring)
OUT: Marvin Loría (R hamstring)
OUT: David Bingham (L hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE: Evander (hip)
QUESTIONABLE: David Ayala (R knee)
MLS Kit Assignments
This is the “red out” game and social media is pointing to the team, quite logically, being in red and blue. Portland has a “rose” kit and a green kit. The Timbers’ marketing materials seem to be featuring green this week so they might be in that color, which isn’t very color-blind friendly, but Portland has worn the “rose” against red before.
Officials
REF: Armando Villarreal
AR1: Adam Garner
AR2: Kali Smith
4TH: Rosendo Mendoza
VAR: Greg Dopka
AVAR: Tom Supple
More Game Info
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- FCD record: 2-2-1 (7 points – 5th in West)
- POR record: 1-3-1 (4 points – 9th in West)
- FCD vs. POR all-time: 2-4-2 (9 goals scored, 14 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. POR all-time home: 0-3-1 (2 goals scored, 8 goals conceded)
Dallas has conceded a goal in 11 straight matches dating back to last season (incl. playoffs), it’s the longest active streak in MLS.
FC Dallas against the Portland Timbers is 9-1-4 at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas is unbeaten in eight straight regular season home matches against the Timbers (W6 D2), including winning each of the last three.
Both of FC Dallas’ wins in 2023 have been come-from-behind efforts after conceding the opening goal.
Both of FC Dallas’ wins this season have come in matches in which Jesús Ferreira has scored. Dallas has an 11-1-2 record in the 14 matches in which Ferreira has scored since the start of last season.
FC Dallas is 13 goals away from scoring its 500th goal at Toyota Stadium since the stadium opened on August 6, 2005.
Since 2018, FCD is 52-7-21 when scoring first.
Since 2018, FC Dallas is 53-5-14 and has a 0.831 winning percentage when scoring at least two goals.
FC Dallas has lost only one of its last 11 home matches (incl. playoffs) dating back to mid-July (W7 D3).
Zac McGraw leads the Timbers in clearances (22), headed clearances (11), aerial duels won (17), interceptions (13), and blocks (7) this season.
FC Dallas All-Time Regular Season Goals
| Goals | Games | |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Kreis | 91 | 247 |
| Kenny Cooper | 46 | 121 |
| Jesus Ferreira | 39 | 119 |