I thought I might try something new today, rather than the extended twitter thread, I’m putting all my game day info and lineup prediction into a post.
Let me know if you like it.
Game Info
Third-place FC Dallas (5-2-4, 19 points) travels to face 12th-place Atlanta United (3-7-2, 11 points) tonight at 6PM CT.
This is the first and only meeting between the teams this season.
Gameday Social: #ATLvFCD
TV: 6PM CT on FOX Sports Southwest Plus, FCDTV Network
Streaming: 6PM CT on FOX Sports Go app, FCDallas.com/Stream and ESPN+ (outside DFW)
Radio: 6PM CT on FCDallas.com/Radio (English) and 6PM on 1270AM (Spanish)
FC Dallas Lineup Prediction
Most importantly, I think the squad rotation continues. Atlanta is reeling and FCD has two very tough teams coming up in Orlando City and Columbus Crew. Both are coming to Frisco a week apart but Luchi Gonzalez will want his squad rested and ready.
Missing Players: Paxton Pomykal (hip), Kyle Zobeck (groin), Bryan Acosta (red card), Thiago Santos (yellow card accumulation). Update: Ziegler has been added to the injury report.
Jimmy Maurer in the net is obvious. Fafa Picault looked great last game and Michael Barrios got some rest so I have both of them in over Santiago Mosquera who didn’t look so good.
Edwin Cerrillo is the obvious backup to the suspended Thiago Santos and I think he gets the call. That being the case, I’m going with a defensive-minded dual-8 combo of Brandon Servania and Tanner Tessmann and leaving Andres Ricaurte out of the starting XI. I do expect him to sub in.
I think Franco Jara and Reto Ziegler both get rested today. Bressan in for the latter and Jesus Ferreira in for Jara. Yes, Jesus. Luchi loves Jesus and the kid hasn’t played in a couple of games. Plus right now he’s a better style match for Jara as more of a false-9.
Ryan Hollinghead is fighting through a small knock of some kind so I’ll leave him on the bench again with Johnny Nelson and Bryan Reynolds keeping their spots. Both are young and don’t need rest.
So here’s my 4-3-3 prediction with dual-8s. Triple-pivot for the win?
Bench: Phelipe, Pepi, Ricaurte, Jara, Ziegler, Hollingshead, Mosquera, and Dante Sealy. Edit: Nkosi Burgess traveled. Which makes sense now that Zigler’s name is on the injury report.
On with the show…
More Game Info, Stats, and Bits.
FC Dallas is currently on a three-game win streak which is the club’s longest winning run since Oscar Pareja’s FCD won four straight between May 25 and June 9, 2018.
Atlanta United is currently on a three-game losing streak; a run which includes two losses to Inter Miami and one to the other 2020 expansion team Nashville SC.
Forward Franco Jara has now scored five goals in his last five games. Jara’s five goals during September is the most by any MLS player.
Defender Johnny Nelson earned his first MLS assist on Saturday against Sporting Kansas City when he delivered a right-footed cross directly onto Franco Jara’s head for Dallas’ first goal.
FC Dallas has a 2-1-0 all-time record against Atlanta United who joined MLS in 2017. Dallas has earned one win and one loss when playing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta United Injury Report:
- OUT: Josef Martinez (F) – ACL injury
- OUT: Jurgen Damm (M) – undisclosed injury
- OUT: Cubo Torres (F) – knee sprain
Suspended after next caution: Both teams – None
Suspended After Two Yellow Cards
ATL: Franco Escobar, Miles Robinson
FCD: Michael Barrios
Suspended: Both – None
International duty: Both – None
Officials
Referee: Timothy Ford
Assistant Referees: Corey Rockwell, Benjamin Hall-Volpenhein
4th Official: Matthew Thompson
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
Team Leaders
ATL UTD
G: 2 3 players tied
A: 3 Barco
SHT: 26 Barco
SOG: 10 Barco
FC: 19 Lennon
FS: 40 Barco
OF: 7 Jahn
C: 6 Escobar
E: 1 Mulraney/Williams
FC DALLAS
G: 5 Jara
A: 3 Barrios
SHT: 18 Barrios
SOG: 10 Jara
FC: 25 Thiago Santos
FS: 32 Thiago Santos
OF: 4 Jara/Mosquera
C: 4 Thiago Santos
E: 1 Acosta
Season Goal Leaders
| Atlanta United | FC Dallas | ||
| Emerson Hyndman | 2 | Franco Jara | 5 |
| Ezequiel Barco | 2 | Santiago Mosquera | 4 |
| Pity Martínez | 2 | Ricardo Pepi | 2 |
| 6 Players | 1 | Zdenek Ondrasek | 2 |
Season Stats
| Atlanta United | FC Dallas | |
| 12 | Games Played | 11 |
| 3 | Wins | 5 |
| 7 | Losses | 2 |
| 2 | Draws | 4 |
| 12 | Goals | 19 |
| 17 | Goals Conceded | 12 |
| 85 | Shots | 97 |
| 45 | Shots on Target | 52 |
| 153 | Fouls committed | 136 |
| 197 | Fouls suffered | 138 |
| 21 | Offside | 12 |
| 51 | Corners | 53 |
CURRENT UNITED GOALS
VS. FC DALLAS
Erick Torres 4
Josef Martinez 4
Jeff Larentowicz 3
CURRENT FC DALLAS GOALS
VS. ATLANTA UNITED
Bryan Acosta 1
Jesus Ferreira 1
Fafa Picault 1
Reto Ziegler 1
Team Goals Inside the Box
(2020 MLS season)
Rank Team Inside Total
1 Inter Miami CF 11 11
2 Atlanta United 11 12
Larentowicz became just the third field player in MLS history to reach 400 games played on May 12th, 2019.
Atlanta United has only conceded four of its 17 goals in the second half.
FC Dallas ranks 12 in the league with 19 goals scored, while Atlanta is tied
for 18th with 12 goals in 12 matches.
FC Dallas is sixth in the league and second in the Western Conference
with 12 goals conceded in 2020 while Atlanta is tied for 12th in the
league with 17 goals conceded.
FC Dallas has 11 different goal scorers in the 2020 season so far. Last season, FC Dallas had 15 different goal scorers.
FC Dallas (5-2-4) has a .917 winning percentage (5-0-1 record)
when scoring the first goal of the match and a 0-2-1 record (.167
winning percentage) when conceding the first goal in 2020.
Since 2015, FCD is 69-5-16 when scoring first.
Since 2015, FC Dallas has a 0.900 winning percentage and 71-3-11 when
scoring at least two goals.
FC Dallas will play seven matches in September for the first time in team
history. It will be the fifth time overall (previous times were July 1996, June
2000, May 2011, May 2014).
Since the creation of the league back in 1996, FC Dallas has an overall
record of 39-47-21 in the month of September with a 0.463 winning
percentage. In matches played on the road, FC Dallas has a 14-29-12
record and 0.364 winning percentage.
When Michael Barrios scores or assists, FC Dallas is 37-9-9 in regular-season league games. FC Dallas is 19-3-3 when Barrios scores.
Upcoming Milestones
50 FC DALLAS REGULAR SEASON APPEARANCES
Jesús Ferreira (43)
100 MLS APPEARANCES
Fafa Picault (97)
Enjoy the game.