Sixth-place FC Dallas (7-5-7, 28 points) hosts 11th-place Houston Dynamo (4-8-9, 21 points) on Halloween at 2:30PM CT.

It’s the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season.

Game Info

Gameday Social: #FCDvHOU

TV: 2:30PM on Univision

Streaming: 2:30PM on TUDN Twitter

Radio: 2:00PM CT on FCDallas.com/Radio (English) and1270AM (Spanish).

Lineup Prediction

You might be a bit surprised when I tell you I expect the exact same lineup as last game. When a team plays – in the coach’s eyes – pretty well, the players usually keep their spots. When a coach is preaching results and the team gets a result, they keep their spots.

And yes that includes Bressan and Jesus Ferreira.

So yes, I’m predicting Reto Ziegler will be on the bench and Andres Ricaurte will again be the linking-8.

Most everyone is getting healthy and is back with FCD so there are some decisions to be made. Santiago Mosquera is no longer listed as out but I’m not putting him on the bench yet.

Bench Prediction:
Phelipe
Callum Montgomery
Johnny Nelson
Brandon Servania
Reto Ziegler
Tanner Tessmann
Ricardo Pepi
Edwin Cerrillo
Ema Twumasi

On with the show…

More Game Info, Stats, and Bits

According to FCD, they will clinch a berth to the MLS Cup Playoffs with either a win or a draw against Houston on Saturday. Dallas could also clinch if the Vancouver Whitecaps lose or tie AND Real Salt Lake lose or tie against the LA Galaxy on Sunday.
 
Saturday’s game will be the fourth and final Texas Derby of the season; the most derbies in one campaign since 2007. With the 2020 season series currently tied at 1-1-1, thus the fate of El Capitán hangs in the balance and will be decided by Saturday’s outcome.
 
Ryan Hollingshead scored his third game-winning goal of the season (he has scored the winner in FCD’s last three victories) to hand Dallas all three points.

On the other side, Bryan Reynolds won the penalty that Franco Jara dispatched to tie the game and proceeded to dish the assist for Hollingshead’s winner after beating two Miami defenders near the end line.
 
Dallas’ all-time regular-season record against Houston stands evenly at 12-12-14 (58 GF, 54 GA). FCD’s home record against its rival is 8-3-7 (31 GF, 22 GA).
 
Houston sits in 11^th place in the Western Conference on 21 points from 21 games. Tab Ramos’ men are winless in their last five games and fell to Los Angeles FC 2-1 in their midweek match. Houston’s 2-0 home victory over Dallas earlier this month is the club’s only win in its last 12 outings.

FC Dallas

• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Paxton Pomykal (M) – hip injury
  • OUT: Bryan Acosta (M) – undisclosed injury
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: Bressan (D)
• Suspended After Two Yellow Cards: Thiago Santos, Reto Ziegler, Franco Jara
• International duty:  None

Houston Dynamo

• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Michael Salazar (F) – right knee injury
• Suspended: Matias Vera (M)
• Suspended after next caution: Memo Rodriguez (M), Boniek Garcia (M), Darwin Quintero (M), Matas Vera (M)
• Suspended After Two Yellow Cards: Maynor Figueroa, Adam Lundkvist, Kiki Struna
• International duty:  None

Series History

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD:
FC Dallas 12 wins, 58 goals …
Dynamo 12 wins, 54 goals …
Ties 14

AT FC DALLAS:
FC Dallas 8 wins, 31 goals …
Dynamo 3 wins, 22 goals …
Ties 7

Officials

REFEREE: Jair Marrufo.
AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell;
AR2 (opposite): Diego Blas;
4th: Elton Garcia;
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic;
AVAR: Jozef Batko

Murrufo MLS Career:
271 games;
FC/gm: 23.0;
Y/gm: 2.8;
R: 43;
pens: 86

Team Leaders

FC DALLAS
G: 6 Jara
A: 3 Barrios
SHT: 30 Barrios/Jara
SOG: 16 Jara
FC: 36 Thiago Santos
FS: 40 Thiago Santos
OF: 9 Jara
C: 6 Thiago Santos
E: 1 Acosta

DYNAMO
G: 7 Quintero
A: 10 Quintero
SHT: 56 Quintero
SOG: 24 Quintero
FC: 32 Vera
FS: 27 Rodriguez
OF: 9 Quintero
C: 7 Vera
E: 1 3 players tied

CURRENT FC DALLAS GOALS
VS. DYNAMO
Michael Barrios – 5
Ryan Hollingshead – 2
Santiago Mosquera – 2
Fafa Picault – 2
Reto Ziegler – 2
Jesus Ferreira – 1
Matt Hedges – 1
Franco Jara – 1
Andres Ricuarte – 1

CURRENT DYNAMO GOALS
VS. FC DALLAS
Mauro Manotas – 4
Memo Rodriguez – 2
Christian Ramirez – 1
Darwin Ceren – 1
Ronaldo Pena – 1
Darwin Quintero – 1
Michael Salazar – 1

Season Goal Leaders

FC Dallas		Houston Dynamo
Franco Jara	6	Darwin Quintero	6
Santiago Mosquera	4	Ariel Lassiter	3
Ryan Hollingshead	3	Memo Rodríguez	3

Season Stats

FC Dallas		Houston Dynamo
19	Games Played	21
7	Wins	4
5	Losses	8
7	Draws	9
24	Goals	29
21	Goals Conceded	35
176	Shots	222
85	Shots on Target	109
229	Fouls committed	249
240	Fouls suffered	231
26	Offside	41
96	Corners	118

Darwin Quintero collected his 10th assist of the season last game, moving into a tie for the MLS assist lead with Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto FC. Quintero has two goals and four assists over the last eight games.

This season, FC Dallas is tied for 17th in the league with 24 goals in 19
matches while Houston Dynamo is 12th with 29 goals in 21 matches,
including nine goals scored at home.

Ryan Hollingshead is tied for fourth in the league along with 11 other players with three game-winning goals.

FC Dallas is tied for seventh in the league and second in the Western
Conference with 21 goals conceded (1.11 GAA) in 2020.

The Houston Dynamo is tied for 21st in the league with 35 goals allowed in 21 matches (1.67 GAA). The Dynamo have conceded the most goals in the first half (21) and the second-most goals on the road (25).

FC Dallas (7-5-7) has a 0.875 winning percentage (6-0-2 record) when scoring the first goal of the match and a 1-5-1 record (0.214 winning percentage) when conceding the first goal in 2020. FC Dallas earned its first win of the season last week after conceding first in the 2-1 win against Inter Miami on Oct. 28.

FC Dallas has a 0.604 winning percentage and 12-7-5 record for the final
home game of the season.

FCD’s Jimmy Maurer is 10th in the league with a 0.97 goals against average
(GAA), while Houston’s Marko Maric is tied for 24th in the league with a
1.67 GAA.

Maurer also ranks first among goalkeepers with more than 10
appearances with a 79 save percentage, saving 49 out of 62 shots faced,
and has recorded five shutouts this season.

Maric is second in the league with 69 saves while Maurer is tied for 10th with 49 saves.

FC Dallas has a 4-3-0 record and 0.571 winning percentage in games decided by one goal, while the Houston Dynamo are 1-5-0 (0.167 winning percentage) in matches decided by one goal.

According to Opta, FC Dallas has lost only one of their last 22 home MLS
matches (13-1-8) dating back to May 2019.

FC Dallas qualified for the postseason in the shortened 2001 season (due
to the 9/11 attacks) with just 35 points (10-11-5). FC Dallas has qualified for
the postseason in 17 of its 24 seasons (71%).

Since 2015, FCD is 70-5-17 when scoring first.

Since 2015, FC Dallas has a 0.897 winning percentage and 72-3-12 when
scoring at least two goals.

300 CLUB – MLS WINS

1. LA Galaxy — 349 wins
2. FC Dallas — 325
3. New York Red Bulls — 324
4. Sporting Kansas City — 321
5. Columbus Crew SC — 320
6. D.C. United — 316

ALL-TIME MLS HOME WINS

1. LA Galaxy — 223
2. FC Dallas — 218
3. New York Red Bulls — 213
4. Sporting Kansas City — 208
5. Columbus Crew — 207
6. D.C. United — 206