FC Dallas Faces Seattle
In a crucial match before the Leagues Cup, FC Dallas looks to turn their ship around... or at least get a crucial point.
There hasn’t been a lot of good news for FC Dallas. The last was the nice home win against Los Angeles FC, but they couldn’t repeat that against DC United and then came away with nothing in Colorado.
Fans, and the team, seem to know what is at stake. Playing in Seattle is hard, but the Sounders have been struggling a bit as of late. In any game in this league, there is potential. That’s why Nico asserts in the pregame media above that it is an opportunity for this team to put together a strong result. The second half of the season looms ahead, and FC Dallas will need all the points they can claw together.
If there is good news, the injury report has begun to improve. That’s welcome relief for a team down to barebones for some of these matches. Our friends at Big D Soccer wrote a bit about that, although it does look like Paul Arriola traveled for the match.
Don’t expect any recently injured players to make an instant impact, but off the bench? We’ll take it.
Seattle’s turf always plays a role into how to rotate guys and prevent injury.
My sense of where this team needs to improve:
A big defensive shift. The back line has been a mess lately, but there are enough veterans for the team to put on a strong showing. Rightback remains a position of concern, but Geovane Jesus should be back in action. If not, expect Collin Smith to get a look. A 0-0 draw would be something to celebrate after a brutal couple of weeks.
Eugene Ansah debut. Ansah, FC Dallas’ newest signing, will likely feature. He may even start. Seattle is not the most pleasant place to begin your MLS career, but if he can provide a spark, it would do wonders for the team’s confidence.
Watch the midfield. Quignon and Ulloa need to step up once again. We’ve been overdue for a strong showing from the two. If FC Dallas can get a solid performance from them, they might control the game.
The game kicks off in a few hours here on the West Coast. Follow us on twitter to stay up with the game.