FRISCO — The last time FC Dallas (7-1-5) suffered a loss was back on April 29 at the hands of New York City FC. It would be the only time Dallas would take a loss up to this point in the season. Four wins and two draws later, FCD finds itself firmly in second place in the Western Conference with a four-point cushion ahead of Real Salt Lake.
Dallas is now set for its first meeting with the Montreal Impact (4-10-0) this season at Toyota Stadium on Saturday for an East vs. West matchup.
Winning Ways
Both teams come into this matchup fresh off of wins from the past week. Montreal snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Houston Dynamo at home 1-0. Impact Head Coach Rémi Garde switched formations to a 4-2-3-1, and it paid off as Montreal earned its first win in almost a month. Impact midfielder Jeisson Vargas scored the lone goal of the game on the brink of halftime and raising his goal total to four on the season.
FC Dallas enters this game with more momentum than the Impact. Currently on a six-game unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer play, Dallas is coming off a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victory over San Antonio FC on Wednesday night.
Key Matchups
Reggie Cannon vs. Ignacio Piatti — With a talented midfielder like Piatti, eyes will be kept on him throughout the match. Cannon will be one of few to have the task of marking Piatti in an effort to slow him down. With pace on the sideline, Cannon has the ability to slow Piatti down enough for the Impact player to have an off game.
Maxi Urruti vs. Evan Bush — The Impact have given up a MLS-worst 29 goals on the season while FCD has proved to have one of the most potent attack in the league. Maxi Urruti and Roland Lamah have combined for 12 of Dallas’ 22 goals this season, and Bush will have the tough test of trying to stop a barrage of shots that will come his way this weekend.
Projected Starting XI
Montreal Impact (4-2-3-1): Evan Bush, Daniel Lovitz, Jukka Raitala, Rod Fanni, Chris Duvall, Saphir Taïder, Samuel Piette, Ignacio Piatti, Jeisson Vargas, Raheem Edwards, Louis Béland-Goyette
Keys To Three Points
FCD is currently on a winning streak while the Impact have struggled for most of the season. Being at home helps Dallas immensely and should be one of the deciding factors of this matchup. FCD’s fine form at home mixed with the Impact’s struggles on the road is hard to change for both teams. Urruti, Lamah and the rest of the attack will have to be at their best against a defense which is known for the amount of goals conceded. Dallas’ defense has to keep an eye on Piatti at all times, and Cannon will have to be the main reason why Piatti stays quiet. It’s a tall task for a young player, but Cannon has shown he can play with the best in MLS.
