It's the first CONCACAF Champions League away day for FC Dallas since 2011 on Wednesday night as FC Dallas takes on Nicaraguan champions Real Esteli for the second time in a month. The match in Frisco was a hard-fought match that saw FCD dominate the stat sheet with a 20-4 shot advantage but it took until the 84th minute for FCD to earn the decisive advantage on a wonderful strike from Maynor Figueroa. Here's a look at what's ahead for FC Dallas tonight in a match that will be available to view via CONCACAF Facebook Live:
Where in the world is FC Dallas?
Having spent Sunday in the capital Managua, FCD traveled to Esteli, the third-largest city in Nicaragua, on Monday. Situated in the north of Nicaragua, Esteli is a progressive and economically growi about 100 miles from the pacific coast and has a population of about 130,000, a little bit smaller than Frisco.
A look at Real Esteli
As anyone who watched the first CCL game saw, Esteli was somewhat overmatched by FCD's starting lineup, but certainly held their own at the back staying composed defensively and limiting FCD's opportunities. They'll look to play forward through Mexican attacker Gregorio "Goyo" Torres who was arguably the most dangerous player in the early-August match. Coming on at halftime, Juan Berdun was equally dangerous for Esteli going forward and the Dallas defense will have to watch for the Esteli counterattacks.
Esteli plays at the 5,000-seat Estadio Independencia which has hosted CCL matches four of the last five years. Check the highlights from Sporting KC's recent trip there to get a look at the place FCD will play tonight.
Group Standings & what's on the line
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DAL | SUC | EST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FC Dallas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | Knockout stage | — | Sep 28 | 2–1 | |
| 2 |  Suchitepéquez | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | Oct 20 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 3 |  Real Estelà | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | Aug 24 | Sep 13 | — |
With Guatemalan side Suchitepequez beating Real Esteli 1-0 in their first match, the Nicaraguan's backs are against the wall needing a win to stay alive in the group. A win or draw at Real Esteli would eliminate the Guatemalans putting FCD in good shape heading into the pair of matches vs the Guatemalan side. Only the group winner advances to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.
How to watch
Tonight's game kicks off at 9:00 PM and will not be shown on TV, but will be streamed live in English on the CONCACAF Facebook Page. We will share the link on our website and the FCD Facebook/Twitter as well.