FC Dallas is back in MLS action Sunday afternoon in Kansas City for their second matchup on the season with Sporting KC. FC Dallas won the year’s first matchup, 2-1 after going down 1-0. FC Dallas will try to break a five-game winless streak in Kansas City, which included three losses at Children’s Mercy Park last season. Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s opponent.
OPPOSING TRENDS
Since these teams last met up, they’ve experienced different fortunes. While FC Dallas rebounded from a three-game losing streak with a five-game unbeaten run, Sporting KC has won just one game since the teams’ April 17 meeting. In fact, since the beginning of April, Kansas City is just 1-7-5, with a 1-4-1 record at home. FC Dallas is 2-3-2 on the road during that same stretch. That being said, the teams hungriest for a win are often the most dangerous.
KEY PLAYER FOR KANSAS CITY
Dom Dwyer – Easily Sporting’s biggest attacking threat, the 25-year-old striker has been involved in eight of the team’s 14 goals, scoring six of them. Dwyer makes his mark using his quickness and speed to not only get on the end of service from players like Benny Feilhaber and Brad Davis, but to create his own chances by taking players off-dribble, scoring on his own.
KEY MATCH-UPS
Victor Ulloa vs. Benny Feilhaber – Both teams feature strong midfielders and in this game, Sporting’s success might depend on their ability to feed the ball from the middle to Dom Dwyer. It’ll be up to Ulloa and his fellow defensive mid to keep Feilhaber, who had 15 assists in 2015, in check and constantly under pressure.
Fabian Castillo vs. Saad Abdul-Salaam – Fabian Castillo has scored just one time since these teams last played but as both of these teams come in with tired legs after 120 minutes of U.S. Open Cup action Wednesday, Castillo’s pace might be more of a threat than normal, going against a converted center back with considerably less pace.
PROJECTED LINEUP (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper: Tim Melia; Defenders: Jimmy Medranda, Ike Opara, Lawrence Olum, Saad Abdul-Salaam; Midfielders: Roger Espinoza, Benny Feilhaber, Soni Mustivar; Forwards: Connor Hallisey, Dom Dwyer, Brad Davis
KEYS TO THREE POINTS
FC Dallas hasn’t lost in five games, but has scored just one goal in their final two games before the Copa America break. For FC Dallas to come away with three points, the team will have to find a way to be offensively potent, and that likely begins with Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo. Diaz will need to demand the ball and continually look for Castillo in space, knowing that one goal might be all it takes to beat a team who’s struggling offensively this season.
