FRISCO - FC Dallas heads back to the heart of the country this weekend for a meeting with Sporting KC on Saturday night. Dallas (9-5-8) picked up a point last week against Colorado, but still finds itself in the middle of a three-game winless run late in the summer. SKC (9-5-10) is fresh off a 1-0 loss to the surging Seattle Sounders last week, their first dropped performance in nine league games (3-1-6 since June 3). It is the fourth meeting of 2017 between the two sides - a 0-0 draw in Kansas in March, a 1-0 FCD win in Frisco in April and a 3-0 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup win in extra time for SKC in July.
Kansas City Funk
FC Dallas is still looking for their first win at Children’s Mercy Park since their first game there in 2011, going 0-4-2 in their last six regular season matches. SKC has also taken the two U.S. Open Cup meetings at the stadium, 6-2 in 2015 and 3-0 in extra time two just a month ago. Across all competitions, FCD has been outscored 23-8 in Kansas City since the park opened in 2011.
Key Match-Ups
Kellyn Acosta vs. Benny Feilhaber - With the departure of Dom Dwyer for bank-breaking sum of up to $1.3 million just a few weeks ago, Feilhaber has stepped up with three goals in his last four matches. Already a top FCD foe with four goals and six assists in regular season play adding to a two-assist performance in USOC action last month.
Matt Hedges vs. Gerso Fernandes - The FCD captain led a back-line resurgence against Colorado allowing just one shot on target en route to their sixth clean sheet of the season. Hedges completed almost 93 percent of his 41 passes in the match to go along with 10 clearances, six recoveries, four aerials won and four recoveries.
Last Time Out
(4-3-3): Tim Melia, Seth Sinovic, Matt Besler, Erik Palmer-Brown, Saad Abdul-Salaam; Jimmy Medranda, James Musa, Soni Mustivar; Daniel Salloi, Sooni Saad, Gerso Fernandes.
Keys to Three Points
Dallas has shown flashes of offensive brilliance over the last three weeks, but will be looking for a complete performance and, most importantly, connecting on that final touch as they head to face a Kansas City team that has allowed the fewest goals in MLS this season. If the defensive face can maintain form from last week at home, while bounces start rolling FCD’s way on the attack, they can pull a full three points out of Kansas.
