It has been a long time coming for FC Dallas fans but playoff soccer is here again in Frisco. FC Dallas hosts a Knockout Round battle on Wednesday night against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The two sides split their season series in 2014 with the lone draw coming back in the summer in Canada.
How they got into the playoffs
Carl Robinson’s team finished fifth in the Western Conference, just edging out rivals Portland for the final playoff spot. The Whitecaps beat the Colorado Rapids in their season finale over the weekend to book their ticket to the postseason for the second time in club history.
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Vancouver had a fairly strong season as they earned 50 points off a 12-8-14 record. The Caps lead the league with 13 shutouts this season from goalkeeper David Ousted. The Whitecaps also enter the playoffs on a 393-minute shutout streak as well.
Injury Watch
Robinson only has a couple injury concerns to worry about at the moment. Caleb Clarke (quad) and Andre Lewis (ACL sprain) are both listed as out for this week’s match.
Key Matchups
Victor Ulloa vs Pedro Morales - This is such a tough matchup for the Dallas Homegrown. Morales is the key to the Whitecaps' attack as he facilitates how Vancouver moves the ball forward and on set pieces. Ulloa will need to limit the space that Morales has to work with and find ways to clog up the passing lanes that he does get.
READ: FC Dallas raring to go at first playoff appearance in three years.
Blas Perez vs Kendall Waston - The Costa Rican center back has been absolutely huge for the Whitecaps down the stretch, including scoring the game-winning goal that sent them to the playoffs. For FCD to advance, they will need Perez to frustrate Waston away from the goal and open up space for guys like Andres Escobar and Fabian Castillo to work in.
Key Player for Vancouver
Pedro Morales - Ending the season with 10 goals and 11 assists shows that Morales is indeed the go-to guy for the Whitecaps in the attack. But he does a lot of the little things on the field that bring out the best in other players like allowing Mauro Rosales to have additional space on the wings where he picked up a few assists of his own this season. Or by drawing out the defense to provide someone like Darren Mattocks the room to run in space after a ball. The key still remains, you shut down Morales, you likely shut down the Whitecaps.
Projected Lineup
Robinson has gone back and forth with his formations as of late. Lately he has been opting to use a 4-2-3-1 style look.
GK: David Ousted, RB: Steven Beitashour; CB: Andy O’Brien, Kendall Waston; LB: Jordan Harvey, CM: Matias Laba, Russell Teibert; RM: Mauro Rosales, AM: Pedro Morales; LM: Sebastián Fernández; FW: Darren Mattocks
Keys to three points
Knockout Round games are always tricky in the MLS Cup Playoffs. FC Dallas is no stranger to them as they lost in their last time out in this round back in 2011.
Vancouver is riding a ton of momentum right now going into the playoffs, going unbeaten in their last five games. FC Dallas does hold one of their most recent losses however.
READ: Looking back at previous matches between FC Dallas and Vancouver in 2014
This game will come down to a big battle in the midfield. Vancouver is going to rely heavily on Morales and Rosales to get the ball forward. On the other end, Dallas is going to need a much bigger effort out of Escobar, Castillo and whomever is partnered with Perez up front. Spreading Vancouver out in the midfield and using the width of the field is going to be a difference in creating chances in the attack or not having many at all.
FCD can also win this game on set pieces too. The Whitecaps don’t have the same size that FCD has on set pieces which could come into play late in the game.
Defensively, Dallas will need to make sure not to allow the physical play to become a factor in this game. Emotions will run high since it is a playoff game. Remaining disciplined for 90 minutes could have a big impact on advancing or ending the season.
