FRISCO – For the first time this season, FC Dallas will look to bounce back from a defeat. Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to San Jose ended Dallas’ run as the last unbeaten team in MLS.
What effect did the loss have on FC Dallas’ standing around the league? Much like the Western Conference standings, the loss dropped Dallas behind a handful of teams, but still well within a group of the league’s best teams.
FC Dallas will have two opportunities to recover this week with a trip to the surging Chicago Fire (6-3-3) on Thursday and a Texas Derby showdown with Houston (6-5-1) on Sunday night at Toyota Stadium.
WATCH: Chicago Fire vs. FC Dallas - 7:30 p.m. on FCDallas.com | Pregame coverage starts at 7:00
ESPNFC
1. Toronto FC (+1)
2. FC Dallas (-1) - Dallas’ first defeat of the year, a shocking 1-0 loss against the San Jose Earthquakes, came at home – where Dallas lost just once in 2016.
3. Sporting Kansas City (no change)
4. Columbus Crew SC (no change)
5. New York City FC (+2)
6. Chicago Fire (+4) - A two-win week – a 3-0 result against the Colorado Rapids and a 1-0 victory at D.C. United – has the Fire all the way up to second in the East and dreaming of the playoffs. The win on the road in D.C. was Chicago’s first of the year.
9. Houston Dynamo (-3) - The Dynamo remain a disaster on the road, where they have yet to earn a point this season after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union and a 4-1 loss against Atlanta United. Can Wilmer Cabrera squeeze anything out of their away schedule?
MLSSoccer.com
1. Toronto FC (no change)
2. New York City FC (+1)
3. FC Dallas (-1) – It took a legit golazo to hand Dallas their first loss of the season, so nobody should panic. But are there any offensive difference-makers available once Maxi Urruti hits a dry patch? None of the offseason acquisitions have lived up to their billing, and FCD have dropped 7 points from their last three home games.
4. Sporting Kansas City (no change)
5. Chicago Fire (+5) – It was a huge week for Chicago, who followed up their big win against Seattle with victories against Colorado and at D.C. to climb all the way up to second in the East. Nemanja Nikolic looks like a true star, and David Accam is having a big impact, too. The Fire look like they’re for real.
11. Houston Dynamo (-3) – For as impressive as they’ve been at home, Houston aren’t going to be able to truly make waves without putting it together away from BBVA Compass Stadium. That didn’t happen last week, when they lost at Philly and Atlanta to slip in the standings and power rankings.
Soccer America
1. Toronto FC (no change)
2. New York City FC (no change)
3. Sporting Kansas City (+1)
4. FC Dallas (-1) - San Jose gets some credit for denying FCD a shot on goal until the 75th minutes, yet such reliables such as Max Urruti just didn’t look sharp enough to contend with an inspired foe. Next up is a very tough test at Chicago.
5. Chicago Fire (+4) - Two more wins, both by shutout, with Nemanja Nikolic and David Accam sharing the four goals, has further burnished this new look sported by the Fire. Nikolic leads the league with 10 goals; he and Accam and their teammates have cast off any suspicion they would rely too much on Bastian Schweinsteiger. In the last four games he has one assist, yet the Fire has rolled 10s in points and goals.
9. Houston Dynamo (-4) - The Curse of the Road is confirmed. The Dynamo conceded two first-half goals in Philly and launched 24 crosses to no avail. In Atlanta, a storm delay of nearly an hour sparked a four-goal onslaught before Erick “Cubo” Torres converted a penalty kick in stoppage time. A 12th different lineup in 12 games included veteran DaMarcus Beasley up top at left wing.
Sports Illustrated
1. Toronto FC (+1)
2. New York City FC (+1)
3. FC Dallas (-2) - It finally happened. After a nine-game unbeaten run to start the season, FC Dallas lost its first game of 2017, 1-0 at home to San Jose. The truth is that Dallas's performances have been a bit inconsistent the last few weeks, but it was able to salvage draws in games most teams might have lost otherwise. It will look to get back on track on Thursday at Chicago.
4. Sporting Kansas City (no change)
5. Chicago Fire (+4) - The Fire won both of their games, and Nemanja Nikolic cemented his place among the most dangerous strikers in MLS, all in a single week. Nikolic's two goals in a 3-0 win over Colorado at home midweek vaulted him into pole position in the Golden Boot race, while David Accam got the winner in a gritty 1-0 win over D.C. United on Saturday. Chicago has won three straight as part of a four-game unbeaten run, and it hosts FC Dallas in a must-see matchup on Thursday night.
7. Houston Dynamo (-2) - The road woes continued for the Dynamo in Week 12, as Houston lost 2-0 at Philadelphia and 4-1 at Atlanta to bring its away record to a miserable 0-5-0 on the season. Houston's 6-0-1 record at home means it is still among the top teams in the West, but good teams must find ways to get results on the road. The Dynamo will have another chance to do so this weekend, at the home of Texas rival FC Dallas.
