SET THE STAGE: FC Dallas vs. FC Cincinnati | 8.31.19

FC DALLAS vs. FC CINCINNATI


MLS Regular Season, Week 26
August 31 - 7:00PM
Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX
Texas 21 | FCDallas.com/Radio | 99.1 FM
#FCDvCIN


Head-to-Head


  • FCD record: 11-10-7 (40 pts., 7th in West)
  • CIN record: 5-19-3 (18 pts., 12th in East)
SET THE STAGE: FC Dallas vs. FC Cincinnati | 8.31.19  -

CURRENT FORM


  • FC Dallas is coming off a big 5-1 win over the Houston Dynamo in Heineken Rivalry Week. This moves FCD back up the into the playoff picture and back into seventh place in the Western Conference. There's currently a tight race in the west with only three points separating the second-ranked team through the seventh place spot. FC Cincinnati is currently coming off a loss to Columbus Crew SC. It has lost its past two games after drawing against Columbus Crew SC earlier in the month.


OFFENSIVE POTENTIAL BUILDS


  • FC Dallas will look to continue the offensive improvement the club has seen since Montreal, where FC Dallas came back from a 3-0 lead, drawing 3-3 against Montreal in the 90th minute. They continued to see improved efficiency and success in the final third of the field against the Dynamo with a big 5-1 victory. FC Dallas has been looking to show their potential and build success offensively and have shown the success of those efforts through the past few matches. They will look to build this against a team that has been struggling defensively to shut down the opponents attack.


FC CINCINNATI’S INAUGURAL SEASON


  • This is FC Cincinnati’s first official year as an MLS team. Leading up to this year they competed in the USL league from 2016-2018. They moved in to the MLS this year, and are working through adjusting to the new schedule and level of competition. FC Dallas is similarly going through an adjustment year as it is head coach Luchi Gonzalez’s first year in his position, but seem to be finding success and building a strong team identity as the season has progressed.


CAPITALIZING DEPTH


  • Over the past few games we’ve seen Luchi Gonzalez rotate his lineup and capitalize on the depth he has available throughout the FC Dallas roster. We have seen the variety in lineups and formations improve energy throughout the full 90 minutes, and add success to the attack through the unpredictable aspect that it gives the opponent. Against Houston, shifts in the starters and subs with Paxton Pomykal coming in later, Zdenek Ondrasek starting, and Dom Badji shifting over added a new level of chemistry in the top half of the field. They will look to continue to capitalize on rotation of talent and using their depth to keep the opponent guessing as we head in to the final push of the regular season.