FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas is back from the bye week to take on second-place Seattle Sounders this Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30PM at Toyota Stadium.
Here's everything you need to know before the match.
How to Watch
The match will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth will call the game in English on Apple TV with Diego Pessolano and Walter Roque providing Spanish commentary.
How to Listen
English: If you can't watch the match, you can listen to all the action on 97.1 The Freak and the FC Dallas App. Host Sam Hale will provide pregame and postgame coverage beginning at 7PM with broadcasters Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis calling the game.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on Zona MX 99.1, starting at 7:30PM.
Match Overview
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS
- FCD record: 9-10-7 (34 points - 9th in West)
- SEA record: 11-9-8 (41 points - 2nd in West)
- FCD vs. SEA all-time: 8-14-8 (31 goal scored, 45 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. SEA home: 7-4-5 (22 goal scored, 14 goals conceded)
STORY LINES
- Congested Schedule: FC Dallas is about to enter the busiest point of the 2023 season. The club will play five games before the end of September, beginning with Saturday's home matchup against the Seattle Sounders. Afterwards, Dallas will face Real Salt Lake on the road, Columbus Crew at home and finally Texas Derby rivals Houston Dynamo at Toyota Stadium. But that's not all, the club immediately has another double game week (against Colorado and San Jose) to make it seven games in 21 days. The only other time Dallas played seven games over such a short span of time was back in the 2000 season, when the team was still known as Dallas Burn. It will be interesting to see how much head coach Nico Estévez relies on his squad depth over this busy stretch.
- The Standings: There's just over a month left in the regular season so we need to start looking at the Western Conference table for playoff context. Dallas is currently in ninth place (the final playoff spot) BUT has played fewer games than all the teams ahead of them barring one (Vancouver Whitecaps in in 6th). Plus, the West is ultra competitive this year with just seven points separating FCD in ninth and Seattle Sounders in second. So, theoretically, Dallas could win both its games in hand and the jump all the way up to third place. That's easier said than done, of course. But not impossible. Anyway, that's a lot of words just to say that the West is incredibly tight and every single game/point will matter come Decision Day on October 21. It's crunch time.
- Against Seattle: Saturday's game will be the second time Dallas and Seattle face off this year after FCD earned a hard-fought draw at the Sounders' Lumen Field back in July. Estévez's team was in the midst of a monumental injury crises at the time but his team fought back from one-goal deficit thanks to Bernard Kamungo's game-tying goal. This time around, FCD's squad is healthier (with the exceptions of Kamungo, Alan Velasco and Geovane Jesus) and should have a better chance of taking all three points. Seattle is never an easy opponent, though, and Brian Schmetzer's men are still in possession of second place despite having won just once in their last six league games.
