FRISCO, Texas - PLAYOFFS? YER TALKIN PLAYOFFS? Yes, we are talking playoffs. Third-seed FC Dallas takes on sixth-seed Minnesota United FC in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs on Monday, Oct. 17 at 8:30PM within Toyota Stadium.
Here's everything you need to know before the game.
How to Watch
TV (English): The match will be shown on FOX Sports 1 with John Strong and Stu Holden on the call.
TV (Spanish): The game will also be shown in Spanish on FOX Deportes.
LISTEN
English: If you can't watch the match, you can listen to all the action on iHeartMedia 1190AM and the iHeartMedia app hosted by Sam Hale with broadcasters Mark Followill and Steve Davis beginning at 8PM.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on 1270AM, starting at 8:30PM CT.
Match Overview
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- FCD record: 14-9-11 (53 points - 3rd in West)
- MIN record: 14-14-6 (48 points - 6th in West)
- FCD vs. MIN all-time: 6-6-2 (21 goal scored, 19 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. MIN all-time home: 4-1-2 (14 goal scored, 7 goals conceded)
STORY LINES
Home Advantage
FC Dallas begins its postseason campaign with home field advantage thanks to its top-four finish in the Western Conference. It's the first time FCD will host a playoff game at Toyota Stadium since 2018 (and that was essentially a play-in game, which Dallas ended up losing). Since 1996, Dallas is 11-8-5 in home playoff games and 5-4-3 inside Toyota Stadium. While that record doesn't jump off the page (or screen), it's actually very good considering FCD's away playoff record is a frightful 3-16-4. The playoffs are hard, go figure. Anyway, FCD should be feeling confident ahead of Monday's game considering the team only lost three times at Toyota Stadium all year, with the most recent defeat coming back in early July to New York City FC. The only catch is one of those three home defeats was to none other than Minnesota United. But, as FCD color commentator Steve Davis pointed out on Twitter, Dallas was not at full strength.
Full Strength
FC Dallas has the considerable fortune of entering playoffs with a full-strength squad (save for recently signed winger Bernard Kamungo). The team dealt with injuries to Matt Hedges, Facundo Quignon, Franco Jara and Alan Velasco at various times during the playoff push but, thankfully, all have returned to action ahead of the postseason. The same cannot be said for Minnesota United. Adrian Heath's team has been dealing with the injury bug often over 2022 with Hossani Dotson, Jacori Hayes and, crucially, Bakaye Dibassy all suffering season-ending injuries. The relative health of FCD's roster could give them an edge in Monday night's winner-moves-on matchup.
Format
As always, the ultimate goal of any playoff team is the MLS Cup. But the path to that hallowed ground is no cakewalk. Fourteen teams (seven from each conference) enter the playoffs with twelve teams contesting the opening round (the top seed in each conference has a first-round bye, in this case LAFC and Philly). All games are single-elimination, winner-moves-on games. That means no ties, no second legs and no do-overs. If games aren't decided within the 90 minutes of regulation, they'll move to two 15-minute periods of extra time. If there's still no winner, we're going to penalties. It's exciting, it's nerve wracking, it's...the the MLS Cup Playoffs!!!
