It has been more than 70 days since the last time FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC met. This time, the Hoops travel to Seattle to take on the Rave Green at CenturyLink Field after the teams battled to a nil-nil draw in the third week of the season in Dallas.
With FC Dallas having mixed success since their last matchup against the Sounders, we caught up with Steve Hunt of the Dallas Morning News to get his take on this weekend’s Western Conference clash.
Since Last Time…
FC Dallas had a good run after the last meeting between these two teams. It’s been a weird season since then. The team rested Mauro Diaz for a bit and in the last few games, teams have found a way to clog up the middle when they play against FC Dallas and that frustrates them. Fabian Castillo missed a match and seemed a little off, too, since returning to play. If FCD can’t work it wide, their attack stalls. I think that might be what’s happening and what has caused them problems in their recent matches.
Earlier this season, they could score goals at will. There’s always a lull in a season and I think this might be it for them. They’re on a three game road swing—this is the second match of that—so that could be weighing on the team.
The FC Dallas Attack
When the attack is really going and Castillo and Diaz are working well together and Perez is up top, they’re hard to stop. Right now, they’re stuck in neutral and looking to return to their earlier form. They could flip a switch at any point but I think they need to fix their defense first.
Looking For Revenge
I think they’re going to come out swinging because they still have confidence from what they did in the playoffs last year. They didn’t lose to the Sounders in the playoffs in Seattle, despite not advancing. I think there’s a sense of urgency and desperation because they want to have a win on this road swing. They’re going to head into CenturyLink Field and go all out.
They will have a few of their players returning from international call-ups, but they will be missing some other players who still have obligations, plus a red-card suspension for Je-Vaughn Watson. Their lineup is in flux, but Head Coach Oscar Pareja will have the team really well-prepared. They need a solid start to the match to earn a result on the road.
Best Stat of the Season
Pareja likes to play an attacking style with his team. They like to exploit the pace of the game. Mauro Diaz and Tesho Akinmdele both have speed. They like to put it in the red and go at teams.
The team hasn’t been scoring like they did earlier this season, but their attack really determines their success. 1.57 points per game isn’t bad by any means and if they can improve their game on the road, they’ll be in a good position to make a run into the playoffs. They always seem to get hot at the right time, especially as the season progresses.
