If FC Dallas is going to make a serious push in the Western Conference this season, August may ultimately be remembered as the month that decided it.
After returning to action last week with two road games in Portland and San Diego, FC Dallas will continue its epically long road summer road trip with eight matches across a 30-day span. From those eight games, five are in MLS play with three in the Leagues Cup. Two of the Leagues Cup matches are technically home games, but one comes in Mansfield, with the other coming at…checks notes…PayPal Park in San Jose.
Travel, squad rotation, and simply staying healthy will be just as important as tactics this month. Survive August with some positive points in league play, while giving the young guys a chance to run in the Leagues Cup, and Dallas could emerge from the summer looking like one of the more battle-tested teams in MLS.
LA Galaxy - away - August 1
August begins with a trip back to Southern California against the Galaxy. LA started off their play after the World Cup break with losses against LAFC and St. Louis, before picking up a draw last weekend against San Jose.
Starting the month with points here would immediately take some pressure off what is going to be a packed schedule.
All-time at LAG: 9-28-6
Last win at LAG: 2023, Dallas closed out that season with a massive 4-1 win over the Galaxy.
Querétaro - home* - August 5 (Leagues Cup)
The Leagues Cup portion of the schedule begins with Queretaro in what will officially count as a home game for Dallas, though it is coming at the new Mansfield Stadium (NTSC’s home). Mexican opposition always adds a different layer to things both tactically and physically.
We know Dallas will say they want to win this competition, which would be a viable path to a Concacaf Champions Cup berth if they can advance far enough. In all honesty, go for it in this one, see what is there for you. If you lose, then it is time to rotate heavily for the next two.
Chivas de Guadalajara - home* - August 8 (Leagues Cup)
The home game that really isn’t a home game. Dallas will ‘host’ one of the biggest clubs in North America in San Jose. Expect there to be far more Chivas fans at PayPal Park than Dallas fans. Even calling this a neutral-site match seems unfair. Again, if Dallas holds their own in the Leagues Cup opener, then maybe they go for it a bit here in this one. If not, get some younger guys on the roster the minutes they need in this one.
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Toluca - away* - August 12 (Leagues Cup)
Toluca’s home environment is notoriously difficult, and playing on the road in Mexico is never easy for an MLS team. Managing minutes leading into the season half of August will become critical here.
Austin FC - away - August 16
Following a trip to Mexico, Dallas goes back into league play with a Copa Tejas match against Austin FC. This is likely going to be a match that determines the Copa Tejas race, as all three teams are sitting on three points at the moment. If Dallas wants to ensure in-state dominance, they need to find a result here.
All-time at Austin: 2-2-2
Last win at Austin: 2023, sounds like we’re making a pattern this month.
Real Salt Lake - away - August 19
There will be little time to catch your breath in this month. RSL has been one of the better teams in MLS this season. Add in playing at altitude days after playing in Austin. By this point in the month, depth and squad rotation could begin to play a major role in determining results.
All-time at RSL: 10-13-5
Last win at RSL: 2025…a 1-0 win in Michael Collodi’s debut in goal
Vancouver Whitecaps - away - August 22
As we know by now, trips to Vancouver are rarely easy. The Caps are one of the league’s more elite teams in 2026, too. Dallas will likely need one of its most complete performances of the month to leave BC Place with points for a second straight season.
All-time at VAN: 4-7-6
Last win at VAN: 2026, a Decision Day win!
St. Louis CITY SC - away - August 30
August finally comes to a close in St. Louis. CITYs has shown that its home crowd can create one of the better atmospheres in MLS. If Dallas still has some gas left in the tank by this point, this will be a good time to find their first win at Energizer Park.
All-time at STL: 0-1-2
Last win at STL: Still waiting for the first win.
Outlook
For a quick visualization as to how much travel FC Dallas will do this month, I whipped up this graphic. It does assume that the club will travel from Utah to Vancouver (which is likely), but it should give you all an idea as to how much travel will be involved in this month.
Let’s take this month in two strides, the league slate and then the Leagues Cup slate. Because however you look at this schedule, there isn’t a single soft spot anywhere.
Eight matches in one month without a home game is the kind of stretch that can derail a season if things go sideways. It can also make your season if you find ways to pick up points.
I think the Leagues Cup wrinkle comes at the worst possible time for the team. The travel, the opponents and the timing just sucks. I think you need to prioritize one over the other if you are Eric Quill. If you think there is a viable path to getting out the group and on to the knockout round in the Leagues Cup, do it. If not, use that time to rotate your squad and find fresh legs that can compete for the remaining gauntlet of a month.
If FC Dallas can navigate this month and average around 1.5 points per MLS match, they’ll have reason to feel good. There are 15 points for the taking, pick up two wins, a pair of draws and only lose once and you head into September with a lot of good feelings.
