Rivalry games in Major League Soccer hit a lot differently these days. In the early years of the league, rivalries were built more on gritty playoff battles when the league was still at ten or 12 teams. Fast forward to a 30-team MLS, and the rivalry situation is all about geography.
For the last few seasons, FC Dallas has battled both Austin FC and the Houston Dynamo to see who is the preverbal Kings of Texas.
Going into the weekend, Houston leads the Copa Tejas standings with seven points, but FC Dallas could inch closer to another title win when they take on Austin FC for the first time this season.
The two sides squared off three times in 2024, with FC Dallas coming out on top in two of those meetings.
For several FC Dallas players like Sebastian Lletget and Petar Musa, this weekend is also about playing their former manager, Nico Estevez.
"I've known him for many years. We're well aware of what he wants to do or at least how they're going to play," said Lletget. "We're looking at video, analytics, and everything we can in preparation for this game. I think we're ready."
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Estevez was part of the group that helped bring Musa to Dallas ahead of the 2024 season. Musa believes the two will be friendly off the field, but he expects a different result on the field Saturday night.
“I worked with Nico when I came here. It wasn’t that long, but it was good,” recalled Musa. “He’s a nice guy, but on the field, we are enemies. I am very motivated as always with every game. I want to win."
Musa has been one of the league’s hottest players over the last month, scoring six goals and providing an assist over his last four games. Last season against Austin, Musa scored four goals in the three meetings with the Verde. He is hoping that hot streak continues against an Austin squad that has been stout defensively at Q2 Stadium in 2025 by only allowing 10 goals in 12 home matches.
“Copa Tejas is very important. Every game right now is,” said Musa. “We want to get a spot in the playoffs. I think if we put in the effort like the last game at home, where we controlled a lot of it and put in a lot of chances."
A win on Saturday will potentially help push FC Dallas further up the standings. They're currently sitting in 11th place with 28 points.
"It is a huge game. We’re well aware of how important this game is," said Lletget. "In Texas, this is huge for our hearts, for the integrity of this club. Even if this is a regular season game, we know how important this is."
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