FC Dallas begins their Major League Soccer season restart this weekend against in-state rivals Austin FC.
Austin currently leads the Copa Tejas standings with six points to FC Dallas’ 1 point1. A win by FC Dallas tonight will keep them in the race for the state crown in MLS in 2023, while anything less will eliminate them and potentially hand the title over to Austin FC2.
FC Dallas is coming off a three-week layoff from the end of their Leagues Cup run. They were supposed to play last weekend in Philadelphia, but that match was rescheduled due to the Union’s semifinal run in the Leagues Cup. Austin, on the other hand, saw their restart in MLS play end in a bad 6-3 blowout loss to St. Louis CITY SC.
FC Dallas Notes:
Key player for FC Dallas: Alan Velasco - The Argentine DP’s Leagues Cup run was fun to watch, but as play resumes in MLS, FCD needs more out of him in the final 11 games. The more he can link up with Jesus Ferreira, the better.
In Jesus we trust: FC Dallas has won seven of the eight MLS matches in which Jesús Ferreira scored this season (L1). Dallas has just one win in 15 league matches when Ferreira doesn't score or doesn’t play (D6 L8) this year.
Recent home record: FC Dallas has lost only three of its last 23 home matches in all competitions (W13 D7, including one penalty shoot-out win and two penalty shoot-out losses). Dallas has scored multiple goals in six of its last seven matches at Toyota Stadium, including the last four in a row.
Don’t just find one, get two: Since 2018, FC Dallas is 57-5-14 when scoring at least two goals.
Homegrown clock: In 2023, FC Dallas Homegrowns have played a total of 4,183 minutes and made 57 appearances.
Jesus Ferreira and Alan Velasco hold the keys for FC Dallas in final 11 games
Drew Epperley • Aug 25, 2023
It should be no secret now in Major League Soccer that your team goes only as far as your Designated Players take you. We see it right now with Inter Miami in how Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets lead the Herons to a Leagues Cup trophy and potentially a USOC title. We’ve seen it in the past with the LA Galaxy when they had David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane. Or, more recently, with LAFC and their DPs that helped them win a MLS Cup trophy in 2022.
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FC Dallas looks to build off Leagues Cup run with MLS play resuming
Drew Epperley • Aug 24, 2023
It has been a long three weeks off since FC Dallas last took the field against Inter Miami in a wild 4-4 draw that ended in Lionel Messi and Miami advancing on penalty kicks and later winning the Leagues Cup. FC Dallas head coach Nico Estevez has had some time to think about that penalty kick loss ahead of their season return on Saturday against Copa Te…
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Five FC Dallas Superlatives so far in 2023
Drew Epperley • Aug 23, 2023
For the last couple of weeks, during this break between the end of the Leagues Cup and the restart of the MLS season for FC Dallas, I’ve been working slowly on this kind of piece. I wanted to take some time to look at some of the best and worst from this season so far. A ‘two-thirds of the way’ look at things, if you will, that wasn’t just based on trends, players who needed to do X or things like that.
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Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended after next yellow: none
Availability Report
Out: Tarik Scott (ACL/MCL - season-ending injury)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Colin Smith, Isaiah Parker
International duty: none
Austin FC Notes:
Key player for Austin FC: Sebastian Driussi
We broke down the Austin MVP in our team scouting report, which you can read here:
Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting Austin FC 🔎
Drew Epperley • Aug 24, 2023
FC Dallas returns to the field this weekend as they host their Copa Tejas rivals Austin FC for the first time in 2023. The two sides have already met twice this season, both at Q2 Stadium in Austin, where they split the two matches. FC Dallas came out on top in the first meeting in early May with a late Jesus Ferreira goal before Aust…
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Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended after next yellow: none
Availability Report
Out: Zan Kolmanic (right ACL)
Questionable: Leo Vaisanen (right LCL)
International duty: none
How to watch
📅 Date: Saturday, August 26, 2023
⚽️ Kickoff: 7:30 PM
🏟 Venue: Toyota Stadium
📺 Streaming: MLS Season Pass, Free
💬 Gameday Social: #FCDvATX
☀️ Weather: 98, hot
Remember, the first meeting with Austin this season did not count in the Copa Tejas standings. ↩
A win by Austin would ensure them the 2023 Copa Tejas crown. A draw would set up an interesting situation where they would need Houston to lose or draw to Dallas in September or see Houston not win by more than five goals. ↩
