I’ve come very near to putting the classic Titanic gif of “it’s been 84 years” up at the top of this post. Because that is what it almost feels like for FC Dallas. Nine MLS games, across multiple time zones, multiple countries, all in one massively long road trip.
The road trip wraps up Sunday evening at Energizer Park, and FC Dallas couldn’t have drawn a tougher closing act if they’d tried. St. Louis CITY SC has been the hottest team in MLS since before the World Cup break. Their current 11-game unbeaten run in league play is a new record for the 2026 MLS season, and last weekend they capped it by beating then first-place Houston with a late Dante Polvara goal that sent the home crowd into a full-on frenzy. They also did this after losing their leading scorer and fan favorite to a sudden transfer.
Dallas sits fifth in the Western Conference on 33 points, level with St. Louis, who have climbed out of the bottom third of the table and sit in the thick of the playoff race. FC Dallas has also never won a game in any competition at Energizer Park. Can they end that streak similar to how they have done several times already this season on the road in tough environments like New York, San Jose, and Colorado? Or will they end this trip on a two-game losing streak?
Here is what I’ll be watching on Sunday.
Respect the Streak, But Know How They’re Actually Doing It
An 11 game unbeaten run is nothing to ignore here. It sounds like a team that is firing on all cylinders. The reality is a little more interesting than that. St. Louis has been doing this while rebuilding their roster in real time, losing key pieces and integrating new ones. All of that while still finding ways to pick up points in every game.
Marcel Hartel, the club’s leading scorer with six goals and ten goal contributions this season was transferred to Hannover 96. He wanted to go back to Europe to be closer to his family and the club did the right thing to let him go. The sudden loss shocked supporters and forced manager Yoann Damet to adapt on the fly. Then, contract talks with club captain Edu Lowen came to a head, leading to another significant departure as the club traded him to San Jose this week. Two of their most important players gone and yet they still found a way last weekend to down Houston.
The summer transfer window has become more of a reset than anticipated for St. Louis, yet the team has continued to defy any conventional logic. That tells you a thing or two about the depth of this group and the quality of the coaching out of Damet.
Dallas needs to go in with clear eyes on Sunday. St. Louis isn’t the same group that came to Frisco in the spring and stole a point. They’re a team that has figured things out, improved weirdly in an addition-by-subtraction kind of method and are looking to climb further in the Western Conference.
Big D Soccer gives you the why — the tactical breakdowns, the honest assessments, the context that actually helps you understand what you watched on Saturday night.
If you're serious about this club, you should be reading all of it.
Becher and Holse Are the New Danger Combination
We touched on Simon Becher yesterday in our Scouting Report of St. Louis. He’s scored three goals in the last three matches, including one last week against Houston. He’s easily been the most consistent forward for St. Louis this season, and probably hasn’t gotten enough credit for it league-wide.
The bigger addition to watch is Carlo Holse. St. Louis acquired the Danish international for a reported $6 million transfer fee, making him one of the more expensive newcomers to the league this summer. Holse is one of the club’s two DPs (with the other slow still on goalkeeper Roman Burki), and while he’s still settling in, the tools are there for him to be a serious problem for opposing defenders as he gets more reps in his system.
Yeah, the sample size is small for Holse in MLS so far. But, if he keeps these numbers up, he’ll be dangerous for St. Louis over time.
Dallas will need to be disciplined and organized across the back line. St. Louis has been finding their ceiling in recent weeks and will be ready to pounce if Dallas gives up an inch in this one.