After enjoying a rare weekend off for the international break, FC Dallas returns to action Saturday night with its first-ever league meeting against Charlotte FC. That’s right, a new state and stadium to check off the travel list in a year that has felt like a long road trip.
Dallas comes into the weekend with a six-game unbeaten run, while Charlotte is holding their own in a crowded Eastern Conference. The hosts have a solid 2-1-2 run in their last five matches, keeping them in the top part of the conference as the playoff race heats up for both clubs.
This won’t be a struggling Eastern Conference side for Dallas on Saturday. Charlotte has attacking quality, an established identity and plenty to play for as the regular season winds down. Oh, and this one is on turf, which always adds another element to games like this.
Let’s dive in.
Tactic Style & Shape:
Charlotte’s approach is built around maintaining a disciplined defensive structure while giving its attacking players the freedom to find space between the lines.
The Crown can operate from a 4-2-3-1 shape, with its central midfielders providing the foundation for the attacking players to move into those more dangerous areas. Rather than relying on long possession spells, Charlotte is comfortable shifting the ball quickly into the final third once an opening develops.
Defensively, Charlotte wants to remain compact and make opponents work through organized lines. With Tim Ream suspended for this weekend’s game, there could be more openings to exploit things when Charlotte’s outside backs advance or the midfield gets pulled toward the ball.
Key Player: Pep Biel
Biel is the player who makes Charlotte’s attack work.
The Spanish attacking midfielder enters Saturday’s game with 12 league goals, but his importance goes well beyond finding the back of the net. He’s also one of the primary chance creators, capable of delivering the final pass, combining in tight spaces or producing something himself with the attack appears to be going nowhere.
Biel is dangerous when he received the ball between the opposition’s midfield and defensive lines. Give him time to turn and he can immediately start picking apart a defense.
Key Matchup: Kaick vs Biel
Kaick has become one of the most important players in Dallas’ midfield this season and Saturday will require him to be particularly aware of where Biel is positioning himself.
Biel will want to find those pockets of space between the midfield and defensive lines. Kaick’s job is making that process considerably more difficult.
That doesn’t mean Kaick is chasing Biel all over the field. Charlotte would actually prefer that. If Kaick gets pulled too far away from his central position, Biel can help create openings for other players. Instead, Kaick needs to recognize when to step forward, close passing lanes and prevent Biel from getting the ball in dangerous areas.
Availability Report1:
Suspended: Tim Ream
Out: Nimfasha Berchimas (lower body), Aron John (upper body)
Questionable: Brandt Bronico (lower body)
International duty: none
Quick Notes:
All-time vs FC Dallas: The two sides have never met in the regular season, with the only meeting coming in a Leagues Cup match back in 2023.
Current form: Charlotte is 2-1-2 in their last five, with the lone loss being in their last game against Chicago.
Where they're at in the standings: Like Dallas, Charlotte are sitting in a good spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. CFC is currently in 4th place with 43 points.
Three keys for FC Dallas
- Keep Biel from running the show: Charlotte is a much better team at home than they are away, so limiting what Biel is able to do in front of his home crowd will be a big deal. Limit what he can do on the ball and force someone else to step up.
- Attack before Charlotte gets organized: Not having Ream for this one is big for Dallas. He is the one that helps organize the Charlotte defense and helps make them difficult to break down. The speed and movement of guys like Logan Farrington, Joaquin Valiente, and even players off the bench like Daniel Joy, Sam Sarver and Santiago Moreno could make a huge difference in this one. Force Charlotte to be on their heels.
- Keep the September momentum rolling: We’ve talked a lot about how good September was in terms of points for Dallas, but this is where Dallas needs to find ways to continue that momentum into the final full month of the season. Start off this final stretch on a positive note. Last week gave everyone a bit of a reset to get focused on this critical time. Use it wisely.
Want to know how Dallas should line up to exploit exactly what we just broke down? Our weekly ‘What to Watch For’ will tackle that later this week. Sign up free and we'll send it to you before kickoff.
1 Note: MLS has an injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. Our scouting reports will include last week's report and will be fully updated the day before with our injury report for FC Dallas.
