FC Dallas returns to the road this weekend, taking on the Portland Timbers Sunday night.
The Timbers have been a team struggling to stay above the playoff line in the Western Conference this season, partly due to injuries hitting at the wrong time and inconsistent play. Going into Sunday’s game, the Timbers are winless in their last four games, including last weekend’s scoreless draw with rivals Seattle.
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Key Player: Evander
Evander leads the team with four goals and two assists. He also leads the team in chances created (29) and successful passes in the opposition’s half (242). Safe to say, slow him down, and you’ll limit what the Timbers do offensively.
Key Matchup: Jader Obrian vs Eric Miller
Both of Portland’s main starting fullbacks are either suspended or injured going into this one, hopefully opening up a field day for guys like Obrian on the wings. We know when Obrian can get in behind a defense, good things have been happening for him and the Dallas attack.
Availability Report:
Suspended: Claudio Bravo (yellow card accumulation)
Out: Felipe Mora (L knee), David Ayala (L knee), Eryk Williamson (R knee), Pablo
Bonilla (R hamstring), Yimmi Chara (L hamstring)
Questionable: none
On Loan: n/a
International duty: Aljaz Ivacic
Quick Notes:
Dominant at home vs FCD - Portland has lost only one of its 12 regular-season home matches against FC Dallas (W7 D4), a 3-1 defeat in April 2016. The visiting side has won just two of the 27 all-time regular-season meetings between the sides, though the last two encounters, including a 1-1 draw in Dallas on April 1, have ended in draws.
Struggling in the attack - Portland's scoreless draw against Seattle last weekend was the third time it has failed to score in its last four regular season matches. The Timbers had been shut out only three times in their previous 36 regular season games dating back to late May last year.
Chara’s big day - Portland’s all-time leader in games played (354) and games started (349), Diego Chara is one start away from his 350th in MLS regular season play. His next start will make him the first field player in league history to reach 350 starts all with one club, and the ninth overall.
Other team leaders - Attacker Santiago Moreno ranks first amongst the squad in assists (5), dribbles completed (38) and duels won (87). Midfielder Diego Chara has made a team-best 106 recoveries and 18 tackles won. D. Chara is also the only player on the team that has started every match this season (16) and played every minute (1,440). Defender Zac McGraw leads the team in aerial duels won (45) and interceptions (26). Defender Juan David Mosquera ranks first overall on the team in touches on the ball (867).
Potential Lineup:
Giovanni Savarese likes to use a 4-3-3 formation, so he will likely stick with that this weekend:
Shulte; Miller, McGraw, Zuparic, Rasmussen; Paredes, Chara, Evander; Asprilla, Niezgoda, Moreno
Keys To Three Points over Portland
- Manage the game - FC Dallas has done well on the road this season for the most part, minus maybe the New York City game. Even the losses in KC and against LAFC had positive moments where they managed the game and created good chances. In this one, they’ll need to continue to have that mentality. If they play their style and play aggressively, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, the chances will come for them.
- Finish chances - Speaking of those chances, they have to finish them, as we saw on Wednesday night against St. Louis. Scoring on the road is never easy in this league, but FC Dallas has to find those moments where they can break down the Timbers’ defense and put them away.
- Minimize mistakes - We saw this in the first meeting against the Timbers. FC Dallas largely controlled the game, but one mistake in the game's dying moments was the difference between three points (and a shutout against a conference opponent) and one point. The turf adds another layer of fun to this for any road team visiting Portland, so keeping those mistakes to a minimum is vital.
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