FRISCO, TEXAS — A battle between a team who just got their first point since February and another who just won for the first time this season: FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC, this Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
But this one has more weight to it for FC Dallas than just being the 12th and 13th seeds in the Western Conference going at it. Let’s take it back to last November, when Dallas saw its 2023 season come to an end in the first round of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs in Seattle at Lumen Field—a loss then just adds fuel to the fire now.
But this game is at Toyota Stadium, a place the Sounders have not won at since 2021.
FC Dallas is coming off of a draw to St. Louis CITY SC, ending its four-game losing streak and getting its first shutout of the season thanks to the likes of players such as Maarten Paes, who made MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Matchday after matching his career high in saves with 7.
The Sounders, on the other hand, have the reigning player of the week on their roster: forward Raúl Ruidíaz, who scored twice in their 5-0 win over CF Montréal, who FCD lost 2-1 to in the second game of the season.
In addition, Seattle has Stefan Frei in net, and midfielders Albert Rusnák and João Paulo to look out for.
And there are two players to get your hopes up for as an FC Dallas fan: midfielder Illarramendi and defender Marco Farfan potentially returning to the roster for the weekend’s match.
A big three points on the line for both squads, and payback time for FCD.
