FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City | 2016 MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

FC DALLAS vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
TOYOTA STADIUM | Frisco, Texas
August 12, 2016 | Week 23 | MLS Game #235
9 pm ET (MLS LIVE, KMCI-38, TXA-21, TWCSC-TX)

A pair of MLS Original clubs aiming to maintain their standing in the Western Conference playoff picture meet for a third time this season when FC Dallas play host to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas sit atop the conference by three points, having extended their club-record home undefeated streak last weekend in a 2-0 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Toyota Stadium. Sporting continue their road swing after seeing their two-game winning run put to an end last weekend in a 3-0 loss at the Portland Timbers, sitting in fifth place in the conference, just two points above the red line.

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FC Dallas extended their overall undefeated streak to three matches and their home undefeated run to a club-record 17 games – tied for eighth-longest in MLS history – in their last match, a 2-0 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 31 at Toyota Stadium.
Sporting saw their two-game winning streak put to an end with a third consecutive defeat on the road, dropping the back end of their home-and-home series with the Portland Timbers 3-0 on Sunday afternoon.
The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each winning at home in the first two. Michael Barrios and Mauro Rosales each scored on either side of halftime to lead FC Dallas to a 2-1 win April 17 at Toyota Stadium; Lawrence Olum and Benny Feilhaber both netted late in the first half to give Sporting a 2-0 victory June 19 at Children’s Mercy Park.
FCD has won the last two meetings in Frisco, their victory there last season their first in the series since 2011. Sporting won the final two meetings between the teams last season, both in Kansas City, a 4-0 win on May 29 and a 3-1 win Sept. 18, the first two victories for SKC in the series since 2012.

REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Corey Parker; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Mark Kadlecik
Villarreal MLS Career: 69 games; FC/gm: 22.9; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 19; pens: 19

SUSPENDED: KC: Roger Espinoza (caution accumulation; through Aug. 14); Soni Mustivar (through Aug. 14)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Atiba Harris
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Matt Besler, Dom Dwyer, Lawrence Olum
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (54 meetings): FC Dallas 21 wins (1 shootout), 86 goals …Sporting 23 wins (2 shootout), 82 goals … Ties 10
AT DALLAS (26 meetings): FC Dallas 13 wins (1 shootout), 51 goals … Sporting 9 wins (0 shootout), 29 goals … Ties 4