FC DALLAS vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Toyota Stadium | Frisco, Texas
Sunday, Oct. 16 | Week #33 | MLS Game #326
5 pm ET (MLS LIVE, TXA-21, Spectrum Sports TX, JOEtv)
A critical match in the Final Push for the Playoffs is ahead when FC Dallas play host to Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Stadium. Both teams come in still chasing postseason positioning after splitting their first two meetings of the season. FC Dallas still have their sights set on the Supporters' Shield, emblematic of the league's best overall record, now undefeated in their last three games following a 1-0 win against the LA Galaxy in Frisco last weekend. Sounders FC are on the verge of claiming a place in the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, their winning streak ended but unbeaten in their last six matches following a goalless draw with the Houston Dynamo at home midweek.
- FC Dallas snapped a three-game winless run, following a pair of draws with a 1-0 win against the LA Galaxy on Oct. 1 at Toyota Stadium. Mauro Diaz collected his 12th assist of the season, his single-season career-high in his four MLS seasons.
- Osvaldo Alonso matched his single-season career-high with his third goal of the year in Sounders FC’s 2-1 win vs. Vancouver on Oct. 2. Alonso scored the first goal of the season for Sounders FC – then went six months and 27 games before his next one, having scored two goals in three games with the strike vs. Whitecaps FC.
- The teams are meeting for a third time this season, each having won convincingly on their home ground. Mauro Diaz scored early and Michael Barrios scored late as FC Dallas took a 2-0 win May 14 at Toyota Stadium; five different Sounders FC players netted goals in a 5-0 win July 13 at CenturyLink Field.
- Sounders FC have won the last six league meetings between the teams in Seattle, and seven of the nine meetings there all-time, having outscored FC Dallas 8-0 there over the last two seasons. The only FCD win at CenturyLink Field came in 2011, a 1-0 victory on May 25.
- The teams also met in the Western Conference Semifinals for a second consecutive season last year, FC Dallas winning the series on penalty kicks after the two legs finished 3-3 on aggregate, each team winning 2-1 on its home ground. The season prior, Sounders FC advanced on away goals, after the series ended 1-1 on aggregate.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. AR1 (bench): C.J. Morgante; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Ted Unkel
MLS Career: 158 games; FC/gm: 26.5; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 36; pens: 49
SUSPENDED: DAL: Maynor Figueroa (caution accumulation; through Oct. 16) -- SEA: Osvaldo Alonso (through Oct. 16)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Matt Hedges -- SEA: Osvaldo Alonso
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DAL: Kellyn Acosta -- SEA: Nelson Haedo Valdez, Joevin Jones
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (19 meetings): FC Dallas 4 wins, 20 goals -- Sounders FC 10 wins, 34 goals -- Ties 5
AT DALLAS (10 meetings): FC Dallas 3 wins, 13 goals -- Sounders FC 3 wins, 11 goals -- Ties 4
2016 (MLS):
5/14: DAL 2, SEA 0 (Diaz 3; Barrios 80)
7/13: SEA 5, DAL 0 (Dempsey 6; Ivanschitz 18; Morris 22; J. Jones 61; Roldan 73)
- Coaches record: Brian Schmetzer vs. DAL: first game -- Oscar Pareja vs. SEA: P13 W3 L8 D2
LAST MEETING (MLS):
- Sounders FC took the lead after just six minutes. Andreas Ivanschitz took a shot which was deflected by FCD defender Maynor Figueroa's right hand in the box, and Figueroa earned his marching orders from Ricardo Salazar. Clint Dempsey converted the resulting penalty kick.
- Sounders FC then scored twice within four minutes. Ivanschitz was able to get underneath a long through-ball from Osvaldo Alonso, deftly chipping Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz with his left foot in the 18th minute. Then Dempsey and Jordan Morris worked passes down the right wing leading to a calm Morris finish in the 22nd.
- Both teams were left a man down when Dempsey was sent off with a straight red card in the 33rd minute for intentionally putting hands in Juan Esteban Ortiz's face.
- But Sounders FC concluded the rout with two goals after the break. Joevin Jones smashed home from well outside the penalty area in the 61st minute from a quick switch of field, then it was 5-0 in the 73rd minute when Ivanschitz sent in a perfect free kick from the left which Cristian Roldan barely had to move to head home.
- SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-1-2-3): Stefan Frei - Oniel Fisher, Brad Evans, Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones - Osvaldo Alonso (Tony Alfaro 62) - Cristian Roldan, Erik Friberg (Aaron Kovar 46) - Jordan Morris (Oalex Anderson 69), Clint Dempsey (ejected 34), Andreas Ivanschitz.
- FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Chris Seitz - Atiba Harris, Walker Zimmerman, Maynor Figueroa (ejected 4), Aubrey David - Juan Esteban Ortiz (Fabian Castillo 61), Victor Ulloa - Ryan Hollingshead, Carlos Lizarazo (Michael Barrios 46), Tesho Akindele - Colin Bonner (Kellyn Acosta 27).
