Minnesota United FC vs. FC Dallas | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Minnesota United FC vs. FC Dallas
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 18
TCF Bank Stadium — Minneapolis
June 29 — 8 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

After another trip to New York that ended with a loss, FC Dallas is looking to bounce back Friday night in Minneapolis against a Minnesota United FC side that has dropped back-to-back games, including a stoppage-time defeat to the Colorado Rapids.

The Loons would love a repeat of FC Dallas’ first trip to TCF Bank Stadium, a 4-1 Minnesota triumph last September.

Minnesota United FC

Miguel Ibarra scored a goal and set up a Christian Ramirez tally in the 65th-minute to put Minnesota (5-9-1) in front, but Joe Mason equalized nine minutes later and Tommy Smith struck for the winner deep in second-half stoppage time as the Rapids celebrated a dramatic home win Saturday night.

Ibarra was sent off for his part in a scuffle that followed the Rapids equalizer, and will thus be suspended for Friday's match.

“We kept a lot of possession and switched the play a lot,” Adrian Heath said. “We had a lot of possession and I don’t think we did enough with it at times. That would be my only disappointment considering we had so much of the ball in the first half. I don’t think we had enough end products out of the game.”

Suspended: M - Miguel Ibarra
Suspended after next caution: D - Francisco Calvo, M - Rasmus Schuller
International duty: D - Francisco Calvo
Injury Report: OUT: M - Sam Cronin (cervicogenic dysfunction), M - Kevin Molino (torn left ACL), M - Ethan Finlay (torn ACL), D - Marc Burch (left knee injury), GK - Matt Lampson (right knee injury), F - Abu Danladi (left leg injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Jerome Thiesson (right leg injury), D - Eric Miller (left hamstring injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Bobby Shuttleworth — Tyrone Mears, Michael Boxall, Brent Kallman, Alexi Gomez — Rasmus Schuller, Collen Warner — Ibson, Darwin Quintero, Collin Martin — Christian Ramirez

Notes: Minnesota has earned points in four of their last five home matches (3W-1L-1D), conceding a total of five goals in those games (three of which came in their lone defeat). ... This weekend will mark just the sixth match the Loons have played without Ibarra since the start of last season. They have gone 4L-1D in the previous five matches, averaging 0.8 goals per game (average 1.4 goals when Ibarra plays).

FC Dallas

Despite playing with an extra man for a little more than an hour, FC Dallas (8-2-5) failed to match the New York Red Bulls intensity and suffered a 3-0 loss at Red Bull Arena Saturday night.

Things went from bad to worse when Reto Ziegler was sent off in the 90th minute for kicking out at Kemar Lawrence following a foul. The last time FC Dallas lost — 3-1 at NYCFC in late April — they responded with a seven-match unbeaten streak that was snapped Saturday night.

“I would say it was noticeable in the game. They had a lot of energy and for some reason we couldn’t match that,” Oscar Pareja said. “We had many parts of the game where we could have done a better job in that part, but we couldn’t. It was a night to forget.”

Suspended: D - Reto Ziegler
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Kris Reaves (sports hernia surgery), F - Cristian Colman (high-ankle sprain), M - Santiago Mosquera (left hamstring injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Jesse Gonzalez —Reggie Cannon, Matt Hedges, Maynor Figueroa, Ryan Hollingshead — Kellyn Acosta, Carlos Gruezo, Roland Lamah — Michael Barrios, Maxi Urruti, Mauro Diaz

Notes: The Toros saw their run of 15 consecutive MLS matches with a goal snapped in their 3-0 loss to the Red Bulls. The club went 9-1-5 during the stretch and are looking to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since July 29-Aug. 5, 2017. ... Matt Hedges took part in nine tackles in last week’s loss to the Red Bulls, tied for the second-most tackles a player has taken part in in a single match in 2018.

All-Time Series

Overall: Minnesota United FC 1 win, 4 goals … FC Dallas 1 win, 3 goals … 0 draws
At Minnesota: Minnesota United FC 1 win, 4 goals … FC Dallas 0 wins, 0 goals … 0 draws
Last meeting at Minnesota: Minnesota United FC 4, FC Dallas 1 (Sept. 23, 2017)