New York City FC vs. FC Dallas | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

New York City FC vs. FC Dallas
2018 MLS Regular Season - Week 9
Yankee Stadium - Bronx
April 29 - 6:30 pm ET
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A week ago this was shaping up to a battle of the final two unbeaten teams in Major League Soccer. While FC Dallas lived up to their end of the bargain, knocking off the Philadelphia Union, 2-0, New York City FC suffered their first defeat of 2018, falling 3-0 to the Portland Timbers.

Not only are NYCFC looking to bounce back from their first loss, but they are also looking for their first victory against Dallas. The Toros Tejanos are 1W-2D in their first three games against the Cityzens, per Opta.

NYCFC

NYCFC (5-1-2) had their seven-match unbeaten streak snapped at Providence Park, with Patrick Vieira’s squad failing to match the Timbers' intensity and falling into a two-goal deficit inside the opening 40 minutes before Larrys Mabiala put the match away with a 66th-minute insurance goal.

NYCFC had nearly 75 percent of possession, but they only forced Jeff Attinella into three saves.

“I think it was really difficult for us,” Vieira said after the match. “They were defending quite well. They executed their game plan well. We were really vulnerable in the counterattack. With the quality of players they have, they scored three goals, but overall it was a really difficult game for us to find space.”

Vieira made four changes from the side that tied Atlanta United away the previous week, bringing Ronald Matarrita in for Ben Sweat at left back, choosing Ebenezer Ofori and Rodney Wallace for Yangel Herrera and Jesus Medina, respectively, while David Villa returned to the starting XI for the first time since a 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy on March 11.

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M - Alex Ring
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (hamstring)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Sean Johnson — Anton Tinnerholm, Maxime Chanot, Alexander Callens, Ben Sweat — Alex Ring, Yangel Herrera — Jesus Medina, Maxi Moralez, Rodney Wallace — David Villa

Notes: Maxime Chanot has 28 headed clearances this season, the most of any player. Additionally, his 41 total clearances this season are the fifth-most. … NYCFC saw their eight-game unbeaten run in league play snapped last weekend in Portland. They are now looking to avoid losing consecutive MLS matches for the first time in more than two years – the last time it happened was April 16-23, 2016.

FC Dallas

Slowly, but surely, FC Dallas (3-0-3) are working their way through the Eastern Conference. A week after handing the New England Revolution a rare loss at Gillette Stadium, FC Dallas knocked off the Philadelphia Union, 2-0, Saturday in Frisco.

Mauro Diaz and Maxi Urruti both came off the substitute’s bench to score 10 minutes apart in the second half, while Jimmy Maurer needed to make just two saves to extend FC Dallas’ goalless streak to 208 minutes.

Oscar Pareja made two changes to his starting XI from the side that defeated the Revs the week prior, with Santiago Mosquera starting on the left wing and Roland Lamah moving up front in place of Urruti.

Matt Hedges was named to the MLS Team of the Week presented by Audi for Week 8.

“I’m very content in the performance, but mostly because I see a team that is gelling together,” Pareja said after the game. “That makes us happy.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Brandon Servania (compartment syndrome), F - Jesus Ferreira (core muscle repair surgery), M - Paxton Pomykal (right meniscus surgery), D - Maynor Figueroa (right knee strain); QUESTIONABLE: M - Kellyn Acosta (sports hernia surgery), GK - Jesse Gonzalez (finger strain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-4-2, right to left)
GK: Jimmy Maurer — Reggie Cannon, Matt Hedges, Reto Ziegler, Anton Nedyalkov — Michael Barrios, Victor Ulloa, Mauro Diaz, Santiago Mosquera — Maxi Urruti, Cristian Colman

Notes: Reggie Cannon has won 69 percent of his duels this season. Among players with at least 50 duels, only New York City’s Chanot has a higher percentage (71.2 percent). … FCD are unbeaten in their last seven league games, outscoring foes 14-4. They have kept three clean sheets during their streak, as many as they had in their previous 21 matches.

All-Time Series

Overall: New York City FC 0 wins, 4 goals … FC Dallas 1 win, 5 goals … 2 ties
At New York City: NYCFC 0 wins, 2 goals … FC Dallas 0 wins, 2 goals … 1 tie
Last meeting at New York City: NYCFC 2, FC Dallas 2 (Sept. 17, 2016)