FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids | 2020 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 12
FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids
Toyota Stadium – Frisco
September 16– 8:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: Altitude, Texas 21

Fresh off rivalry wins on the weekend, FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids are hoping momentum carries over for their midweek encounter to open Week 12 at Toyota Stadium Wednesday night.

FC Dallas (3W-2L-4D) picked up a Texas Derby victory over the Houston Dynamo, winning 2-1 at home Saturday night, while the Rapids (3W-3L-4D) handed Real Salt Lake the worst loss at home in the club's history, a 5-0 Rocky Mountain Cup triumph.

This is the 75th all-time meeting between FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids, with FCD holding a commanding 24W-8L-6D record at home. FC Dallas have won the last three meetings at Toyota Stadium, ending a three-game winless streak in the series in Frisco. The Rapids’ last win there came in 2016.

FC Dallas

Andres Ricaurte made his first MLS start and what a first impression the Colombian No. 10 made. He scored his first goal for his new club in stunning fashion, a volley from 20 yards to break the deadlock. But he also impressed with his all-round play, ability to find teammates and split the opposition in the final third with Franco Jara more often than not the beneficiary.

"He's an honest player," Luchi Gonzalez said. "He's intelligent, not just creative and with an amazing vision that can score outside the box as you saw, but he's responsible. He knows how to fill spaces defensively, he reads his teammates and, and he puts an effort. And so he's a great fit for us, he's a great human being, he's a great talent but he complements it with the game intelligence as well in reading what he needs to do defensively. So that's going to help us."

On Sunday, FC Dallas announced the transfer of striker Zdenek Ondrasek, who was dealing with a personal issue, to FC Viktoria Plzeň in the Czech First League.

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Paxton Pomykal (M) - hip injury
- OUT: Bryan Acosta (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Jimmy Maurer (GK) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Thiago Santos (M)
International duty: None

Colorado Rapids

For the first time since 2015, the Rapids are the holders of the Rocky Mountain Cup and they claimed the title in emphatic fashion, thrashing RSL at Rio Tinto Stadium, 5-0, Saturday night. Diego Rubio led the charge offensively with his first two goals of the season and adding an assist. Younes Namli also had a pair of assists. Braian Galvan scored his first MLS goal, but it was his antics late that drew the ire of RSL in a post-match dust up.

“When I spoke to him, he said there was no intent, it was just how he plays,” Robin Fraser said about Galvan. “At the end of the day, we’re not about that. We’re about our performance and we’re about who we are as a group and doing everything with integrity. However it was interpreted, however it looked, it's certainly been discussed. At the end of the day, we’re very much about what we do and our performance and taking great pride in the things that we did well.”