FRISCO - It will all come down to Decision Day.
FC Dallas has held a spot in the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs since Sept. 29, but missed out on its best chance yet to secure a top-two seed with a 3-0 loss at home to Sporting KC on Sunday.
"I thought it was more desire than ideas and the [second] half just became unorganized and some part of it probably after their second goal," head coach Oscar Pareja said of his group chasing the game after a first half with lots of chances. "We didn’t have that clarity and patience and Kansas City played well in that part, you know they have good players too and I think their initiative to just wait and see if there is something else that you can do in the game and take advantage."
Heading to Colorado, winning the Western Conference is out of FCD’s grasp - with both SKC and LAFC holding sizable leads in the goal differential tiebreaker. Regardless of the result in the 2018 finale between the other two West foes, Dallas would lose a tiebreaker to either.
Instead, it’s now crucial for Dallas to win in the Rockies. Simply that will ensure the No. 2 spot and a break in the mid-week next week. Anything less and it could be a short turnaround for a Knockout Round match on either Oct. 31 or Nov. 1.
"We’re not going to leave on these circumstances," Pareja continued. "We’re going to move on. We’re not going to stay there. This team has done a great job so far and I believe in these guys and we have the qualification to get the second spot at least in Colorado and we’ll fight for it."
Dallas would play that potential Knockout Round match at Toyota Stadium as long as a combination of a loss in Colorado and a Portland win and a Seattle draw or win does not take place on Decision Day.
FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids kickoff their 2018 regular season finale at 3:30PM CT on Sunday, Oct. 28 on TXA 21 and the FCDTV Network
