The annual Fourth of July match at Toyota Stadium is always huge, but this year there's a little bit of history on the line.
FC Dallas heads into Monday's Fourth of July matchup against Orlando City SC with a current home unbeaten streak of 14 games at Toyota Stadium and a 15th win would set a new record. The current franchise-tying record dates all the way back to last summer, starting with a win on August 29th against Real Salt Lake. Dallas is currently sitting in second place in their conference with 31 points, just one point shy of the coveted first place spot held by the Rapids.
Orlando, on the other hand, is 6th in the Eastern conference with 20 points and a 1-3-2 record away from home in their second season as a club. The teams have only faced each other once in MLS with Dallas coming out on top 2-0, though OCSC was missing many of their stars. Monday’s match will be the first time the teams have played each other in almost a year, but things are different this time around.
For starters, Orlando midfielder Kaká didn’t play when the teams faced off at the Citrus Bowl last July because he was serving a one-game suspension. The Brazilian has quite the impressive résumé, including a handful of international appearances, a UEFA Champions League title, a five-year stint with Real Madrid, a FIFA World Player of the Year award and a Ballon d'Or award. He currently leads his team in assists with five, and consistently ranks in the top three for goals, shots, and shots on goal. The July 4th match will be the first time Dallas will see Kaká in action since February 2015 and he’s sure to be a tough opponent.
"He’s obviously a very special player, he's been around the game for a long time and has won numerous awards and he's a great player,” said defender Walker Zimmerman. “But at the same time, we're just going to trust in what we do and we'll figure out how we're going to contain him and the rest of their offense."
Defender Atiba Harris also added there’s no anxiety or apprehension about facing the international star and Dallas feels strong going into the match.
"We're not just going out there to face Kaká, we're facing Orlando, and Orlando as a team, as a unit, they've been doing good overall,” Harris said. “But to me, we have a strong unit and the coaches have been doing the work and helping us prepare for each and every game."
But things will be different this time for the home team, too - defender Atiba Harris played with Brek Shea when the two were FC Dallas teammates for both the 2009 and 2010 seasons, so he can head into Monday’s matchup with the advantage of knowing Shea’s preferred style of play, though he's aware that advantage can go both ways.
"It can go either way because we both played with each other,” Harris said. “I mean, Brek is a good player and he's been doing well this year but hopefully when he comes here he has a bad game."
Goalkeeper Chris Seitz is also enjoying a hot streak this season with 13 starts, 38 saves and a record four shutouts - after playing in only seven games last season. Maxi Urruti joined the team at the start of 2016 and has proved to be a valuable asset, as evidenced in Wednesday night’s Open Cup win. Fabian Castillo has a four-month scoring streak. Mauro Diaz is capable of incredible bicycle kick assists. Add in the push to not just defend their home unbeaten streak, but to set a new record in front of a large crowd, and the game is sure to be a good one.
But what is home field advantage and why does it make such a big impact? Certainly having the support from thousands of cheering fans helps push the team to fight for 90 minutes, but even Georgia native Zimmerman isn’t sure why it makes such a big difference.
"It's a really important stat if you look across the league and I'm not exactly sure why it's so effective or so important,” Zimmerman said. “For us, I think the comfort of being at home - you know, you have your own routine, you get to sleep in your own bed, you don't have to travel, and so it brings that level of comfort that you get playing in your home city."
Walker also added the team has more confidence when playing at home, especially when playing in the stifling mid-summer Texas heat that visiting teams aren't used to.
"[The home unbeaten streak] just gives credit to our home fans and the support that we get each and every week,” Zimmerman said. “We're definitely hoping to continue that streak and see how long we can make it go."
Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday, July 4th, and you can go here for tickets to cheer on FC Dallas as they look to set a new record at Toyota Stadium.
