Perhaps the toughest road test of the year awaits FC Dallas this week with a trip to Seattle Sounders FC (9:30pm Saturday, TWCSN-TX HD 148). FCD has tied the 2nd longest win streak in club history at nine games, but after early season struggles, Seattle is in form as well with wins in three of their last four games. Here's a trip inside the numbers for the Saturday night's match-up. Enjoy the match everyone!
9 different goal scorers for FC Dallas this season with the latest being Je-Vaughn Watson who chested home the winner off a Michel corner against DC United last Saturday. Last year, FCD led MLS with 17 different goal scorers & with nine in 2013 they share the league lead with Chivas USA.
6 winners or equalizers for FC Dallas in the 70th minute or later. The last two home games featured 77th-minute goals that proved vital. First, it was Kenny Cooper's PK that leveled the match with Portland and then Watson's aforementioned winner against DC United. FCD also has winners from the 70th minute this season against Houston, Real Salt Lake, Los Angeles and at New England.
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1 time in the career of FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz to win back-to-back games and those are his two starts in 2013 against Real Salt Lake and DC United. In limited opportunities in his career, Seitz had 6 wins in 35 appearances coming into this season. With Raul Fernandez facing more Peru call-ups and with his solid play so far, (1 goal allowed in 2 games) more nights in goal should be headed Seitz's way.
3 fouls committed by left back Jair Benitez in 2013 in 838 minutes on the field this season. It's one of the lowest numbers among field players in MLS this season and a far better rate than his first four seasons with FC Dallas. Among field players with over 800 minutes played, in addition to Benitez's three fouls committed, A.J. DeLaGarza of L.A. has committed three fouls in 900 minutes, the Revs' Andrew Farrell with two in 810 minutes and Janil Anibaba of the Chicago Fire with three in 810 minutes.
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309 minutes played since Blaz Perez last scored for FC Dallas. The Panamanian striker last found the net early in the 2nd half at home against Vancouver. With 12 goals in 28 games in a season plus for FCD, Perez has only endured one longer scoreless stretch and that was 324 minutes between goals from a late equalizer last April 14 vs Montreal until an early May 19th goal at home against Philadelphia. Perez scored in FC Dallas' only trip of 2012 to Seattle so perhaps he is due.
7 out of possible 27 points for FC Dallas in four seasons worth of games games against Seattle. The Sounders have won four of the nine contests, the teams have drawn four times and FC Dallas' only win over Seattle since they joined MLS in 2009 was in Seattle by a 1-0 margin on a 1st half goal by Brek Shea on May 25, 2011.
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2 penalties awarded to Seattle Sounders FC last season. Both were taken and converted by Brad Evans, including one against FC Dallas at Century Link Field last October. Seattle is the only Western Conference team not to be awarded a penalty kick so far in 2013.
219 minutes since allowing a goal for Seattle Sounders FC. Danny Cruz scored the last two goals against Seattle, one minute apart in a 2-2 draw for Philadelphia at home to Sounders FC May 4th. Since that 51st minute score by Cruz, Seattle kept the Union off the board for the rest of that match and followed that up with shutout wins over Sporting Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes.
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0.75 the combined goals against average for Seattle keeper Michael Gspurning in 2012 & 2013. The Austrian has MLS' lowest goals against average among keepers who have played in net in at least half their teams' matches since the start of 2012 edging out SKC's Jimmy Nielsen (0.78 GAA). The 32 year old Gspurning joined Seattle in 2012 after a pro career in Austria and Greece.
29 assists for Seattle's Mauro Rosales since joining Sounders FC and MLS in 2011. Rosales has the 2nd highest assist total in the league since the start of the 2011 trailing only Houston's top notch set-up man Brad Davis who has 31 in that 2+ season run with Sporting KC's and USMNT member Graham Zusi just behind Rosales at 26. Rosales has back to back seasons of 13 assists and 3 so far this year, unfortunately for FCD the Argentine midfielder has hurt them with his goal scoring with 3 of his 10 career goals at the expense of FC Dallas.
