FC Dallas hits the road this weekend as they get set to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday at BC Place. Dallas brings a record of 11-7-5 into the weekend, good for 38 points and fifth in the Western Conference. Vancouver sits second in the West with 42 points and a record of 13-9-3.
Buckle Up
Saturday will make the first of three meetings between Dallas and Vancouver over the final eleven weeks of the season. The top five teams in the conference are separated by just five points heading into the final two-plus months and each head-to-head meeting between the two sides will prove vital in each’s hope of chasing the Supporters’ Shield. Both teams are also coming off of difficult losses last week – FCD falling at home in a close contest to LA, while Vancouver dropped a two-goal lead in the 80th minute in a loss to Sporting KC.
Key Player for Vancouver
Kekuta Manneh – Coming off a two-goal performance against SKC and assists in three of his last five matches, Manneh is now second on the team in scoring with six goals and four assists. The midfielder has showcased an all-around game this season and comes into the weekend looking to build off his recent success.
Key Matchups
Michael Barrios vs. Jordan Harvey – Barrios is on fire. In his last six MLS contests, the midfielder has scored his first four goals and leads the team in scoring over the last two months with seven goals in nine games across all competitions. He looks to be lined up against a veteran of over 200 MLS games in Harvey who will try to cool off the rookie.
Fabian Castillo vs. Steven Beitashour – The speedy Colombian winger tandem for FC Dallas is always a threat. It’s been almost a month since Castillo has scored a goal for FC Dallas and that usually means he’s about to go off. Twice this season when Castillo has had three or four game scoreless droughts he has responded with a big game and a goal.
Projected Lineup
Goalkeeper: David Ousted; Defenders: Jordan Harvey, Pa Modou Kah, Tim Parker, Steven Beitashour; Midfielders: Matias Laba, Gershon Koffie, Cristian Techera, Nicolas Mezquida, Kekuta Manneh; Forward: Octavio Rivero.
Keys to three points
The theme all week for FC Dallas has been to take the numerous positives from LA and carry them to Canada. Vancouver, on the other hand, is left to pick up the pieces after a late collapse in Kansas. If Dallas can maintain the pace they carried against LA and prevent the few defensive lapses that the Galaxy capitalized on, they can get back into the win column heading into the final 10 weeks.
