PORTLAND - FC Dallas can officially clinch its spot in the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs tonight against the Portland Timbers.
After a franchise modern record-tying sixth road win last weekend just up the road in Vancouver, Oscar Pareja is doubling down on his lineup tonight in Oregon.
SAME XI
Dallas will roll out the same Starting XI as in last week’s 2-1 win, with Cristian Colman earning his sixth MLS start of the year atop the formation. Maxi Urruti will continue to pull the strings in the middle, with Santiago Mosquera and Michael Barrios on his flanks in the midfield. The trio has combined for seven goals and six assists in the last four matches.
At the back half of the formation, the seven players making up the defensive midfield, back line and in goal will make a fourth straight start together: Carlos Gruezo, Victor Ulloa, Marquinhos Pedroso, Reto Ziegler, Matt Hedges, Reggie Cannon and Jesse Gonzalez.
ROLLIE RETURNS
After missing five matches with a calf strain, leading goal scorer Roland Lamah returns to an FCD lineup tonight on Pareja’s bench. The winger has eight goals and five assists in 24 games this season, including Dallas’ lone goal in a 1-1 draw with the Timbers back in late March.
The only change from last week’s 18-man roster is Lamah’s inclusion, with Tesho Akindele making way.
CANNON ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY
Dallas’ lone player to start every single match this season will set an FCD record in the 50th minute of tonight’s match. At that time, Reggie Cannon will eclipse Jesse Gonzalez’s Homegrown single-season minutes mark, currently set at 2,610 minutes from 2017. The right back has 2,561 minutes to his name in his first season as a starter and, with four games left, is poised to shatter the franchise mark.
In each of the last five seasons, Dallas has had at least one Homegrown hit 2,000 minutes played: Cannon (2018), Gonzalez (2017), Kellyn Acosta (2016) and Victor Ulloa (2014, 2015).
If Ulloa, with 1,724 minutes played this year, hits 2,000 for the third time in his career, it would be the first time Dallas has two Homegrowns hit the mark in a single season. The midfielder is also closing in on 10,000 career minutes played with 9,855 to his name already. No Dallas Homegrown has ever hit 10,000 minutes played and only six Homegrowns ever have reached the mark.
