FRISCO, Texas — FC Dallas plays its second match within four days tonight against the Montreal Impact to finish off the two-game road trip. Santiago Mosquera is sidelined today with a lower body injury, so one FCD player is making his first MLS start. Let's dive into today's Lineup Notes, presented by UnitedHealthCare.
BRYAN REYNOLDS STARTS
The one change in the lineup today is a big one, and it carries a substantial significance for Bryan Reynolds, who makes his first MLS start of his career. He replaces Mosquera in the lineup while the latter deals with an injury suffered from Wednesday's match against LA Galaxy. Reynolds has featured for FC Dallas before this season with substitution appearances, but they have all been in defensive positions. This will be the first time since his Academy days where Reynolds will be integrated into the attack.
STICKING WITH A DEEPER FORMATION
For the third-straight match, FC Dallas will feature in a deeper formation than usual, with Jesus Ferreira and Paxton Pomykal both playing duel No. 8 roles in the midfield. Rather than having one attacking midfielder in the middle, the duo will handle offensive responsibilities while also tracking back when needed to in order to assist defensive midfielder Bryan Acosta. The formation did wonders against Minnesota United FC last weekend, but it wasn't as effective against the Galaxy on Wednesday.
ANOTHER ATTACKING OPTION ON THE BENCH
With Mosquera dealing with his injury this weekend, it opened up a spot in the 18-man roster for Ricardo Pepi, another attacking option for Luchi Gonzalez to deploy if needed. Pepi travelled with the team to LA, but he wasn't involved in the lineup. Reto Ziegler emphasized the need to start scoring goals after putting together a few good defensive performances in recent games. If Pepi does get subbed in, he'll look to help FCD bounce back from a goalless performance Wednesday night.
