FRISCO, Texas - The MLS Cup Playoffs are here and FC Dallas heads to Lumen Field to take on the Seattle Sounders in the first match of a best-of-three series this Monday, Oct. 30 at 8PM CT.
Here's everything you need to know before the match.
How to Watch
The match will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (English/Spanish), FOX Sports 1 (English) and FOX Deportes (Spanish).
Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth will call the game in English on Apple TV with Rodolfo Landeros and Mariano Trujillo providing Spanish commentary.
How to Listen
English: If you can't watch the match, you can listen to all the action on 1190 AM, the FC Dallas App and SiriusXM FC. Host Sam Hale will provide pregame and postgame coverage beginning at 7:45PM with broadcasters Ryan Figert, Steve Davis and Mark Dodd calling the game.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on 99.1 Zona MX starting at 8PM.
Match Overview
HEAD-TO-HEAD REGULAR SEASON RECORDS
- FCD record: 11-10-13 (46 points - 7th in West)
- SEA record: 14-9-11 (53 points - 2nd in West)
- FCD vs. SEA all-time: 8-14-9 (32 goal scored, 46 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. SEA away: 1-10-4 (10 goal scored, 32 goals conceded)
HEAD-TO-HEAD POSTSEASON RECORDS
- FCD vs. SEA all-time: 2-4-2
- FCD vs. SEA away: 0-3-2
STORY LINES
- Here We Are Again: FC Dallas is set to compete in the postseason for the fifth time in the last six years. The club enters Round One as the seventh seed after clinching on the final day of the regular season with a dominant 4-1 showing against the LA Galaxy. Dallas' first opponent is a familiar one, the Seattle Sounders, who it will face for the sixth time in the postseason (Seattle has won four of the previous five postseason matchups). Both clubs enter the playoffs riding high on nine-game unbeaten runs. The first round is a best-of-three series (more on that below) so Dallas will need win on the road in Seattle at least once to advance.
- New Playoff Format: Not for the first time, there's a new format for the MLS Cup Playoffs. It consists of five rounds: Wildcard Round, Round One, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and MLS Cup. Dallas avoided the Wildcard round by finishing seventh in the West and will begin the playoffs in Round One against second-place Seattle Sounders. Unlike every other round which is a one-game knockout, Round One is a best-of-three series. The higher seeded team hosts the first game, the lower seed hosts the second game, and (if there series is tied 1-1) the higher seed hosts the third game. The first team to win two games advances to the Conference Semifinals. In Round One, games that are tied after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. Aggregate score doesn't matter, just wins. So even if you lose the first game 5-0 but win the second game 1-0 (or in penalties), the series would advance to the third game to determine the overall winner.
- The Sounders: As per usual, the Seattle Sounders finished near the top of the Western Conference in second place with 53 points and a 14-9-11 record. The club earned the best defensive record in the league by conceding just 32 goals in 34 games. On the end, however, Seattle struggled to find attacking rhythm and scored only 41 goals, tying FC Dallas for the fewest goals by any Western Conference team advancing to Round One of the playoffs. The Sounders' lack of goal threat can be attributed to the absences of star striker Raúl Ruidíaz and playmaker Cristian Roldan, who missed much of the regular season with injuries. The duo is back healthy for the playoffs, though, and will likely be in Brian Schmetzer's starting lineup Monday night.
