FC Dallas hosts in-state rivals Austin FC this Wednesday, July 17 at 7:30PM at Toyota Stadium.
Here's everything you need to know before the match.
HOW TO WATCH
The match will be streamed in both English and Spanish on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
HOW TO LISTEN
English: You can listen to all the action on the FC Dallas app and Talk Radio 1190AM. Host Sam Hale will provide pregame and postgame coverage beginning at 7PM with broadcasters Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis calling the game.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Jimmy Venegas will call the game in Spanish on the FC Dallas app starting at 7:30PM.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Head-to-Head Records
- FCD record: 7-11-5 (26 points, 11th in West)
- ATX record: 8-9-6 (30 points, 10th in West)
- FCD vs. ATX all-time: 6-2-2 (17 goal scored, 13 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. ATX home: 4-0-1 (8 goal scored, 3 goals conceded)
Story Lines
Copa Tejas Decider: Wednesday's match will decide the winner of the 2024 Copa Tejas, the fan-driven competition between the three Texas-based MLS teams: Dallas, Austin and Houston. This year's Copa Tejas is based on points per game (PPG) in matches between the Texas teams. Austin currently leads the standings with 2.25 PPG with FCD in second on 1.75 PPG, while Houston is out of the running on 0.25 PPG. If Dallas defeats Austin on Wednesday, the club would reach 2.0 PPG and would win Copa Tejas for the first time since 2021. Although Austin still plays Houston once more this year, that game won't affect the table since a loss to FCD on Wednesday would mean the highest PPG Austin can reach is also 2.0 but Dallas would hold the first tiebreaker (points gained against one another). If Dallas draws or loses Wednesday, however, Austin would claim its third-straight Copa Tejas title.
The Perfect Pairington: In the absence of star forward Jesús Ferreira, FC Dallas has turned to a new striker partnership: Record signing Petar Musa and rookie Logan Farrington. The pair have started the last two games together and contributed three goals, two for Musa and one for Farrington. They're heating up individually, too. Musa has scored eight goals in his last seven games in all competitions, meaning he trails only Chicho Arango for non-penalty goals in MLS this season. Next to him, first-round draft choice Farrington is having a strong debut campaign as well with two goals and four assists in just five league starts. Both strikers offer a physical presence in addition to deadly finishing, a dangerous combo for opposing backlines. If Musa and Farrington can maintain their form, expect Dallas to trouble Austin's defense that has just one shutout in its last five games.
Six-Pointer: Copa Tejas isn't the only thing on the line Wednesday as the game is something of a midseason six-pointer. Dallas and Austin are separated by just four points and sit 11th and 10th in the Western Conference respectively. A win for FCD would mean the gap closes to just one point, a loss and it would grow to seven – not insurmountable but not insignificant either. With both teams below the playoff line and scrounging for points before the Leagues Cup break, Wednesday's game carries a tinge of playoff implication earlier than expected.
