FC Dallas returns home to face LAFC this Saturday, Sept. 21 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: 9-13-7 (34 points, 11th in West)
- LAFC record: 14-7-7 (49 points, 3rd in West)
- FCD vs. LAFC all-time: 3-6-2 (12 goal scored, 17 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. LAFC home: 3-1-1 (9 goal scored, 6 goals conceded)
Story Lines
Must Win: It's a must-win scenario when FC Dallas host third-place LAFC this Saturday. Dallas are coming off a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Real Salt Lake Wednesday night, meaning the club has only five games to close the gap to reach the play-in game (8/9th place). Peter Luccin's team is in 11th place in the West with 34 points and must leapfrog both Austin FC (35 points) and Minnesota United (39 points) to qualify for the play-in game, a one-off game where the winner enters the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs proper. Making up five points in five games is not an easy task and it will almost certainly require FCD winning all of their three remaining home games, beginning with Saturday night's contest with the star-studded LAFC.
Velasco's Back: Alan Velasco made his season debut during FCD's most recent home game after spending 10 months on the sideline following an ACL injury. Since then, the 22-year-old Argentine has slowly been gaining fitness and minutes under his belt, culminating with a 45-minute outing Wednesday night in Salt Lake City. Velasco made the most of his minutes and scored his first goal in 340 days with a well-taken penalty in the dying minutes. And it wasn't just his goal. Velasco's performance showed flashes of his game-changing ability Dallas fans became accustomed to before his injury last year. If Dallas are able to beat the odds and make a late playoff push, Velasco will likely be a big contributor.
LAFC: As usual, LAFC are near the top end of the Western Conference. Head coach Steve Cherundolo has guided his team to third place with a 14-7-7 record and the third-best defensive record in the conference. Offensively, LAFC are spearheaded by Gabon international Denis Bouanga with 17 goals, including one against Dallas in the reverse fixture back in June. The club also reinforced its frontline with the addition of French World Cup winner Olivier Giroud earlier this summer. Between Bouanga, Giroud and Mateusz Bogusz (who's scored 14 goals himself this campaign), Dallas's backline will have to be at their best Saturday night.
