The Seattle Sounders visit FC Dallas on Saturday for the first of two meetings during the 2019 MLS regular season. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 5 p.m. PT at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be televised on JOEtv, YouTube TV and Univision-Seattle.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on 950 KJR AM and El Rey 1360 AM.
2019 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: Sounders: 7-2-5 (26 points, 2nd West), FCD: 5-6-3 (18 points, 7th West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Seattle: LDWWD, Dallas: LDLLL
ALL-TIME HISTORY: The Sounders are 12-6-6 all-time against FCD, including a 3-5-5 mark on the road.
PREVIOUS MEETING: Seattle defeated Dallas 2-1 on Aug. 12, 2018, extending the Sounders’ unbeaten streak to eight matches. Former Sounders center back Chad Marshall, who retired from professional soccer last week, netted the opener from a corner kick in the 41st minute. FC Dallas equalized just six minutes into the second half as Dom Badji redirected Michael Barrios’ cross with his chest past Stefan Frei. Needing three points to continue their rapid ascent in the Western Conference standings, Nicolás Lodeiro’s free-kick goal in the 63rd minute secured a massive win.
LIFE WITHOUT LODEIRO: The Sounders will be without the services of Lodeiro on Saturday, as the midfield maestro is serving a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
DALLAS DOLDRUMS: FC Dallas is 0-4-2 in its last six matches and hasn’t won a game since April 20. FCD has been outscored 10-4 in that stretch.
Xavier Arreaga played his first match for the Sounders over the weekend | Nick Smith
PROMISING DEBUT: Although the surrounding circumstances were less than ideal, as center back Kim Kee-hee exited in the first half with lateral knee pain, new Sounders Designated Player Xavier Arreaga debuted in Seattle’s 3-2 away loss to Sporting Kansas City last weekend. The Ecuadorian center back showed flashes of why the club rates him so highly, timing his challenges to perfection and distributing confidently out of the back.
KIM, POSSIBLE?: Speaking of Kim, his status for the weekend is uncertain as he continues to be evaluated.
TOTW: Sounders right back Kelvin Leerdam, who recorded a goal and an assist in the loss against SKC, was named to the MLS Team of the Week bench for Week 13.
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: The Rave Green could be without numerous key contributors on Saturday, with over a half dozen players receiving call-ups to their respective national teams.
REINFORCEMENTS: It’s not all bad news on the personnel front, as Gustav Svensson and VÃctor RodrÃguez could make their returns from injury on Saturday in Texas. Svensson was on the matchday roster last weekend, but did not feature.
DEPLETED DALLAS: The hosts will be missing several key contributors of their own, as Homegrown tandem Paxton Pomykal and Edwin Cerrillo are in Poland with the U.S. U-20 national team. Attacking midfielder Pablo Aránguiz will also miss the match because of international duty with the Chile U-23s.
SHARED ETHOS: The Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas have both established themselves as two of the top talent producers in the country in recent years, with both clubs dominating on the U.S. youth national team circuit.
