David Ferreira came back from a broken ankle making his first start on July 7 and has two goals and six assists in the 10 starts since.
FRISCO, Texas - The Sounders FC and FC Dallas are two of the best teams in MLS over the last five matches. Seattle has gone 4-1-0 while Dallas is 3-1-1, so it will be much more of an even matchup than the two sides’ overall record would indicate.
The Sounders FC has just one loss in their last nine MLS matches, going 5-1-3 to climb to second in the Western Conference. They are 5-1-1 since ending a nine-match winless streak with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on July 7.
One week later, FC Dallas halted a club-record 13-match winless streak with a win over the Rapids. They have since gone 5-3-1 to elevate out of the bottom spot in the West and into playoff contention.
Much of that success has been triggered by the return of playmaker David Ferreira. The Colombian midfielder came back from a broken ankle and made his first start on July 7. He has two goals and six assists in the 10 starts since.
“It took him a few games to get back in the rhythm, but then his rhythm got better,” said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid. “With him, their team—everybody fits into places a little bit better, the structure seems to be a little better, and he’s obviously a player who has attacking abilities and passing abilities.”
Additionally, Panamanian forward Blas Perez is back in the Dallas lineup after a 12-game absence. He notched five goals and three assists before 13 matches before being knocked out of action. Brek Shea has also been in and out of action – and form – but looks to be back in the regular lineup with solid play in two straight starts.
Getting UW product back into the lineup has been a benefit for the defense, too, as Dallas now sits sixth in the West, just five points behind the Vancouver Whitecaps for the final playoff spot.
For all of their recent success though, the Sounders are not as concerned with Dallas as they are with their own play.
Seattle is 5-3-6 on the road this year, including a 2-0 win in Texas back in May. They are unbeaten at 2-0-2 at FC Dallas Stadium, including wins in each of their last two meetings there.
“It’s more up to us,” defender Adam Johansson said. “If we do what we are good at – if we play good soccer and we control the ball – then I think we can beat any team in this league. We have to focus on that.”
Kickoff is slated for 4 pm Pacific Time with television coverage on KONG 6/16 and the radio broadcast on 97.3 KIRO FM.
