Sounders-FC Dallas Preview
There may not have been a more dramatic playoff series in MLS history than the one last year between FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders.
These Western Conference rivals meet for the first time since that epic encounter Saturday night, with FC Dallas putting a 13-match unbeaten home streak on the line against a Sounders team that's winless on the road.
FC Dallas eliminated Seattle in the semifinals a year ago despite losing the first leg 2-1 on the road after leading at halftime. It returned home for the second leg and Tesho Akindele scored in the 84th minute to give the club the aggregate lead on away goals.
Chad Marshall then scored in the 90th to put Seattle ahead on aggregate and minutes away from advancing before Walker Zimmerman scored moments later to send the series to extra time. Neither team scored thereafter, with Dallas winning the penalty shootout 4-2 on Zimmerman's clincher.
"It haunts us from the standpoint of how we reacted after we equalized the game," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "Basically we put ourselves in position to get through and just our reaction as a team wasn't good."
FC Dallas improved to 10-0-3 in its last 13 at home with Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Portland. Ryan Hollingshead and Zimmerman scored two minutes apart in the second half to erase a 1-0 deficit for Dallas, which had been outscored 8-0 while losing its last three.
"Sometimes you need one to go in so you can kind of relax," Hollingshead told the club's official website. "Once the monkey is off your back, you can start playing."
Maximiliano Urruti went goalless for the eighth straight game for FC Dallas (6-4-2), which improved in the second half after Akindele replaced Urruti at the break.
"We had more energy, I thought we had more ideas in the middle," coach Oscar Pareja said. "The first half we had some options. The second half we had more options, and the game just went back and forth. I thought it was a game we needed to win."
Seattle (4-4-1) is one of four West clubs without a road win, with two defeats and a draw. The Sounders are 1-10-4 in their last 15 MLS away games.
"In the past, we've always been a pretty good team and it's about returning to that for us," Schmid said.
The Sounders will be the more-rested team after beating San Jose 2-0 last Saturday for their second straight shutout. Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris scored while defender Erik Friberg made his first start since March 12 after being hampered by a knee injury.
Seattle has scored in eight straight matches and all three on the road while Dallas has allowed at least one goal in eight in a row.
"They play at home," Friberg said. "They've been struggling a little bit away. So I think they're going to be excited to play at home."