Whitecaps FC-FC Dallas Preview
Dallas FC's 10-game unbeaten run helped put it in solid position to qualify for the postseason, but its current slide has given the Vancouver Whitecaps a great opportunity to gain some ground.
Dallas looks to avoid a third straight loss as it hosts Vancouver on Saturday night.
After going 7-0-3 in MLS play June 7-Aug. 22, Dallas fell 1-0 to Chicago on Aug. 6 and 2-1 to Real Salt Lake last Saturday. It still sits in fourth place in the Western Conference, five points ahead of fifth-place Vancouver.
"The team that I saw (last Saturday), it was much better," coach Oscar Pareja said. "The urgency, everything was better than the last game. It makes us feel optimistic about finding a way to bounce back from these two results."
Dallas (12-9-6) was without one of its top contributors in those defeats, as Blas Perez has been with Panama's national team at the Copa Centroamericana. He could be back for this game, but Pareja is confident his club can bounce back no matter who is on the field.
"I love this team more when things aren't going our way. I can say that they put all of their heart into this game," Pareja said. "(In the second half) we were more aggressive. I think that our other forwards helped us. We gained a lot more confidence with ourselves in the second half for sure."
If the season ended today, Dallas would host Vancouver in the first round of the playoffs. The Whitecaps (8-6-13) will look to close the gap between the clubs by winning consecutive matches for the second time this season.
Vancouver played to a scoreless draw against D.C. last Saturday to extend its winless streak to four before beating San Jose 2-0 on Wednesday, making this its third match in eight days.
"Three games in a week is tough for any player, even my young players like Russell Teibert, Matias Laba, and someone like Jordan Harvey," coach Carl Robinson said. "We'll have to assess it, but I'm sure there will be one or two fresh faces (against Dallas)."
David Ousted tops MLS with nine shutouts for the Whitecaps, who lead Portland by two points for the final playoff spot. Colorado is seven points back.
"Every week it seems to change, every result it seems to change," Robinson said. "All I've said all along is take care of your business, that's all we can control. We can't control what San Jose, what Colorado, what Chivas, what Portland do unless we're playing them. We've got to control ourselves and we did that. I just want to be above that red line. That's what we've got to aim for."
Vancouver, though, hasn't had much success against Dallas. It is 1-6-2 all-time in the series, and its winless streak hit six after a 2-all draw July 27 in the first meeting this season.