After the (very) mini break to herald the start of the World Cup, FC Dallas went to New York to play Red Bulls last Saturday, ahead of which my notes, which had a heavy home team bias included .............

 

 

NY won 3-0, with the other top two in the West winning, that meant that FCD lost ground in the race for #1 and they will be looking to get back on track today and put some pressure of their own onto those two main rivals who face tricky games tomorrow. Road games are never easy in MLS and Minnesota United have won four at home this season, but they have come versus teams with poor defensive records and who have already lost 20 away starts between them. MU have also conceded a whopping 99 goals in 49 MLS starts since coming into the league last year and are hard hit today by injury/suspension and international call ups.

 

Suspended midfielder Miguel Ibarra is a big loss, he has scored or assisted in 4 of United's five wins this season, missing just one start, a 3-2 loss to a poor Earthquakes side, he played 15 minutes or less in 13 games in 2017, through which MU were 3-1-9 conceding at the rate of 2.69 when he was out, 1.23 when he played. Captain and CB Francisco Calvo is also out today, away with Costa Rica, rather he was on the bench in Nizhny Novgorod on Wednesday, so I doubt he is going to turn up in Minnesota today ! They have an extensive injury list, missing three of the four midfielders who have scored this season (Molino/Finlay/Ibarra) and very short of options on the right flank and in both full back positions, doubly so if Erik Miller fails a late test (mised the last four weeks).

 

Dallas have some injuries to deal with too, but nothing so extensive and they have greater depth in any case, the visitors will be without suspended central defender Reto Ziegler ( 2-2 home draw with Vancouver, only game he missed). Mauro Diaz is also apparently on his way to Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai FC , he sat out the last two starts(league and cup) and I doubt he will be seen in an FCD shirt again, they did take four points from trips to New England Revolution and LAFC in his absence earlier this season and are actually 6-4-4 (very good in MLS) in road starts in his absence in the last three campaigns. He has been a very key player over the years, but maybe his influence is no longer what it once was. Big game for Dallas who host East leading Atlanta in midweek and travel to strong home side RSL next weekend, I take them to collect three points from their shorthanded host.

 

 

 

 

Good Luck.