Dallas vs New York City
Out-of-form Dallas are set to entertain Major League Soccer stalwarts New York City at the Toyota Stadium.
Dallas head into proceedings in the midst of a rough patch having failed to win their last five MLS outings on the trot (D3, L2) since a 3-1 victory at Orlando City in late May. Nico Estevez’s side can ill-afford another sub-par performance if they are to stay in the Western Conference playoff zone, with eighth-placed Seattle Sounders trailing by a mere two points. Playing at home may not necessarily be a good thing, as the ‘Burn’ are winless in their last three home league fixtures (D1, L2) after winning five on the spin beforehand. They can find some comfort knowing they’ve not lost any of their three previous home league H2Hs (W1, D2), all of which saw both teams on the scoresheet.
Meanwhile, visiting New York City pulled off an eye-catching 4-2 home triumph over New England Revolution last time out, arresting a disheartening run of four winless MLS matches (D2, L2). The ‘Pigeons’ are still in the running for a top-place finish in the Eastern Conference as they trail conference-leading New York Red Bulls by a single point, albeit they do have two games in hand. Closing that gap will require Nick Cushing’s side to snap a two-game winless away league streak (D1, L1). That could be easier said than done. After winning back-to-back top-flight fixtures on the road without conceding, they’ve let in 2+ goals on their last two league travels, at an average of 3.00 per game.