Still in search of their first home win of the season, Minnesota United play host to FC Dallas on Sunday night at Saint Paul, Minn., in a chance to once again get back at the team that eliminated them from the 2022 MLS Cup playoffs.
FC Dallas (4-3-2, 14 points), which began the weekend in fourth place in the Western Conference, knocked off Minnesota United in the first round last October on penalty kicks 5-4 after the teams played to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.
The Loons (3-3-2, 11 points) did gain a small measure of revenge when they opened the regular season with a 1-0 victory over the Toros at Frisco, Tex., on Feb. 25. Mender Garcia scored the game-winner in the 48th minute and Dayne St. Clair made one save to pick up the shutout.
Minnesota United, which is seventh in the West, started the season with a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) but has lost three in a row in MLS play and is 0-1-2 at home.
The Loons, however, come in off a 3-1 victory at Detroit City FC on Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup. Franco Fragapane, Emmanuel Iwe and Luis Amarilla all scored over a six-minute span in the second half after Minnesota fell behind 1-0.
“There’s nothing like winning for a bit of confidence,” Loons coach Adrian Heath said. “There were a lot of positives to come out of that game.”
FC Dallas, which won 3-0 in its last visit to Minnesota last September, is led by U.S. National Team star Jesus Ferreira. Ferreira scored in the 82nd minute to give the U.S. a 1-1 draw with Mexico in the Continental Clasico on April 19 at Glendale, Ariz.
The Toros had a three-match unbeaten streak snapped with a 3-1 loss at New York City FC last weekend with Ferreira coming off the bench to collect an assist on a Jose Martinez goal in the 77th minute to spoil the shutout.
“We will look to turn it around during the week in training,” defender Sam Junqua said after NYCFC raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first 55 minutes. “We want to head to Minnesota with the best chance of getting the three points on the road.”
–Field Level Media
