Match Preview - FC Dallas
Game Info
Kickoff: 7:40pm CT
Watch: Apple TV
Location: Q2 Stadium - Austin, TX
All-Time H2H Record
Austin FC has a 3W-3D-8L all-time record against FC Dallas.
Not only has Dallas had the upper hand in this rivalry all-time, they’ve also dominated of late, winning three of the last four meetings and earning a draw in the other.
ATX has a significant home/road split in this matchup, with a 0W-1D-6L all-time record in Frisco, while owning a much more palatable 3W-2D-2L record at Q2 Stadium against FC Dallas. And of course, the Verde and Black won the only playoff matchup between the two teams to date back in 2022.
FC Dallas Recent Form
Before we dive into the 2026 edition of FC Dallas, let’s take a quick peek at the history of one of the league’s original ten teams. First known as the Dallas Burn the club transitioned to FC Dallas prior to the 2005 season, while relocating to Frisco, TX at the same time. Nobody ever accused these folks of being the brightest bulbs in the box!
As a whole the franchise has not found much success, with just three trophies to their name across their more than three decades of existence. Frisco has two U.S. Open Cup titles, won in 1997 and 2016, along with a Supporter’s Shield win in 2016. FC Dallas are still without an MLS Cup, making the big game back in 2010 but falling short against Colorado Rapids by a 2-1 scoreline.
Arguably the best aspect of the franchise is their academy, which has consistently churned out some very impressive players over the years. Names like Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Chris Richards, Jesus Ferreira and Edwin Cerrillo (who we just saw with Club América on Thursday) all got their start in North Texas.
FC Dallas is managed by Eric Quill, who is in his second season at the helm. Known for wearing a dumbass red hat on the sidelines, Quill managed the team to a seventh place finish in the Western Conference last season, one spot behind Austin FC. Coming into this game the club is sitting in sixth place on 27 points with a 7W-6D-5L record.
They haven’t struggled to score in 2026, amassing 32 goals across their 18 matches played, good for ninth in MLS on a goals per game basis. They’re also eighth in big chances created and doing so while being second lowest in average possession at just 42% per game. Dallas ranks just 21 in touches in the opponent’s penalty area and 23rd in shots on target per game, highlighting how efficient they’ve been at creating chances quickly and finishing when the opportunity to score presents itself.
Defensively they’ve been solid as well, employing a physical style that’s led them to the sixth most fouls and the third most yellow cards in MLS to this point of the year. Dallas also leads the league in clearances per game, with a massive 3.9 clearance per game gap between themselves and the team with the second most per game. It’s not incredibly exciting soccer, but it is effective and efficient, especially when compared to the Verde and Black.
Frisco narrowly missed out on the Leagues Cup quarterfinals, defeating Querétaro and Chivas before falling to Toluca on the road, eliminating them from the tournament. Prior to the Leagues Cup break, they stumbled a bit results-wise, with a pair of draws against Portland and LA Galaxy along with a loss to San Diego FC.
We discussed some of their player personnel changes on Friday’s Episode 325 and of course spent a good deal of time talking about their menace up top in the form of Petar Musa. He’s still dominating opponents and has racked up 15 goal contributions across his 16 league appearances.
Dallas is also dealing with a revolving door in net. Michael Collodi was massive to close out the 2025 season and won the job this year by outperforming new acquisition Jonathan Sirois in the preseason. But Collodi was streaky in the first half of the year, leading the team to trade for Daniel from San Jose during the summer. The new arrival promptly injured his hamstring, and with Daniel reportedly set to miss two months with the issue, Sirois is currently the first choice keeper for FCD.
Austin FC Recent Form
It’s amazing how much vibes can shift in such a short period of time. Three “wins” in the Leagues Cup Phase 1 has Austin FC moving on to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in club history and now the Verde and Black remain at home to host their in-state rivals to the north.
After ATX double-stamped their two victories over lesser opponents with a penalty shootout win over Club América on Thursday, I’m more than willing to acknowledge that the team is playing some of their best ball of 2026 at the moment. I’m also still cognizant of the fact that the bar was quite low coming into the tournament and that Liga MX teams are both less familiar with Austin FC and further away from home than Sunday’s opponent will be.
Keeping the positive form in league play is not only a question mark, it’s a necessity if Austin FC is going to have any chance at making an improbable push to a postseason berth this season. They showed some tactical tweaks to the previously rigid style employed by interim head coach Davy Arnaud during the trio of Leagues Cup fixtures, along with a much more cohesive display from the player personnel on both sides of the ball.
Austin isn’t just looking at an uphill climb to the ninth seed and a wild card spot, which currently sits seven points above their total of 17 through 18 games, they’re also hanging on by a thread in the Copa Tejas standings. If Austin FC wins on Sunday, they’ll be in the driver’s seat to take home their third in-state Cup in six seasons in Frisco next month.
The schedule is a concern and the fixture congestion brought on by Leagues Cup will surely force Arnaud’s hand into some heavy rotation in one of the three games ATX will play over the course of the next seven days. Seattle away on Wednesday is the most likely spot in my mind, with the Sounders still reeling in the midst of their worst run of form in club history, now up to six straight losses in league play and eight of their last nine across all competitions.
Even though I don’t expect a ton of changes on Sunday evening, there’s still likely to be a few. Ilie Sanchez went the full 90 on Thursday against América and another start less than 72 hours later seems like a dubious proposition at best for the 35-year-old captain. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Christian Ramirez also get another start in place of Brandon Vazquez up top, nor should we be shocked by Brendan Hines-Ike or Jon Bell getting the nod on the backline.
Injury Report
This is an estimate until the league releases official injury reports on Saturday afternoon.
ATX:
Mikkel Desler (Out - Achilles)
Owen Wolff (Out - Ankle)
DAL:
Daniel (Out - Hamstring)
FC Dallas Players to Watch
Petar Musa - The talent of the Dallas striker was on display this summer at the FIFA World Cup, scoring an equalizing goal against England in the group stage, which was a much less stressful watch than when he’s typically dominating Austin FC. At 28-years-old, Musa is one of the most talented players in MLS and has proven so with his counting stats, amassing 58 goal contributions in MLS play across his 68 starts for the club. He is without a doubt the best player on the Dallas roster and the biggest danger to Austin’s back line.
Santiago Moreno - To be clear, Musa is not the only talent Frisco’s got. Moreno returned to MLS earlier this year as the second DP on the Dallas roster after departing Portland last season following a four-and-a-half year stint with the Timbers. He’s off to a slow start from a statistical perspective, with just three goal contributions in his 13 appearances for Dallas so far. Moreno had 61 contributions with the Timbers and is much more goal dangerous than his box scores have let on in 2026.
Austin FC Keys to the Game
Translate: Leagues Cup Phase 1 was a blast if you were an Austin FC fan. Eight points from the three matches and a spot in the quarterfinals two weeks from now. But now the grim reality of league play rushes back with an equally daunting schedule, at least in terms of fixture congestion. We’ve seen a more cohesive and well-drilled Verde and Black over the last week and a half, but those games came against a trio of teams that are much less familiar with ATX and its player personnel than the MLS sides on the docket this week. If Austin FC can translate the improvements we perceived in their play against their Leagues Cup foes to MLS games, then we’re in for a much more interesting and potentially successful second half of the league schedule than we thought after the letdowns against Houston and Colorado three weeks back. It’s a long road ahead and it starts with Sunday’s rivalry matchup.
Predictions
ZG- 2-0 Austin FC
E- 2-1 Austin FC
