The Loons are back on a quick turnaround again this week as the black and blue face FC Dallas on Wednesday for a midweek showing. Ahead of their trip to Texas and meeting with the Burn er uh I mean Toros we reached out to our friends over at Big D Soccer to get some insight on FCD. You can (and should) also check out their piece on Minnesota United we answered questions for!
Ashle Paige: Tell us about FC Dallas' season to this point.
Drew Epperley: For the most part, this season has been positive. Dallas has only one loss on the year, against LAFC on the road, in a game that they actually did very well in. The only issues you could say that have popped up is how the club has closed out games. They’re scoring on just about everyone, but keeping those leads has been another story. If they can figure out a way to close out games, more people will have to start taking them seriously here.
AP: Were there any major or key acquisitions over the offseason?
DE: Dallas didn’t overhaul their roster this past offseason. Instead, they trimmed the fat if you will on some contracts, transferred keeper Maarten Paes to Ajax, and cut some younger players that weren’t making breakthroughs. They went out and signed a few new starters, like Swedish national team member Herman Johansson, their new right fullback. They also added a new U22 signing in Israeli midfielder Ran Binyamin. As the season got started, they added two more big pieces to the attack in Joaquin Valiente and former Portland Timbers midfielder Santiago Moreno.
AP: Who is the player FC Dallas player that Minnesota United fans should watch out for?
DE: It is hard not to point out what Petar Musa is doing right now. He’s sitting on nine goals after eight games, and is in the lead for the league’s Golden Boot race.
AP: Are there any major injuries or missing players?
DE: There are a pair of players to discuss. Anderson Julio is out with a long-term leg injury that he picked up back in early March. Bernard Kamungo also has a muscle injury to his right leg that the club is being cautious about right now. He’s not slated to return until at least before the World Cup break.
AP: How's the stadium renovation going and what's it like to have a partially finished stadium for a few years?
DE: It is weird. There really is no way around how weird it is to go to a half-full stadium each game, with one side closed due to construction. When it is done, I do think it will transform this club and how they go about business in the community and around the league. They’ll no longer have the most dated stadium, which I have to think is a bigger deal than most will be willing to admit.
AP: Your DALvMIN score prediction?
DE: This one feels like a gritty 1-1 draw.
