Orlando City (6-4-3, 21 pts.) looks to keep the momentum going from Wednesday’s thrilling Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game over Inter Miami, welcoming in FC Dallas (6-3-4, 22 pts.) under the Saturday night lights. The match, presented by OUC, is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised locally on FOX35 PLUS and LionNation TV, with pre-game coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Local radio coverage will be available from 7 p.m. ET on Real Radio 104.1 in English and Acción 97.9 FM in Spanish.
Here’s everything you need to know about Dallas:
Key Transactions and Player News
Key Additions - Head Coach Nico Estevez, RW Paul Arriola (D.C. United), LW Alan Velasco (Independiente), GK Maarten Paes (Utrecht, loan), LB Marco Farfan (LAFC), RB Nanu (Porto, loan)
Key Departures - CF Ricardo Pepi (Augsurg), LB Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC), AM Andrés Ricuarte (Independiente Medellín), CM Bryan Acosta (Colorado Rapids), CB/RB Bressan (Avaí)
News - Dallas made sweeping changes in the offseason, selling USMNT center forward Pepi to the Bundesliga for a reported $20 million fee, adding two key offensive players in Arriola and Velasco, and handing Jesús Ferreira the first Homegrown Designated Player contract in MLS history. Each of those moves have paid off thus far, but none more than re-upping with Ferreira, who currently leads the race for the MLS Golden Boot, presented by Audi, with nine goals and looks on track to start multiple matches for the United States in the upcoming international window.
Take a look at Dallas’s full roster here.
Team Form
Dallas has taken to their personnel and tactical changes like a fish to water, sitting third in the West coming into the weekend with a +9 goal differential. However, after going 10 consecutive league matches without a loss, FCD has dropped two games in a row, falling 2-1 to both Vancouver and Minnesota over the past 10 days.
Head-to-Head
This will be the first matchup between Orlando and Dallas since September 27, 2020, when the teams played to a 0-0 draw in Texas. The last match at Exploria Stadium between the two sides occurred on August 3, 2019, when Tesho Akindele scored against his former club in a 2-0 Lions victory. Overall, Orlando City is 1-3-2 against Dallas all time.
Rasmussen University Fact
Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja spent five years as FC Dallas’ head coach from 2014-18, winning 97 games in all competitions and taking home both the Supporters’ Shield and the U.S. Open Cup in 2016. Pareja also played parts of eight seasons for Dallas from 1998-2005 and began his coaching career there before taking his first head coaching job in Colorado in 2012.
