FC DALLAS vs. MINNESOTA UNITED FC
Toyota Stadium | Frisco, Texas
04.08.17 | MLS Week #6 | MLS Game #6
7:00 p.m. CT (My29, MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN)

2017 Records:
MIN: 1-3-1; 1-1-0 at home

DAL: 2-0-1; 1-0-1 on the road

Still riding high following its first MLS win — a 4-2 victory over Real Salt Lake at home — MNUFC heads south to face FC Dallas on Saturday, April 8. MNUFC will be incorporating two new players acquired in a trade late last week — defenders Sam Cronin and Marc Burch —into the team and looking to refine its offensive proficiency while building up the defense. Dallas, for their part, are returning home after a dispiriting loss on Tuesday night to Pachuca at Estadio Hidalgo in a CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series they led 2-1 on aggregate. Catch pre-match coverage on My29 and MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match follows with kickoff at 7:00 pm and post-match coverage afterwards.

“It’s a big week for Dallas,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath following practice on Tuesday afternoon. “I think like everybody in America who’s working here, we wish them well tonight against Pachuca. And hopefully it will go to extra time and it will be a long, long evening and then they’ll have a long trip back on an airplane because we’ve got a really tough game against them at the weekend.”

After a historic night for the club last Saturday that featured two goals for Christian Ramirez and a goal and two assists for Kevin Molino, the players got to enjoy their weekend a bit more this time around. But Heath saw them come to training on Tuesday as focused and ready to work as they’ve ever been this season.

“I think the pleasing aspect for me has been the work the lads have done regardless of the results,” said Heath. “I’ve been through it before: when you play at the weekend and you don’t get a lot of reward and you get everybody pointing their fingers at you, it’s very difficult to come in full of the joys of spring when you’ve had another heavy defeat. But the training’s been really good. Let’s hope we can build on that this week. As I said after the game on Saturday, that’s a start. I think we showed a little bit of promise and gave a little bit of reason for optimism to our supporters. Something that excites them a little bit about what we might become because I still think there’s an awful lot more to come.”

Part of what Heath clearly hopes they’ll become with the addition of Cronin, a holding midfielder, and Burch, a left back, is an improved defensive squad. Through five matches, MNUFC has conceded 20 goals, including two apiece in their draw against Colorado and their win against Real Salt Lake. Heath has stressed since their first loss in Portland that it’s more than just an issue with the goalkeeper or even the keeper and the back four. Although Cronin and Burch will surely shift the developing chemistry of the team somewhat, he believes it will only be a positive.

“I think it’s going to be a big plus, I think it’s a shot in the arm to everybody at the club,” he said. “I think we brought in two guys who are incredibly experienced — probably over 400 league games in the MLS between them. They’ve come in and showed us exactly what they’re about in training. Both did really well. I don’t see any issues with integrating them at all.”

Asked about each other, the two newest Loons were effusive in their praise.

“Burch does play with an edge,” said Cronin. “He stands up for himself, stands up for his teammates. He’s a really smart defender and his left foot makes him one of the best left-sided players in the league, in my opinion. His delivery’s great, his passing’s great. Paired with his competitive nature, he’s a guy that you put on the left side and you don’t have to worry about it. The whole side’s taken care of.”

“Sam’s one of those guys that gives it all on the field, leads with the right mentality, the right personality,” said Burch. “He’ll get after you, but then he’ll put an arm around you, build you up when he needs to. He’s always thinking positively and talking positively and I think that’s stuff you can’t teach and it comes natural out of him.”

As for how the two new additions will slot into the lineup this week, Heath answered the question in how he addressed the rise of Brent Kallman to starting center back for the team over the last few matches.

“By his own performances, he keeps his plate,” Heath said. “I think I made the comment at the weekend that I only pick players — players drop themselves. I’m a big believer in that. I don’t see too many coaches leaving people out that play well. As long as he keeps this intensity Monday to Friday in his training, he keeps working as hard as he is and playing as well as he is, then he’ll keep the shirt. It’s pretty much in his own hands.”

Once they’re done in Dallas, MNUFC will head to a matchup with Houston Dynamo in southeast Texas for Week 7. That match kicks off at BBVA Compass Stadium at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 15. The match will be broadcast on My29 and MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN with pre-match coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m.

INJURY REPORT

Minnesota United
OUT: M - Bernardo Anor (left lower leg injury)
OUT: M - Thomas de Villardi (ruptured Achilles tendon)
QUESTIONABLE: GK - John Alvbage (left knee injury)
QUESTIONABLE: GK - Patrick McLain (concussion)

FC Dallas
OUT: M - Mauro Diaz (torn Achilles tendon)
OUT: M - Ryan Hollingshead (neck injury)
OUT: M - Anibal Chala (sports hernia injury)

DISCIPLINARY REPORT

Minnesota United
-none-

FC Dallas
Maynor Figueroa – Disciplinary committee decision

FIRST TOUCHES

• Jacori Hayes, Collin Martin and Sam Cronin all played for Wake Forest in college. Hayes and Martin are both natives of Maryland.
• Minnesota has scored in all five of its MLS matches this season, with multiple goals in its last three.
• FC Dallas won both the Supporters’ Shield and U.S. Open Cup in 2016.
• All three of Dallas’ Designated Players are less that 27 years old. Mauro Diaz is the oldest at 26 and Carlos Gruezo is the youngest at 21.
• Christian Ramirez is tied for third in MLS for most goals this season. He, Fanendo Adi and Diego Valeri all have found the back of the net four times this year.
• Ramirez became the first player in club history to score multiple goals in a match. Half of his shots on goal have ended up in the back of the net.
• Collen Warner is the only Minnesota player to play every minute so far this season.
• Goalkeeper Chris Seitz was one of two netminders to reach double digits for shutouts in 2016, keeping a clean sheet 10 times last year.
• Midfielder Javier Morales has the most career assists of any active MLS player with 81, placing him tenth on the all-time ranking.
• Minnesota has taken the second most shots in MLS with 64 and tied for the second most shots on goals with 25.
• Dallas has the youngest team in MLS with an average age of 24.3 years old. It has six players under the age of 20.