Three Questions: Sounders vs FC Dallas

Sounder at Heart: FC Dallas is coming off their worst loss of the season, 4-0 to the Chicago Fire. That result leaves them in 8th place with four matches remaining in the season. Would missing the playoffs be seen as a disappointment, or is there a long-term vision under Luchi Gonzalez?

Big D Soccer: Missing the playoffs would be a bit of a disappointment this season for FC Dallas. Not a total failure by any stretch, though I’m sure some folks out there would disagree. Given how young this team is, how Luchi implemented a new system that took time to adapt to, and how their scouting department had some change in the offseason too, I think this team is doing about as well as you could have hoped for, if not better. If anything, this group gives fans here a lot of hope for the future with how Luchi coaches and how the team plays in his style.

SAH: Dallas is obviously known for their academy and ability to produce Homegrown players. Paxton Pomykal is the one getting all the interest, but I’m interested in Jesús Ferreira. Is his best position in the midfield or forward?

BDS: Man, that is the one thing I’ve been trying to sort out for the last two months myself. Just when you think he’s a forward, he goes cold up top. And just when you think he’s a playmaker in the middle, he shows some struggles. I do believe he’s not a winger, which he did have some time early in the preseason out wide. Honestly though, the more I see him in the midfield, the more he reminds me of his father and how he played as a true No. 10 in the midfield for FC Dallas. I think if we get more games out of him as we had against Cincinnati and Houston, (which may not be the best examples since the defensive competition was pretty poor in each of those) it will prove to more people that his place belongs in the midfield.

SAH: Dallas has the second-most road losses in the Western Conference. Are you expecting a result from this game? If so, what does Dallas need to do to leave Seattle with at least a point?

BDS: A point would be fantastic in this game for FC Dallas. Right now FCD knows they control their destiny a bit with regards to the playoffs but they need results. In games where Dallas has struggled this year (like they did with Chicago), they’ve done a good enough job at bouncing back in the following game. I think getting Bryan Acosta back in the midfield will make a big difference in terms of what kind of pressure the defense is put under and how they can retain their shape with him out there. FCD is still going to need big games out of Ferreira, Pomykal and Michael Barrios. If all three of those guys go cold or get disconnected in this game for long stretches, they will struggle to leave Seattle with anything but a loss.