Scouting Seattle Sounders: What FC Dallas Needs to Know

FC Dallas heads west for just its third road match of the season, taking on the Seattle Sounders in a matchup that feels like a pretty stiff test for Eric Quill’s side at this stage in the season.

Dallas is coming off a frustrating three-game homestand, where they gave up leads in two straight games that ended in draws, before dropping all three points on Wednesday night against Minnesota United. The Sounders, on the other hand, are riding high after a dominant 4-1 win over St. Louis CITY SC last weekend. They also got the benefit of not having to deal with a midweek match this week.

Road games in Seattle have never been comfortable for Dallas over the years, with the last win coming way back in the glory days of Brek Shea in 2011. The environment, the quality, the way Seattle controls games - it all adds up quickly. If Dallas wants to bounce back, they’re going to have to be sharp, disciplined, and find a way to be ruthless like they did in their last road match earlier this month.

Let’s dive into the Sounders.

Potential Lineup & Tactic Style:

Year over year, Seattle remains one of the most complete, well-drilled teams in MLS. When they’re clicking, it looks annoyingly easy. They blend structure with flexibility, meaning they can control games with possession or hurt you with quick transition play.

• Offensive tendencies - In possession, Seattle likes to build methodically. The midfield will dictate tempo, the fullbacks will push up high to help create, and their attackers rotate well to find the pockets of space between the lines. In a way, they’re a team that plays a controlled pressure type of game. They wait for you to lose shape and then pounce.
• Defensive shape - They’re organized and tough to break down. Seattle has a way to stay compact, and they don’t give you many freebies in central areas.

Key Player: Cristian Roldan

If you are looking for a guy that quietly runs the Sounders game, it is Roldan. He covers ground, wins balls, connects passes, and shows up in the attack at the right moments (he’s tied for most Seattle goals this season with three). Roldan isn’t flash, but he’s the glue. When Seattle is controlling a game, chances are Roldan is in the middle of it.

Key Matchup: Jesus Ferreira vs Dallas center backs

Hey, yes, we know that name well. He knows our defense and our defense knows him. But this is the kind of game that he should shine in, too. Last year against Dallas, the former FCD Homegrown was quiet. If the Dallas defense gets stretched by his ability on the ball in space, he could end up having a big night.

Availability Report1:

Suspended: none
Out: none
Questionable: Paul Arriola, Albert Rusnák
On Loan: none
International duty: none

Quick Notes:

All-time vs Dallas: FC Dallas holds a 1-12-4 all-time regular-season road record against Seattle. Dallas has scored 12 away goals against Seattle. Seattle has scored 36 goals at Lumen Field versus Dallas. Dallas last won in Seattle on May 26, 2011. Brek Shea scored for Dallas that night.

Current form: While the Sounders also had to deal with Concacaf Champions Cup, in league play this season they’ve been impressive. They’re 5-1-1 through seven games, with the lone loss coming on the road in Utah back in March.

Where they're at in the standings: With that impressive record, Seattle is only in 5th place in the Western Conference. They’ve been good, but San Jose and Vancouver have been just that much better this season.

Three keys for FC Dallas

1. Stay compact and don’t get pulled apart: Seattle thrives on movement and spacing. If Dallas gets stretched and again fail to defend in the low block situations like we’ve seen in recent weeks, this one could get out of hand in a hurry. If the shape stays tight, especially through the middle, and Dallas fins a way to force Seattle into wider, less dangerous areas, it could help them come away with points.
2. Be Efficient on the Counter: We know chances could be limited with the way Seattle plays on their turf. When Dallas wins the ball, the transition needs to be quick, and more importantly, decisive. Seattle will commit numbers forward, so there will be moments to exploit it. But unlikely Wednesday night against Minnesota, you won’t get extra touches to figure it out before they recover.
3. Limit the mistakes in the buildup: Seattle punishes sloppy play better than most teams in MLS. On Wednesday night, Dallas was sloppy in their passing through the midfield and it allowed the Loons to remain compact defensively. Seattle will take that to another level if you gift them ways turnovers. Dallas has to be clean, even under pressure.

1 Note: MLS has an injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. Our scouting reports will include last week's report and will be fully updated the day before with our injury report for FC Dallas.