FC Dallas vs Chivas Preview: Lineups, Storylines & What to Watch
FC Dallas resumes their 2026 Leagues Cup campaign on Saturday evening when they travel to San Jose to take on Chivas de Guadalajara at PayPal Park.
Let’s dive into some notes, predictions, and more.
TL;DR: Match Preview
Quick hits before kickoff.
- Score prediction: FC Dallas 1 - 2 Chivas
- Key player to watch: Santiago Moreno - He was a spark for the club on Wednesday, time to have him show his worth as a DP against Chivas.
- Why this game matters: Getting to play a club like Chivas doesn't happen every day. While this is a home game, it will likely feel more like a road match with the Chivas faithful in Northern California.
FC Dallas Notes:
All-time against Chivas: This is not the first-ever meeting between these two clubs. Dallas hosted Chivas in a friendly during the Burn era at the Cotton Bowl back in 1997. Dallas won that match 5-0. The two then later met during the old SuperLiga tournament, with that 2007 game ending in a 1-1 draw. They had one more friendly a year later, with Chivas earning a 2-1 win.
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Potential FC Dallas Lineup:
Manager Eric Quill opted to do a bit of rotation on Wednesday night against Queretaro, with guys like Anderson Julio, Clay Holstad, Bernard Kamungo and Joaquin Valiente earning starts.
Given the travel and additional games coming up, we should expect more rotation for this game. The bigger question will be whether or not Quill opts to rotate his goalkeepers for this one by bringing in Michael Collodi.
Starting XI
Formation: 3-4-3Projected lineup with rotations factored in
Availability & Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended with next yellow card: none
Suspended with next two yellow cards: none
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin
Out: Daniel (lower body), Anderson Julio (lower body)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
International duty: none
Leagues Cup notes
All Leagues Cup Phase One matches feature games between MLS and LIGA MX sides.
Each club plays three matches against opponents from the opposite league within their set. Leagues Cup Phase One matches are determined by the Leagues Cup Ranking, as well as by region.
Points & standings system
MLS and LIGA MX teams will compete and earn points in a league-specific table against teams from their own league.
For example, a win by an MLS club earns points in the Leagues Cup MLS table. A win by a LIGA MX team contributes to the Leagues Cup LIGA MX table. The top four clubs from each league-specific table will advance to the quarterfinals later in August.
The first tiebreaker in Phase One is goal differential, followed by wins (regular time), goals scored and goals conceded.
There are no draws; games go straight to a penalty shootout if they end in a tie. Teams are awarded points as follows in Phase One:
- Regulation draw: 1 point for both teams
- Penalty shootout win: 2 points
- Regulation win: 3 points
Chivas Notes:
Key player: Roberto Alvarado
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended on next yellow card: none
Availability Report
Out: none
Questionable: none
International duty: none
How to watch
Big game this week for FC Dallas. Before we get into it, members have the full scouting report, projected lineups, and injury report. If you want to go into Matchday actually knowing what to watch for, now's the time.
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