Minnesota United vs. FC Dallas | 2020 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 24
Minnesota United FC vs. FC Dallas
Allianz Field – Saint Paul
November 8 – 6:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: FOX Sports North, FOX Sports Southwest

Minnesota United host FC Dallas in a Decision Day presented by AT&T clash at Allianz Field Sunday that could be a preview of a meeting in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Loons (8W-5L-7D) are fifth in the West following a 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire FC at home Wednesday night, while FC Dallas (9W-5L-7D) are just above them in fourth after a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC in Week 23. If the teams remain in those positions after the match, they'll meet in the First Round at Toyota Stadium.

Playoff scenarios:How Decision Day could impact the playoff field
What's at stake: Key races to watch for during Decision Day's 13 games
Playoff schedule:Match schedule, dates, times and TV details

The teams are meeting for the third time this season, each winning once on their home ground. Kevin Molino scored a pair of second-half goals, leading the Loons to a 3-2 win Sept. 9 at Allianz Field. On Aug. 29 at Toyota Stadium, Fafa Picault and Jesús Ferreira netted goals a minute apart early on, pacing FC Dallas to a 3-1 win.

Minnesota United

Minnesota United rallied from an early two-goal deficit to draw Chicago 2-2 in their penultimate match of the season. Jose Aja pulled the Loons to within a goal in the 64th minute and Robin Lod leveled 10 minutes from time. Minnesota United are now unbeaten in their last seven matches, but coach Adrian Heath was hoping to avoid an animated halftime team talk to rally his squad.

“The one thing I can take out of it, it’s seven games I think that we haven’t lost a game," he said. "You know, we’ve kept going. And the response was excellent today in the second half. But, as I said to the players, and I wasn’t being disrespectful, we cannot play at 75 percent and win games. We can’t do it. We’re not that good. And I’m not on about our team. I’m on about teams in the MLS. The parity that there is in this league, if you play, as I say, 75 percent, 80 percent, you’re going to get beat.

"And it shouldn’t need me at halftime to be as animated and as angry as I am to get that response in the second half," he continued. "Because it’s nothing to do with the fact that we haven’t played. Yeah, we could use it as an excuse. We haven’t trained together since the last game, the last Wednesday game. I get that. That doesn’t mean you can’t run. That doesn’t mean you can’t fight the guy you’re playing against. And that’s never changed. I played in a really good team. Full of internationals. And we were the same. We dropped it a notch, we were bang average. But we knew, if we wanted to be successful, we knew what it took. And we weren’t prepared to put up with mediocre and 75 percent. And we never let anybody get away with it. And that has never changed. And it never will.”

Luis Amarilla underwent successful ankle surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2020 season, the club announced Saturday. Amarilla, signed this past January on a 12-month loan with an option to buy from Velez Sarsfield, finished with two goals and one assist in seven games (five starts) this season. He hasn’t featured since a Sept. 2 game at the Houston Dynamo.

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Tyler Miller (GK) - hip injury
- OUT: Ike Opara (D) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Luis Amarilla (F) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Aaron Schoenfeld (F) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Ozzie Alonso (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Jacori Hayes (D) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Ozzie Alonso (M)
International duty: None

FC Dallas

FC Dallas are heating up at just the right time, a 1-0 win over Nashville SC wasn't just their first in four meetings this season, but it was also FCD's third win in in a row to extend an unbeaten streak to four games. Now they have a chance to lock up a home game with a win over the Loons.

"We've got to earn that, and it's going to be hard, and Minnesota can also earn that at home. We didn't get to play them here... now we play them in Minnesota, which is not an easy place to get results, so we know that the task is hard. But we're certainly motivated and determined to see this to the end, in terms of the regular season. And we're really hungry to earn another game in front of our fans," Luchi Gonzalez said on a Zoom call with media on Friday.

Updated team roster
Injury Report:
- OUT: Paxton Pomykal (M) - hip injury
- OUT: Bryan Acosta (M) - undisclosed injury
Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: Bressan (D), Thiago Santos (M)
International duty: None