Ahead of Saturday's home match vs FC Dallas, SportingKC.com caught up with Goal.com's Jon Arnold to preview #SKCvFCD. Live coverage of the match is available on FOX Sports KC+, FOX Sports GO, 99.3 FM, and La Grande 1340 AM. Check out MatchDay Central for complete online coverage.
What is FC Dallas’ form heading into this match?
The form on the page isn't great. The team suffered a big loss to Vancouver at home, where FC Dallas rarely loses, then lost in Philadelphia and could only draw with Colorado. That said, the game against the Rapids easily could've been a victory, and this is still a very strong team that will be contending in the playoffs.
How would you assess Kellyn Acosta’s season and how he’s played since returning from the Gold Cup?
It seems like his head is still spinning a bit from everything. Acosta just turned 22 and for the last two months he's been either with the national team, playing fullback with the All-Stars or playing games with FCD after limited training sessions. He came into the year knowing it would be a bush one, but he's handled it well so far.
Do you expect much change to the Starting XI with FC Dallas hosting Houston next Wednesday?
Oscar Pareja's faith in fitness coach Fabian Bazán is stronger than any similar relationship I've ever seen - and you can see why. FCD often plays guys for both CCL or USOC and MLS matches in the same four-day period and doesn't see much of a dip in form. With the team unhappy about how the results have gone the past few weeks, I'd be surprised if the midweek game is much of a factor.
What are your general thoughts on Saturday’s match? Any predictions or what you expect to see from both sides?
The first thing we'll see is how much FCD benefits from midfielder Carlos Gruezo in the midfield. He'll return from a two-match suspension. Victor Ulloa deputized well, but Gruezo's range in the middle allows Acosta to journey forward more often which has been key to many of FCD's scoring chances this year.
I think we'll see what we've come to expect from matches between these two teams - physical, gruff, maybe not too many goals. The USOC game feels like a lifetime ago, but FCD players will remember that contest as well.
