Eric Quill’s FC Dallas squad will try to extend a three-match winning streak when they host an Austin FC side that continues to look improved under interim manager Davy Arnaud.
Dallas (12-6-7, 43 points) has been among the best teams in MLS since late July, posting a 7-2-3 record during that stretch while surging up to third place in the Western Conference.
Petar Musa has scored five goals and assisted three times during his past six MLS appearances and, with 18 goals, enters the match in Frisco, Texas, one behind Lionel Messi for the MLS lead.
But now that Dallas sits only three points behind West-leading Vancouver and tied on points with second-place Houston (but behind on goal differential), its manager knows now is absolutely not the time to let complacency seep in after wins over Kansas City, Minnesota and Portland.
“I think we want to ride this but not get comfortable,” Quill said. “I think that’s the fight you have in a win streak: it’s great to feel good about what you’ve accomplished, but it can bite you real quick if you’re not feet on the ground.”
Austin (7-10-8, 29 points) has played itself back into playoff contention with its six-match MLS unbeaten run combined with favorable results elsewhere.
Facundo Torres and Christian Ramirez have been productive during that stretch. Ramirez contributed a brace in Austin’s last outing, a 2-1 upset win at Vancouver last Sunday. Torres has three goals during the span.
But Austin still has yet to see striker Brandon Vazquez return to the form expected of him when Austin signed him on a transfer from CF Monterrey before the 2025 season.
The 27-year-old has failed to score in 14 MLS appearances since returning from an ACL tear, but is still only four seasons removed from an 18-goal campaign with Cincinnati.
“We continue to see him do the things he does well, and I’ll say it every single time: his form in terms of everything else that he does for us, and with the ball and without the ball, continues to grow and get better,” Arnaud said. “You see him scoring goals in training. You see him getting chances in training. And he’s going to continue to get chances in games. And now it’s just about him taking those chances.”
–Field Level Media
