Jesus Ferreira is in his second season with the Seattle Sounders, but he always enjoys playing his old club, FC Dallas.
“There’s still, like, butterflies,” Ferreira said ahead of the teams’ Saturday night match in Seattle. “Going against your childhood club, the club that you grew up your whole life in … so, it’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
Ferreira, who is tied for fifth in MLS with five assists, and the Sounders (5-1-1, 16 points) will take a five-match unbeaten streak (4-0-1) into the Western Conference showdown with Dallas (3-2-4, 13 points), which is winless in its past three matches (0-1-2).
Dallas is led by Petar Musa, who leads the league’s Golden Boot race with nine goals.
Santiago Moreno, on loan from Brazilian side Fluminense, made his first start for FC Dallas on Wednesday in a 1-0 loss to visiting Minnesota United. A former Portland Timbers star, Moreno is very familiar with the Sounders from his clashes against them in the Cascadia Cup series.
“Each practice as he gets to know the style of play and his teammates more, his quality is becoming more and more obvious,” Dallas coach Eric Quill said of Moreno, who joined the club in late March.
Dallas is 1-12-4 all-time at Lumen Field, with the lone victory coming in 2011.
The Sounders were idle Wednesday after registering a 4-1 home victory against St. Louis City last Saturday. Cristian Roldan scored twice for Seattle in the first half, both on corner kicks from Albert Rusnak.
When the Sounders were awarded a penalty kick early in the second half, Rusnak asked Roldan if he wanted to take the shot in a bid for a hat trick.
“I’d rather win than get a hat trick,” Roldan responded.
Rusnak made the kick, and Osaze De Rosario later scored off a pass from Ferreira.
The Sounders have only allowed an MLS-low three goals all season and had a 495-minute shutout streak snapped when St. Louis scored off a deflected shot in second-half stoppage time.
–Field Level Media
