Kenny Cooper believes that FC Dallas can do tonight what it has never done before: beat the Seattle Sounders on the road in the postseason. He has a better vantage point than most. The Jesuit alum played for the club from 2006 through 2009 and again in 2013. He also spent two seasons with the Sounders, where he won the U.S. Open Cup in 2014.
Cooper says the franchises remind him of each other more than one might think, given Seattle’s penchant for winning trophies. (The Sounders have appeared four MLS Cup finals and won two since 2016.) Both communities have great fan support, a lengthy history with American professional soccer, and have had success in the league. They played remarkably similar soccer this year, too.
So it probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise that these teams’ first-round playoff series has been, as predicted, relatively evenly matched after the teams notched two 1-1 ties during the regular season. While FC Dallas dropped the opener 2-0, the club’s Garrett Melcer reported that the team had more possessions, shots, and expected goals than it did in the 3-1 victory in Game 2.
But one side has a massive advantage going into tonight. FC Dallas only won once at Seattle’s Lumen Field, an early-season 1-0 win all the way back in 2011, when Brek Shea scored the winner. So FC Dallas’ Team Ambassador knows what the team is walking into for the decisive Game 3. But the past isn’t the future, and Cooper feels this time can be different.
How? The obvious move, in this editor’s opinion, is to start explosive winger Bernard Kamungo, who notched an assist and drew a penalty in the Game 2 victory after coming off the bench in Game 1.
After that? If FC Dallas advances, Cooper says it will be because of these five things:
Culture of Caring
FC Dallas’ team spirit shone through in their commitment to playing for attacker Alan Velasco, recently named the league’s best player under 22, after he tore his ACL in the first playoff game at Seattle. Before the match in Frisco last week, the team posed with his jersey as a tribute, a gesture Cooper attributes to a team-first environment established by manager Nico Estévez.
“He is not just great with tactics and things like that, but he is a great person,” Cooper says of Estévez. “We have all had those teachers and coaches where you love them and want to do well for them. He is a coach I would love to play for.”
The Lumen Effect
For all the similarities Cooper sees between Dallas and Seattle, there’s a key differentiator. According to Soccer Stadium Digest, Seattle ranked third in the league for attendance, averaging more than 32,000 fans per game. FC Dallas, on the other hand, ranked 22 of 29 in the league with just over 18,000 fans per game.
“It’s a tough place to play, but you know what the atmosphere is going to be,” Cooper says of Lumen Field. “Their fans get behind their team and create a great energy.”
The bad news for Dallas: handling the raucous crowd at Seattle will be a significant challenge. The good news? If they pull it off, they can withstand just about any atmosphere they’d encounter the rest of the postseason.
Taming of the Turf
Seattle is one of six MLS teams playing on artificial turf, which can change how the game flows and is also more likely to result in injuries. Turf hasn’t been FC Dallas’ friend this year: the team failed to win on a turf field this year in four games during the MLS regular season and playoffs. Cooper knows all too well how difficult it can be to adjust.
“The ball plays differently. It bounces, skids, and plays faster,” he says. “But we’ve had a game there, and our players know what they expect.”
Off the Bench
While Velasco’s injury means that FC Dallas will lean on its depth earlier than preferred, Cooper nonetheless noted the team’s bench as a strength. Kamungo, who has more often than not come in as a substitute this year, started the last match with the season on the line. He rose to the occasion, and so did the man he replaced in the lineup, Jáder Obrian, who added an insurance goal off the bench to put the game away. Whichever one doesn’t start will bring plenty of speed into the game to supplement tired legs, while the experience of former U.S. National Team midfielder Sebastian Lletget, and the promise of young attacker Dante Sealy, give Estévez other quality players to call upon.
“We have so many great options that can make an impact and contribute,” Cooper says. “It can be difficult for other teams to know what to expect.”
Power of Perseverance
Cooper says FC Dallas doesn’t need to look far to see the impact of resilience. The newly-crowned World Series champion Texas Rangers rallied after dropping three straight to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. Why can’t FCD do the same after refusing to give in to the weight of history and let Seattle sweep them?
“The Rangers showed how excited the city can be,” Cooper says. “There’s just so much to play for.”
Cooper believes this team, like its neighbor in Arlington, can make history and do something the club has never done. Will the men on the pitch prove him right?
FC Dallas plays the Seattle Sounders in a winner-take-all Game 3 tonight at 9 p.m. It will be broadcast on Apple TV.
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