The road has not been kind to FC Dallas in 2012 and the schedule is not doing them any favors this week either. Boasting an unbeaten home record of 3-0-2, including a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night, Dallas enter Saturday’s game looking for their first points on the road after starting the season with an 0-3-0 mark on the road.
Despite those road struggles, Dallas find themselves in fourth place in the Western Conference with 11 points, two more than the Galaxy, though they have played two more games than LA.
The surprising leader of the Dallas attack through the first two months of the season has been Panamanian forward Blas Perez. In his first year with the club, Perez, who was suspended for Wednesday’s draw with Salt Lake, tops the team in both goals and assists, with three of each in the season’s first eight games. He is supported by ever-dangerous winger Brek Shea, who scored his club’s only goal on Wednesday. A member of the MLS Best XI and MLS All-Star Team last season when he led the club with 11 goals, Shea is beginning to find his form after a hectic start to the year which saw him train for a few weeks at Arsenal while also playing for the U.S. National Team, and the U.S. Under-23 National Team.
Shea and Perez were instrumental in FC Dallas’ last victory, a 2-1 comeback over Montreal on April 14. Perez was in the right place at the right time, when a rebound off the crossbar fell right to him and he headed it straight in to draw Dallas level at 1-1. Late in the game, Shea secured all three points for his team with his first goal of the season, a quick left-footed finish from the center of the box after a perfect diagonal run put him in on goal.
At the other end of the field, FC Dallas is anchored by goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, the all-time MLS saves leader who spent 10 years with the Galaxy. However, the Southern California native has missed the last two games with lower back spasms and his status for Saturday is up in the air. If Hartman cannot go, he will be replaced by another SoCal native, Chris Seitz, who is 0-1-1 in the last two games. In front of him, Ugo Ihemelu and George John are one of the better central defense pairings in the league while Jair Benitez and Zach Loyd are expected to round out the Dallas defense for head coach Schellas Hyndman.
FC Dallas Expected Lineup (4-1-4-1):
Chris Seitz; Zach Loyd, George John, Ugo Ihemelu, Jair Benitez; Daniel Hernandez; Fabian Castillo, Jackson, Bobby Warshaw, Brek Shea; Blas Perez.
Key Man: Brek Shea
One of the top young players in MLS and a star with the U.S. National Team, Brek Shea is the driving force behind the Dallas attack. Playing wide on the left, Shea is at his best when running at defenders, allowing him to get to the endline and fire in a cross or try to beat his man off the dribble and get a shot on goal. Big and strong in addition to possessing better than average speed, Shea’s most dangerous weapon is his unpredictability, which keeps opposing defenders on their toes at all times.
This article was originally published in the LA Galaxy Gameday Program. Be sure to pick up one of the new Gameday Programs, filled with exclusive content, match info and fun facts, the next time you're at The Home Depot Center for a Galaxy home match!
