Philadelphia Union return to MLS action this Saturday when they take on Western Conference foe FC Dallas. Kick off for this match is set for 8 p.m. ET from Frisco, Texas and will be televised on PHL17 with JP Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth on the call for the Union broadcast.
The Union enter this match with a record of 1-2-2 and five points. Philadelphia currently sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference after suffering a 2-0 loss to Orlando City SC in their last contest where the Union tied an all-time club record for corner kicks won in a match with 14.
FC Dallas returns home after earning three points against New England Revolution last weekend. FCD relied on an outstanding road performance from their goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer who recorded six saves in the contest. Those six saves were a season-high for Maurer and his clean sheet was his third of the season. FCD enters the week with a record of 2-0-3 and nine points, fifth in the Western Conference.
Philadelphia will be looking at two key components this weekend to help them leave North Texas with a road victory. The first is their ability to continue to put pressure on their opponents.
Last week Philadelphia recorded 20 shots, setting a club record for 20 shots or more recorded in back-to-back matches. The Union logged 22 shots against San Jose the week prior. Philadelphia leads MLS in shots per game with 17.2.
The Union will also look to their man up top CJ Sapong to recreate the goal-scoring magic from a year ago. The last time Philadelphia squared off against FC Dallas, Sapong recorded a brace as the Union left the match with a 3-1 victory at Talen Energy Stadium in 2017.
For FC Dallas, it starts with their goalkeeper Maurer and his ability to keep opponents off the scoresheet. Maurer ranks first in all of MLS with a goals-against-average of 0.60. He also ranks second in MLS with a saves percentage of 86.4 percent.
Philadelphia will look to continue to generate their chances and get the better of Maurer and FC Dallas this Saturday from Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Kick-off for this match is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised live on PHL17.
