Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas | Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals Preview

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC v FC DALLAS
Sun., Nov. 1, CenturyLink Field (9:30 pm ET; FS1 / FOX Deportes; TSN2)

Seattle Sounders FC and FC Dallas meet in the MLS Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive season when the clubs kick off their Western Conference Semifinal Series on Sunday at CenturyLink Field. A year ago, the teams also met in the conference semifinals, Sounders FC advancing on away goals after a pair of draws over the two legs -- the first team in league history to move on through the away goals rule. Sounders FC reached the round this year following a dramatic 3-2 win against defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy in the Knockout Round at midweek. FC Dallas begin their quest for MLS Cup after equaling the league's best overall record in the regular season, ending the year with a three-game winning streak.

REFEREE: Kevin Stott
AR1 (bench): Brian Poeschel; AR2 (opposite): Philippe Briere;
4th: Drew Fischer

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS (suspended next yellow card): SEA: Stefan Frei

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: SEA 9 wins, 29 goals ... DAL 3 wins, 18 goals ... Ties 5

2015 HEAD-TO-HEAD: SEA 1 win, 3 GF ... DAL 0 wins, 0 GF ... Ties 1
AT CENTURYLINK FIELD:
6/13: SEA 3, DAL 0 (Neagle 55; Martins 73; Gonzalez 92+)

MLS CUP PLAYOFFS: SEA 0 wins, 1 GF ... DAL 0 wins, 1 GF ... Ties 2

• Sounders FC finally dispatched the LA Galaxy in a playoff meeting -- the teams had played three times in Seattle's first six MLS seasons, and the Galaxy had won all three. "It definitely feels special because this is the first time we have advanced past them. In the last two playoff games that we have played them, we have beaten them twice here at home. We are a pretty good team in one-off games -- our Open Cup history shows that," said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid.
• Sounders FC do come into the semifinal series facing some injury issues. Osvaldo Alonso and Marco Pappa both missed the Knockout Round match with hamstring injuries, replaced by Andy Rose and Erik Friberg respectively.
• "With Ozzie, we are treating it day-to-day as we move forward. The reason why we went with Rose is that he is ... a guy who hits pretty good long balls when he is playing deeper -- there were a few balls that he hit where he opened the game up. His ability to close things down helped us. It certainly was a tough decision because he hadn't had a start in a while, but sometimes you roll the dice."
• Defender Leo Gonzalez was forced off the field before halftime, which meant Brad Evans shifted from central defense to left back. "A lot of guys sacrificed doing different things. Evans was the one who came over and said, 'I will move to left back' to bring Zach [Scott] into the middle. [Clint] Dempsey is the one who said, 'Hey, I will play on the outside in the midfield' and [then we could] push [Nelson] Valdez up front, so we could get a few more minutes out of him," said Schmid. "A lot of guys gave themselves up a few more minutes, and I think that shows the character of this team."
• But Evans himself was forced off late in the match with an injury, leaving Sounders FC to play out the final moments of the game a man down -- after Andreas Ivanschitz was removed in a late substitution after suffering an ankle injury. "It's all about momentum at this time. Weíll have different guys filling in as itís a short week and guys will be filling different roles, but at this point you put your head down and you do whatís asked of you. There's no second-guessing. If you donít get a good result this weekend, you find yourself in a tough position away from home so you canít save yourself at this time," said Evans.
• Clint Dempsey scored a goal for a second consecutive MLS Cup Playoffs match, dating back to last season -- both against the Galaxy. He has three goals in 16 career postseason games.

FC DALLAS

• FC Dallas head into the MLS Cup Playoffs riding a three-game winning streak and a five-game undefeated run overall, their last loss having come in September.
• "Every game mattered a lot and I have to prize these guys. ... All of those games, away, and we had massive games here at home with Houston, with Vancouver and against San Jose. Every single game was a game that just put us in that playoff mode, so for me to see a team with that personality is very encouraging," said FCD head coach Oscar Pareja. ... Said Victor Ulloa: "We finished with the most points in franchise history and weíre the No. 1 team in the West. Weíve been in playoff mode for the past few weeks. We've shown well and all those games were intense. Weíre ready. The momentum we have built will carry us through to the semifinals. We are ready to fight for the Cup."
• FCD also finishes the year tied with the New York Red Bulls with the most points in MLS, but the Red Bulls took the Supporters' Shield on a higher goal differential. "In my eyes we won it. We were the best team in the league. We did our work. We won at home. Now we have a week to get these guys ready. They know they qualified directly into that series and they finished at home where they are strong. I think we're growing mentally," said Pareja.
• Ulloa, a Homegrown player, scored his second goal, the second of his MLS career and second in the last seven matches, for the late game-winner. "I think itís a sort of graduation day for us with them, knowing that they won the league in points and one of our Homegrowns scored," said Pareja.
• Mauro Diaz scored his eighth goal of the season, his second in the last three matches. Diaz has two goals and two assists over those three games, involved in four of FCD's five goals in that time.
• In the first half Ezequiel [Cirigliano] and I were coming back a bit too far for the same type of ball. That was favoring San Jose. Oscar changed that. He told me in the second half to stay up a little more to help Mauro. Making those movements gave Mauro more space. It worked out and I got my goal."
• Fabian Castillo recorded his ninth assist, a single-season career-high, his first since Oct. 4. Castillo made a second consecutive start in a wide midfield role; Pareja used 13 starters over the final three matches of the league campaign.