FC Dallas qualified for the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs with an emphatic win over Sporting Kansas City on Decision Day presented by AT&T. Their reward? A trip to a venue that has been a house of horrors.
Luchi Gonzalez's group will attempt to upend history when they face the Seattle Sounders in the teams' Round One matchup on Oct. 19, not only to advance in their quest to capture their first MLS Cup, but also to get a rare positive result at CenturyLink Field.
All-time, FC Dallas have a 1-9-2 record at Seattle in regular season action. Their lone win came on May 25, 2011, a 1-0 triumph over the Rave Green, Brek Shea's goal making the difference.
What about the playoffs? Even with a smaller sample size, the history is no better, as Dallas have a 0-2-1 record to date in Seattle. The teams played in the Western Conference semifinals three consecutive years from 2014-16, with Dallas drawing in Seattle in 2014 but losing the two-legged series. Dallas lost in 2015 but advanced from the series, while they lost both the road game and the series in 2016.
But teams don't play with history, they play with the teams they currently have. One possible cause for optimism for FCD is their last result at CenturyLink Field was a 0-0 draw back on Sept. 18, with both teams playing fairly strong lineups.
