Gamweek seven in the MLS Regular Season tosses up an intriguing Western Conference battle with St Louis City preparing to take on FC Dallas at CityPark in Missouri on Sunday morning.
Both sides have made a less-than-ideal start to the 2024 campaign, with the hosts currently sitting in 10th place in the Conference standings while the visitors are 12th.
Match preview
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St Louis City had a debut season to remember last year when they finished top of the pile in the West in the regular season and netted the third-most goals across the MLS (62), only behind Columbus Crew (67) and Atlanta United (66).
However, the start to their sophomore campaign has not gone exactly as Bradley Carnell would have hoped so far, as his side come into this match outside the playoff qualification places and riding a four-match winless streak, which included three consecutive draws before a 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend.
Still, having avoided defeat in their first five matches of the season (W1 D4 L0), St Louis became the first expansion team in the history of the MLS to start each of their first two seasons in the top flight unbeaten after five games and are the fifth team to manage that feat overall.
Last weekend, though, City were beaten 3-1 by RSL at America First Field when Indiana Vassilev scored his first goal of the season to give his side the lead, but a Cristian Arango hat-trick in the second half saw the points remain in Utah.
While it is not the absolute worst start for St Louis, all things considered, Carnell and co will be hoping to get back to the form that saw them stun their doubters in their first season in the big time and will see this as a perfect opportunity to add to their lifetime record of 12 wins, three draws and four losses at CityPark.
Notably, the hosts have only lost once in their last nine regular season home matches and are unbeaten in their last four home games across all competitions, including two wins and two draws.
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The upcoming match will be the third encounter between these two teams, and each side has secured one victory previously. The hosts won 2-1 at this venue in August last year, while the visitors secured a 2-0 win in Dallas a couple of months earlier.
However, Dallas head into this fixture in very poor form. After beating the San Jose Earthquakes in gameweek one, the Toros have conceded four consecutive defeats and have yet to earn a single point on the road this term.
Last weekend, Eugene Ansah made his first career start in the MLS for the Hoops and marked the occasion with a goal in the 51st minute, but Austin, a team that had not won a game since mid-July last season, dominated Dallas in the final quarter of the match and ultimately deserved all three points on the day.
Arguably, the major issue for Nico Estevez's side so far has been their defensive struggles, as they conceded two or more goals in each of their last four games, and another poor display here could lead to the side's fifth successive loss, which would be the longest losing streak in the club's history.
Team News
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Carnell will have to make do without Eduard Lowen and Joakim Nilsson, who are ruled out for this match due to hamstring and rib injuries, respectively. Tim Parker has been struggling with a back injury and has been flagged as a doubt.
Vassilev became the eighth different goal scorer in league games for St Louis this season, and his goal last week, which clocked in at two minutes and three seconds into the match, marked the side's quickest goal in their MLS history.
The 23-year-old should maintain his place in attacking midfield alongside Aziel Jackson and Celio Pompeu, while Brazilian attacker Joao Klauss is expected to lead the line.
Injuries have played a major part in the Hoops' poor form this season, with Asier Illarramendi, the crucial midfield anchor for the club, and Jesus Ferreira, the top scorer for the past two seasons, both ruled out of action due to muscle injuries in recent weeks.
Geovane Jesus, Paxton Pomykal, and Alan Velasco are also confined to the treatment table due to knee injuries, while Logan Farrington is doubtful as he works his way back to full fitness following a stint on the sidelines.
St Louis City possible starting lineup:
Burki; Totland, Yaro, Parker, Markanich; Durkin, Blom; Vassilev, Jackson, Pompeu; Klauss
Dallas possible starting lineup:
Paes; Twumasi, Ibeagha, Tafari, Junqua; Arriola, Fraser, Lletget, Sealy; Ansah, Musa
We say: St Louis City 2-1 Dallas
While St Louis City are yet to hit the heights we saw from them last season, they are undoubtedly the side with the better form coming into this match and are unbeaten at home after four games in all competitions. The visitors are missing key players and are showing few promising signs at the moment, which is why we feel they will concede a fifth straight defeat in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
