FC Dallas vs Los Angeles FC Prediction: Both teams will fight for 3 points

The MLS regular season is really heating up, and it would be far from wrong to suggest that this September 22, 2024, meeting between FC Dallas and Los Angeles FC will have monumental implications for either side. FC Dallas enters in 11th in the West, struggling to stay above the playoff cutoff line, while LAFC currently sits 3rd, trying to lock down a high seed for the postseason amid a recent dip in form. Coming off their disappointing results, this fixture weighs in highly on both teams to raise their recent performances and build momentum coming into the final stages of the season.

FC Dallas has 9 wins, 7 draws, and 13 losses, placing them 11th in the Western Conference. Mathematically they are still in the playoff race, but an inconsistent season is reflected in their last 5 games: 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses. In their previous game, they lost 3-2 away to Real Salt Lake, lining up in a 3-4-3. Despite an improved attacking display-with goals from Jesus Ferreira and Alan Velasco-their defense proved leaky, as they could not make the most of 55% possession and thus could not secure points. Key stats from their last match include 3 big chances, 5 shots on target, and 4 goalkeeper saves, but their defense continues to struggle, as evidenced by conceding three goals. Also very recently, Dallas has struggled to win games since they have failed to win in 3 games and in the last eight matches have kept only one clean sheet.

In an offensive sense, though, they have been productive, as a run of either team scoring in 6 of the last 8 meetings has made them a team that always can trouble opponents but gets always vulnerable at the back.

Recently, Dallas has employed a 3-4-3 system that allows flexibility but also tends to open them up defensively, especially to teams that will work the wide areas. The midfield pairing will be keen on the central dominance of LAFC, whereas wingbacks will have to cover the flanks as LAFC does pose threats out wide. Jesus Ferreira and Alan Velasco remain key to Dallas' attack, with Ferreira's finishing ability and Velasco's creativity being their most important weapons. The combination of these two could exploit LAFC's relatively low defensive tackle success by the fact that Dallas usually plays through the wings and crosses the ball into the box.

The defensive side has always presented a problem for the Dallas team in holding leads and closing games. They tend to lose a little concentration, especially towards the end, something which seems the trend as reflected by not being able to win games in which they lead or are competitive early in the game.

LAFC come in 3rd in the Western Conference with an overall record of 14W-7D-7L, yet are in not such great form given that they have failed to win in any of their last four matches. The most recent match ended all square in a 1-1 home draw against Austin FC, with David Martinez finding the back of the net. With 61% possession, LAFC-toothless in attack-could only manage a single big chance and six shots on target to indicate a current lack of cutting edge.

Their defensive organization has also seen some slippage, with only 41% of the defensive tackles won in their last outing-a statistic that's a bit concerning for a team that professes ambitions of challenging for the top places in the conference. However, still tactically disciplined under head coach Steve Cherundolo, LAFC's ability to control games through possession and limit chances remains one of their key strengths.

This is also considering that most of LAFC's recent matches have been low-scoring, with under 2.5 goals in 4 of the last 5 games. This may be a result of a more conservative approach; it would prove critical if they were to contain a team like FC Dallas, whose approach is mostly to bring chaos into open games.

LAFC lined up in a 4-3-3 structure, a system built to dominate the game through the midfield and press high to force turnovers. Their gameplan will likely revolve around keeping possession-their 61% vs. Austin evidences this-and look to exploit any gaps left by Dallas' wingbacks in transition. David Martinez will again be a focal point in attack. His form in front of goal and the way he links up the play will be very important, especially considering the wingers and fullbacks provide width for LAFC. The midfield trio of Ilie Sánchez, Kellyn Acosta, and Timothy Tillman will be key in dictating the tempo. Lately, poor LAFC offense, only creating one big chance in the last game, may be a problem if Dallas can defend compactly. Also, the tendency to amass cards is a reason discipline could come back to bite them at high-pressure moments.

This all goes toward an LAFC side that has a good head-to-head record against Dallas, winning 6 to Dallas' 3, while there have been 3 draws. Throughout history, LAFC has enjoyed the better of this fixture, including a 1-0 win when the sides last met back in June 2024.

FC Dallas has been part of goal-heavy matches lately, and LAFC, no matter the struggles, is always a threat. This is further bolstered by the recent trend for Dallas, where both teams have scored in 6 of their last 8 matches.

Both teams have been trending to keep corners below this number, making it likely the match once again goes under.

LAFC has opened the scoring in four of the last five meetings against Dallas and, considering their better head-to-head record, are bound to be favorites to score first again.

• Under 10.5 Corners 1.607 Odds
• Away to Score First @ 1.77 Odds
• GG (Yes) @ 1.61 Odds