FC Dallas will be returning to the Major League Soccer playoffs for the first time since 2020. Dallas earned a playoff berth on September 17 with a 1-1 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes. FC Dallas earned one competition point to hit the 50-point threshold considered the ‘safe’ point for teams to make the postseason. The team is currently third in the Western Conference behind LAFC (61) and Austin (55).
FC Dallas has two games remaining in the regular season following an international friendly against Tigres of Liga MX on September 24 before resuming the season. FC Dallas will need to win both of the final matches, while Austin will need to lose both of its games in order for FC Dallas to advance to the second seed. Nashville could bump FC Dallas to the fourth seed with a win and a tie, along with two losses by FC Dallas.
“We are happy to have achieved one of the goals we had set at the beginning of the season,” said head coach Nico Estevez after the draw. “Today’s match reflected that playing anywhere in this league can be difficult. There have been teams that struggled on the road and it benefited us. The work and achievements that this club has done is difficult and the players should feel very proud.”
“I am very proud of all of the hard work and perseverance that this team showed throughout the match today. Being able to come away with a point that secured playoffs is something we will defend and hold with everything we got.”
Dallas earned its only goal at the 16-minute mark on a deflected shot by Jader Obrian, who found himself in the right spot at the right time. Paul Arriola sent a crossing pass intended for Marco Farfan, who missed the ball. Obrian got the cleanup shot off just in time to deflect off a defender. The ball bounced over the head of the Earthquakes goalkeeper, who had moved forward after the miss by Farfan.
San Jose tied the game in the 24th minute on a penalty kick after Farfan was flagged for touching the ball with his hand on a deflected shot by the Earthquakes.
Midfielder Paxton Pomykal said the team is looking at the final two matches as though the postseason has already begun.
“We’re approaching them as if they’re our playoff games,” Pomykal said. “They’re two finals and we’re going to treat them individually. Not give it 100%, give it 200%. These are finals and we want to maximize our opportunity to go into the playoffs, not only in good rhythm, but also in a good spot in the standings and hopefully play as many games at home as possible.”
The MLS playoffs format gives a bye in the first round to the top team in each of the two conferences. Seeds two through seven plays in the opening round, with the second seed playing the seventh seed and so forth. The highest-seeded team in each match has home-field advantage, a goal FC Dallas has been working toward for months. Securing the three seed will ensure a home game against the sixth seed, currently a spot occupied by Portland.
FC Dallas has one regular season home game remaining, a contest against Kansas City to conclude the season on October 9. Dallas will next play against Colorado on October 1.
