MatchDay: Red Bulls vs. FC Dallas (Sunday, 5:00 PM, MSG)

THE MATCH

MATCH NOTES

ABOUT THE MATCH

Riding a three-game win streak and boasting a three-point lead atop the Eastern Conference, the New York Red Bulls will host FC Dallas at Red Bull Arena on Sunday at 5:00 PM ET.

The Red Bulls moved into sole possession of first place with five regular season games remaining following a 2-0 home win over Toronto FC last Saturday at Red Bull Arena. Forwards Thierry Henry and Fabian Espindola each found the back of the net and the defense earned its ninth shutout of the year, as New York surged to its third-consecutive victory. The Red Bulls (14-9-6, 48 points) broke out of a three-way first place tie with their win, as they enter the weekend three points ahead of co-second place teams, Sporting Kansas City and the Montreal Impact.

FC Dallas is in the midst of the playoff hunt in the Western Conference and currently sits in sixth place with a 10-8-10 record and 40 points – three points shy of the fifth place Portland Timbers. Despite going ahead with a David Ferreira 51^st minute goal, FC Dallas fell on the road to the Colorado Rapids, 2-1, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park last Saturday. Panamanian forward Blas Perez leads FC Dallas with 10 goals while Ferreira has recorded a team-high eight assists.

Last season, the Red Bulls opened the season at Toyota Stadium on March 11 and lost the match, 2-1. New York’s goal came from then Red Bull and current FC Dallas forward, Kenny Cooper. In the 78^th minute, trailing 2-0, Thierry Henry sailed a pass over Dallas’s back line and Cooper was able to head it home past current Red Bulls goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. New York is 18-17-4 all-time versus FC Dallas and 10-8-2 at home. The Red Bulls are unbeaten (4-0-1) in its last five home contests versus their Western Conference foe, with FC Dallas’ last win coming on May 24, 2006 – a 2-1 victory at Giants Stadium.

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