New York City FC and Dallas will both look to continue relatively positive starts to the Major League Soccer season when they square off at Citi Field on Saturday.
Having both picked up victories last weekend, the two sides sit fifth and fourth in the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively eight games into the league campaign.
Match preview
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After finishing third in the Eastern Conference and reaching the Conference finals in last season's MLS, New York City set out for another strong campaign and MLS Cup bid this time around, and they have started to build a platform with 12 points coming from their opening eight matches.
In that time, Nick Cushing's side have managed three victories, including back-to-back triumphs over Inter Miami and DC United in mid-March, before failing to add another notch to their wins column in the next three attempts, firstly falling to a 1-0 defeat away at Houston Dynamo.
The Pigeons would then play out consecutive 1-1 draws with New England Revolution and Atlanta United, having drawn level in the final 20 minutes of each through Talles Magno and Gabriel Pereira respectively, before most recently seeking to return to winning ways at home to Nashville SC last weekend.
Keaton Parks put them ahead inside the opening 15 minutes of that contest at Citi Field, and Maxime Chanot would double the lead before they held out to earn all three points after Hany Mukhtar pulled a goal back for the visitors nine minutes from time.
With that result seeing them climb to fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, New York City FC will now look to build a run of victories to establish themselves in the leading pack in the coming weeks.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, find themselves fourth in the Western Conference with 14 points on the board from their opening eight games, including consecutive three-point hauls heading into their trip to New York.
A mixed start to the campaign left the Nico Estevez's side on seven points from five outings, before they looked set to bounce back to winning ways in a 1-0 victory over Portland Timbers thanks to Facundo Quignon's goal, only to be pegged back by a Franck Boli equaliser in injury time.
The Burn were then able to add an important notch to their wins column in the following encounter away at Inter Miami, as Jesus Ferreira netted the only goal of the meeting in the first half, before they most recently hosted Real Salt Lake and again went ahead through Ferreira with the opening goal coming inside five minutes.
Jefferson Savarino would eventually level the game for the visitors after the hour mark, but as it looked set to end level, Bernard Kamungo ensured Dallas came away with all three points as he netted the decisive goal in the dying embers.
Now with some renewed confidence thanks to their back-to-back victories, Estevez's men will be keen to make it three on the bounce on Saturday with the chance to go second in their conference depending on other results.
Team News
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New York City FC will likely come into Saturday's game with an unchanged starting XI from their victory last weekend, with Keaton Parks, James Sands and Richard Ledezma bound to again line up in a midfield trio.
Gabriel Segal should continue to lead the line, as he looks for a first MLS goal of the season, while Talles Magno and Gabriel Pereira remain key men on the wings, with the latter having contributed two goals and two assists in eight league games so far this term.
At the other end of the pitch, Cushing will stick with a back four consisting of Mitja Ilenic and Braian Cufre on the right and left-hand sides respectively and Maxime Chanot and Thiago Martins partnering up in the middle.
Dallas may also look to come in with an unchanged side, although Bernard Kamungo is vying to come into the attack from the outset after netting their winner last weekend.
The line will again be led by Jesus Ferreira, who has already notched up five goals in eight Major League Soccer appearances this term after hitting 18 last season.
Paxton Pomykal and Facundo Quignon will operate in the engine room, while Sebastien Ibeagha will join Jose Martinez at the heart of the back four.
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Barraza; Ilenic, Chanot, Martins, Cufre; Parks, Sands, Ledezma; Magno, Segal, Pereira
Dallas possible starting lineup:
Paes; Jesus, Ibeagha, Martinez, Farfan; Kamungo, Pomykal, Quignon, Arriola; Ferreira, Jimenez
We say: New York City FC 1-1 Dallas
With both sides coming into the game with confidence after victories last time out, we anticipate a closely-fought encounter between two teams stocked with quality and cannot quite pick a winner, instead opting for a score draw in New York.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
