The Seattle Sounders (11-10-7, 43 pts) are hoping a little time away from home will be the distance they need to regain their scoring touch Saturday afternoon when they take on FC Dallas (9-10-8, 37 pts)  in Frisco, Texas. MLS road victories are hard to come but the Sounders will be facing an FC Dallas squad that is undergoing some soul searching as the MLS winds down.

While the Sounders are unbeaten in their last  12 games the Rave Green have recorded three consecutive draws. FC  Dallas is winless in its last eight games with five losses and three draws.The last time FC Dallas won a game was a 2-1 victory on July 22nd  at Montreal. Dallas’s last match was a perplexing 3-0 loss to expansion side  Atlanta United who were playing their first game in the new  Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Despite its current winless streak FC Dallas is in sixth place in the Western Conference and would qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today.  The Hops have dangerous attacking players in Mauro Diaz, Kellyn Acosta, and Maxi Urruti.

The Sounders will be hoping Will Bruin can fill in for the injured Jordan Morris who suffered a serious hamstring injury in Seattle’s 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy last Sunday at CenturyLink Field. Bruin should be an able replacement while Morris heals having scored eight goals in 25 games played this season.

FC DALLAS NOTES

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: D Matt Hedges, M Carlos Gruezo
• International Duty: None
• Injury Report: None

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Jesse Gonzalez – Hernan Grana, Walker Zimmerman, Matt Hedges, Maynor Figueroa – Kellyn Acosta, Carlos Gruezo – Michael Barrios, Mauro Diaz, Ryan Hollingshead – Maxi Urruti

Notes: Against Atlanta, FC Dallas conceded multiple goals for the seventh time in the last eight games, the fourth time in that stretch they allowed three goals or more. FC Dallas did not concede more than two goals in a game in their first 19 league matches this season.

SEATTLE  NOTES

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International Duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT – D Brad Evans (lower back pain), F Jordan Morris (right hamstring strain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Stefan Frei – Kelvin Leerdam, Chad Marshall, Roman Torres, Oniel Fisher – Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan – Nicolas Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey, Victor Rodriguez – Will Bruin

Notes: Lamar Neagle scored his first goal since returning to the Sounders from D.C. United. It was Neagle’s 27th league goal in a Sounders uniform, fourth-most in team history and his first since June 28, 2015. … Osvaldo Alonso recorded his third assist of the season, his first since June 25. The three assists are one shy of his MLS single-season career-high set a season ago. Roman Torres had his red card against the LA Galaxy rescinded meaning the Panamanian Center back will be able to play against FC Dallas.