FC Dallas vs San Jose Earthquakes – lineup prediction and game info – 3rd Degree

Here we go!! Season 29 of MLS (and season 27 of 3rd Degree’s coverage) kicks off for FC Dallas on Saturday night (7:30 pm) at Toyota Stadium against Luchi Gonzalez and the Earthquakes.

You can catch all our start-of-season content here:
Season Kickoff Podcast
Six factors that will determine FC Dallas’ fate in 2024
Digging into the FC Dallas 3-4-2-1 depth chart for opening day
Final check on the 2024 FC Dallas roster build
The basics of the FC Dallas 3-4-3

Broadcast Info

TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Apple TV English: Eric Krakauer and Jalil Anibaba
Apple TV Spanish: Raul Guzman and Carlos Ruiz

English Radio: 1190 am and the FC Dallas App.  Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis are on the call. Pregame at 7 pm.

Spanish Radio:  FC Dallas app with Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon.

MLS Injury/Player Availability Report

FC Dallas 

OUT: Geovane Jesus (right knee)
OUT: Alan Velasco (left knee)
OUT: Marco Farfan (lower back)
OUT: Amet Korca (left groin)
OUT: Jose Mulato (un-rostered)
OUT: Peter Musa (awaiting P-1 visa)
OUT: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (picking up green card)
Questionable: Enes Sali (listed in North Texas SC travel squad)
Questionable: Tarik Scott (listed in North Texas SC travel squad)
Questionable: Ale Urzua (listed in North Texas SC travel squad)
Questionable: Isaiah Parker (listed in North Texas SC travel squad)
Questionable: Jesus Ferreira (“lower body”)
Questionable: Paxton Pomykal (knee)
Probable: Ema Twumasi (ankle)

Antonio Carrera was loaned to North Carolina FC.

San Jose Earthquakes

OUT: JT Marcinkowski – (Knee Surgery)
OUT: Niko Tsakiris – (Lower Body Injury)

FCD Lineup Prediction

With Petar Musa not yet in town, the choices at the 9 are Logan Farrington or Eugene Ansah. I’m rolling with Farrington but it could easily be the opposite.

Sebastian Lletget gets the nod over Bernie Kamungo at one of the 10s with Paul Arriola.

Asier Illarramendi and Liam Fraser in MF as Paxton Pomykal is questionable. Dante Sealy at left wingback and Herbert Endeley at right wingback. The three CBs are obvious, as is Maarten Paes in net.

Bench Prediction
Jimmy Maurer
Eugene Ansah
Omar Gonzalez
Bernie Kamungo
Nolan Norris
Tomas Pondeca
Ema Twumasi
Patrickson Delgado
Jesus Ferreira or Paxton Pomykal, maybe.

MLS Kit Assignments

Green keeper kit? Boo. We like the black one.

Officials

New policy during the lockout, referees will be announced on the day of the game.

More Game Info

• FCD vs. SJ all-time: 21-29-22 (87 goals scored, 109 goals conceded)
• FCD vs. SJ home: 13-12-10 (45 goals scored, 47 goals conceded)

San Jose head coach Luchi Gonzalez was the FC Dallas head coach from 2018-21.

In 2023, FC Dallas Homegrowns (Edwin Cerrillo, Jesús Ferreira, Paxton Pomykal, Collin Smith, Nolan Norris, Tarik Scott, Dante Sealy) played a total of 5,978 minutes and made 92 appearances.

Nico Estevez‘s .574 winning percentage is the second-highest among the nine FC Dallas head coaches (No. 1, Oscar Pareja – .585)

FC Dallas has taken on San Jose three times on opening day. Dallas defeated the Earthquakes twice and lost once.

Quakes midfielder Carlos Gruezo played for FC Dallas from 2016 to 2019.

First, game, there aren’t a lot of notes.