KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Sporting Kansas City will travel to Texas this weekend, looking to upend Western Conference leaders FC Dallas Saturday night at FC Dallas Stadium.
FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City are both coming off one-goal losses in league play. The Portland Timbers shut out FC Dallas 1-0 on June 12 at JELD-WEN Field.
The shutout marked the first time during the 2013 regular season that FC Dallas had been held scoreless in a match.
The Montreal Impact defeated Sporting KC 2-1 on June 1 at Sporting Park.
Argentine forward Claudio Bieler gave the home side an early lead before the Impact scored twice in the second half to take three points. Bieler, who has seven goals on the season, ranks second in MLS with three game-winning goals.
FC Dallas striker and Panamanian international Blas Perez will be available for selection on Saturday after missing last week's World Cup qualifier against the United States with gastroenteritis. Perez leads FC Dallas with five goals scored in 2013.
Sporting Kansas City has been without seven key members of their squad for the month of June including: U.S. internationals Matt Besler and Graham Zusi, Haitian internationals Mechack Jerome and Peterson Joseph, Sierra Leone international Kei Kamara, Lebanese international Soony Saad and U.S. U-20 midfielder Mikey Lopez.
All but Lopez are available for selection for this weekend's match. The 20-year-old midfielder played 18 minutes for the U.S. U-20 National Team in their 4-1 loss to Spain in their first match of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
FC Dallas will be without U.S. U-20 internationals Kellyn Acosta and Danny Garcia and Mexican U-20 goalkeeper Richard Sanchez All three players are currently at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. Defender Jair Benitez will also miss Saturday's match as he serves a one-game suspension for his head butt against Portland Timbers forward Frederic Piquionne.
Sporting KC holds the all-time advantage over FC Dallas with a 20-19-8 record including a 4-1 win the last time the two clubs met in Frisco. Graham Zusi scored two goals and notched an assist in the victory.
FC Dallas has not lost at home this season and currently boasts a 7-0-1 record at FC Dallas Stadium, best in MLS. Conversely, Sporting Kansas City is 3-2-2 on the road this season, second best in the League.
More than 650 Sporting Kansas City supporters are traveling to Dallas for Saturday's match.
Sporting Kansas City supporters can follow the match on Twitter @SKCGameday and online at SportingKC.com/GameOn. Additionally, fans outside the local viewing area can watch live on Direct Kick and MLS LIVE.
