Sporting Kansas City Vs FC Dallas
Sporting Kansas City Vs FC Dallas Sunday 1 August, 2021 – 01:30 (BST)
US Major League Soccer
Pick: Sporting Kansas City Win & Both Teams to Score
Odds: 19/10
Bookmaker: BetVictor
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 30 July 2021)
Preview: Flying high in their conference and with an unbeaten record at home to preserve, surely this is a routine win in the making for Sporting Kansas City as they prepared to welcome an FC Dallas side without a point in seven away outings this term. History, however, tells us it might not be so straightforward.
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Sporting Kansas – Salloi leading from the front?
Fresh from a 3-1 win that seen them become the first of nine visiting teams in 2021 to claim the scalp of the Seattle Sounders, surely now is the time Sporting Kansas City finally cash in against FC Dallas. Three points would also ensure pressure is maintained on the aforementioned Sounders, who come into the weekend with their lead atop the West whittled down to two points from SKC in second.
Head coach Peter Vermes wasn’t even in attendance for his team’s second consecutive away victory over the Sounders, owing to health and safety protocols, but will have been immensely satisfied with what he witnessed from afar. The final scoreline did flatter them a touch, though, as goals from Johnny Russell, Cameron Duke and another for top scorer Daniel Salloi sealing a 3-1 triumph (SEA 1.15 – SKC 1.27 xG).
That is now four games out of the last five Hungarian Salloi has found the net and brings his overall tally for the season up to nine, with only two players notching more at this stage. Meanwhile, for SKC, it continues a strong stretch of form which has seen them collect 13 of the last 15 points having lost only away in Portland to The Timbers, on 20 June, in their last ten MLS outings (W7 D2 L1).
Dallas – Road struggles to end at happy hunting ground?
Bottom of the standings in the West heading into last week’s action. Now, following their exceptional performance in a 4-0 victory at home to the LA Galaxy, which saw Ricardo Pepi become the youngest hat-trick scorer in MLS history, FC Dallas have risen up to tenth place. Still six points adrift of the coveted play-off spots but with confidence boosted. Emphatically quashing a three-match losing streak.
That made it four straight home games notching at least one goal for 18-year-old Pepi, whose now only three behind the Golden Boot leader Raul Ridiaz on eight. Just one of that tally came away from home, however, where The Toros have found life brutally tough going all season so far. Along with Chicago Fire, they are the only team yet to acquire a single point on their travels in 2021.
Those struggles can be partially blamed on a woeful 0.29 scoring average, which is comfortably the poorest in the league. All but two of seven away defeats were without scoring, while they are yet to lead in any away match up, having netted late consolations in 3-1 defeats to San Jose and LA Galaxy. Perhaps they can fare better in Kansas, though, where they have found the net on all of their past four visits (W3 D1).
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Sporting Kansas City Vs FC Dallas Betting Advice
If we were to ignore previous meetings, predicting the outcome of this contest looks a fairly straightforward task. Sixteen points split Sporting Kansas in second, chasing their eighth win in eleven league games, from FC Dallas down in tenth place, who have only won three times all season and are still to collect a point on their travels. For all these reasons and more, SKC deserve to be as short as they are.
Sporting Kansas City Vs FC Dallas – Key Facts:
- While the standings in the Western Conference clearly favour a home win, it should be noted FC Dallas are unbeaten in four visits to Sporting Kansas (W3 D1).
- Just two goals in seven away games this season is evidently a dismal return from FC Dallas, however, seven of eight SKC home matches produced both teams scoring.
- In fact, 12 of 15 MLS games involving Sporting Kansas City seen them score but also concede. They are, however, one of five sides yet to incur a home loss (W5 D3).
While a team’s current body of work almost always take precedent over head-to-head records, it shouldn’t be dismissed entirely just how dominant Dallas have been in their recent meetings with SKC. Unbeaten in five, winning three of the last four in Kansas. So while I fully expect the hosts to back up their season’s work, this may not be as simple as some expect – especially with so many SKC games being end to end.
Best Betting Odds – Sporting Kansas City Vs FC Dallas
Sporting Kansas City – 11/20 (Betfair)
Draw – 10/3 (PaddyPower)
FC Dallas – 6/1 (Bet365)
