NYCFC vs FC Dallas preview: Final away game before the Leagues Cup | OneFootball

New York City FC is coming off its fifth draw of the season with its exciting but disappointing 1-1 result against Sporting Kansas City. The Boys in Blue dominated for stretches of the match and, without some unlucky strikes and heroic goalkeeping, could have netted three or four in Kansas. The club will now be looking to notch its third road win of the season against FC Dallas on Friday night.

The Pigeons will be gunning for that win, but will look to maintain the quality they exhibited against Sporting KC. Their movement in the final third was promising, especially with the runs in behind and more intricate passages of play.  History is on the Bronx club’s side with three wins and four draws out of eight fixtures against their Texan competitors.

A statement victory, like the 4-0 win against Atlanta United FC or the3-1 comeback against Chicago Fire FC, will do the team a world of good as they head into the Leagues Cup against three Liga MX sides.

NYCFC has a chance to build momentum in this upcoming match for what will be a tough run of fixtures for the next three games. Can they find their form at a crucial juncture? Here is a preview of the match between NYCFC and FC Dallas.

NYCFC vs FC Dallas preview

Date

NYCFC and FC Dallas will face off on Friday, July 25.

Time

The fixture will begin at 8:30 PM ET.

Location

The match will take place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX.

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on the MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Weather

It will be a hot one in Frisco. The humidity will hover around 32% but the temperature will begin at around 99 degrees and will only cool down to about 91.  Do not be surprised if there are hydration breaks again.

Injury report

Malachi Jones (leg), Thiago Martins (leg), and Keaton Parks (leg) will be unavailable for the Dallas game. Martins recently underwent knee surgery and will miss four to six weeks before he can return to training.

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should watch Andrés Perea. The defensive midfielder scored his first goal of 2025 in the match against Sporting KC, but the big focus for him will be establishing aerial control in the midfield for the next game. Perea’s four aerial duels won in the last match, in addition to the goal, should imbue the midfielder with confidence.

In that same vein, Petar Musa is the player to watch for FC Dallas. The Croatian forward boasts 11 goals in 20 matches and has won 92 aerial duels. He has been a consistent performer for the Texas team this season.

When looking at the schedule for July, this is a game in which NYCFC can banish some of its road demons. Missing quality players may negatively impact the result, but the prediction is a 2-1 victory for the Pigeons. They will build on the positives from Sporting KC, and that draw will be extra motivation to get all three points.