FC Dallas making run at top spot in West, face lowly Sporting KC

FC Dallas still has an opportunity to move to a coveted spot in the MLS standings and keeping that quest alive means creating a successful result against the worst team in the league.

FC Dallas looks to continue their push when they visit Sporting Kansas City on Saturday afternoon at Kansas City, Kan.

Dallas (15-8-9, 54 points) continues to pursue the top spot in the Western Conference, trailing only Vancouver by four points. Dallas tries to recover from Wednesday night's 2-0 home loss to Columbus, a result that came with its first shutout defeat since August.

"We didn't respond with the resilience we've shown all year," Dallas coach Eric Quill said. "We became disorganized. We wanted to keep pressing, but we weren't doing it together."

Kansas City (6-22-4, 22 points) has the worst record in the MLS, though there's a chance to climb out of that position. The team's results this month reflect a six-match winless streak (0-5-1).

Dallas had Anderson Julio on the field for the final 15-plus minutes, marking his first action in 2 1/2 months following a lower-body injury. He added to the attack with one shot and could gravitate toward a larger role.

Either way, Quill said more urgency is needed from his team with the postseason approaching.

Kansas City will play its home finale against Dallas.

"Supporters deserve better and as I've said before, I feel we're trying," Kansas City forward Taylor Calheira said. "We're giving our all. We've been saying the same thing over and over again."

During the latest rough stretch, Kansas City has scored more than one goal only in a tie with Portland. It produced a total of four goals in the other five matches combined.

Calheira has racked up five goals this season, all coming in the past two months. He trails only Andre Luiz's seven goals among players on the active Kansas City roster.

"It's a testament to my teammates and coaches as well," Calheira said. "I feel like they've trusted me. ... Just trying to grow in my game and get better."

Dallas beat Kansas City 4-3 on Sept. 5 at home, overcoming a two-goal deficit. Petar Musa scored two goals in that match, including a winning penalty kick in extra time.

Musa's 22 goals are second in the league behind Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (25).

--Field Level Media