The Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas square off in a pivotal Texas Derby match on Wednesday night in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals (7:15 p.m.).
FC Dallas has reached the quarterfinals of the annual knockout competition 14 times in its 21-year history, advancing to the semifinals eight of those times. FCD most recently reached the semifinals in 2014, which is the same year of the most recent Open Cup meeting between the rivals, a 3-2 win after extra time for Dallas at BBVA Compass Stadium in the fourth round. They claimed the title in 1997, their second year of existence.
Dallas sits at the top of the Supporters' Shield standings in MLS play with a 12-6-4 record (40 points). Though they've been on the other end of the standings, Dynamo have held up well in the two regular season Texas Derbies so far. Houston rolled to a 5-0 rout at home in March, then earned a 1-1 draw in Frisco at the start of June in a rain-delayed match. FC Dallas is in the midst of a congested schedule, having played a midweek game last week (5-0 loss in Seattle) and a home match on Saturday (3-1 win vs. Chicago Fire). After Wednesday's match, they will travel to Colorado to face the Rapids in a top-of-the-table clash.
Despite the crowded schedule, head coach Oscar Pareja is likely to field a strong lineup for Wednesday's game. FC Dallas has their eyes set on as many trophies as possible this season with a strong team, and the Dallas organization always puts an emphasis on the Open Cup. First-choice players such as Mauro Diaz (3 goals, 9 assists in MLS), Fabian Castillo (5 goals, 5 assists) and Kellyn Acosta (1 goal, 5 assists) could play major roles on Wednesday.
FC Dallas has also made a pair of signings since they last faced the Dynamo, who could participate on Wednesday. Trinidad & Tobago defender Aubrey David joined on loan from Deportivo Saprissa at the start of July and has started the past two matches for Dallas, while 25-year-old Brazilian forward Getterson joined the team shortly after and has yet to make an appearance.
