P. Musa’s 18 goals headline Sunday’s three-point gap

P. Musa’s 18 goals give FC Dallas a major attacking headline before Sunday’s meeting with Los Angeles FC. The match starts at 00:30 UTC at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, with Serhiy Boiko appointed referee, and the Western Conference gap is only three points.

What's at stake

FC Dallas sit fourth with 44 points from 26 games, three ahead of sixth-placed Los Angeles FC, who have 41 points from 27. Dallas are five points behind league-leading Vancouver Whitecaps, while LAFC trail the leaders by eight. A Dallas win would strengthen fourth place and keep pressure on Vancouver; an LAFC win would bring them level with Dallas on points, though after one more match played.

The numbers

Dallas have a 5W 5D 2L home record, scoring 24 and conceding 20 at Toyota Stadium, with two clean sheets. LAFC’s away record is 3W 6D 5L, with 18 goals scored and 18 conceded, but they have recorded five away clean sheets.

The recent sequences also offer a contrast. Dallas’ five most recent results are Win, Draw, Loss, Draw, Win, while LAFC’s are Win, Win, Win, Win, Draw. Across the season, Dallas have scored 49 and conceded 42; LAFC have scored 43 and conceded 29 in one additional match.

One to watch

P. Musa leads the scoring comparison with 18 goals and five assists in 23 appearances for Dallas. LAFC’s D. Bouanga has 14 goals and five assists in 26 appearances, putting two of the league’s most productive players at the centre of Sunday’s attacking focus.

Why it matters

Dallas must account for the absences of A. A. Julio Santos through injury and Ramiro through yellow-card suspension, while Geovane Jesus is questionable with a knee injury. LAFC will be without T. Hasal through an arm injury, A. Long after a red card and T. Tillman through injury, so both teams enter the 27th round with unavailable players shaping their options.