FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake on Upset Alert This Weekend
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Friday, 21 June 2013 07:48

After last week, I'm either lucky or good: I put two teams on upset alert, and both of them lost.

Considering one of those teams was D.C. United, I don't suppose that's saying very much. They haven't won since March 9, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time until Ben Olsen updates his resume (if he hasn't already).

With that in mind, let's look at the Upset Alert list for the weekend of June 22-23.

 

Upset Alert No. 1: FC Dallas vs. Sporting KC

FC Dallas is on the top of the Western Conference standings with 28 points (out of a possible 45) and have the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup to get ready for on Wednesday.

Sporting Kansas City sits in a three-way tie for third in the Eastern Conference and hasn't played a league game since June 1. They are also 2-4-2 in their last eight league matches.

I'm putting FC Dallas on Upset Alert because Sporting KC should be a team that is hungry, if not desperate, for a win. Their last competitive match, on June 12, was a disappointing home loss to Orlando City. Their last league match was also a disappointing home loss, this time to Montreal.

Sporting KC, however, has proven they can win on the road, most notably when they snapped Houston's long home unbeaten streak. With the return of USMNT players Graham Zusi and Matt Besler, Dallas will need to watch themselves.

 

Upset Alert No. 2: Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders

Real Salt Lake is on a four-match unbeaten streak and generally play very well at home.

The Seattle Sounders, after a rather disappointing start, have won six of their last eight league matches.

Jason Kreis's club is on Upset Alert because they shouldn't let where they are in the table give them any sort of comfort ahead of a match with Sigi Schmid's Sounders. Both clubs had last weekend off, so they should be well-rested ahead of their clash on Saturday at Rio Tinto.

I thought about putting the New York Red Bulls on Upset Alert for their match with Philadelphia this weekend, but there's one thing that stopped me.

Zac MacMath's performance is the X-factor in this match. Will he take the impending transfer of Oka Nikolov well and act like the starter John Hackworth says he is or will MacMath start looking over his shoulder? If he's looking over his shoulder, would he still have that "deer in the headlights" look he sometimes gets after allowing a goal?

Thoughts? Think I'm a loony? Tell me what you think below in the comments.

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