Peter Luccin begins his audition to become the full-time coach when FC Dallas host St. Louis City on Saturday night in Frisco, Texas, for a match between struggling clubs.
FC Dallas fired Nico Estevez after their winless stretch reached five matches (0-2-3) with a 1-1 road tie against Minnesota United on June 8. Dallas (3-8-5, 14 points) is tied for 12th in points in the 14-team Western Conference.
Luccin, a Dallas assistant since 2019, has the task of improving a team that is a porous 0-6-3 on the road.
“In terms of system, shape, formation, I would like more to talk about behavior, more than that, because there is an attitude that we need to change,” the 45-year-old Luccin said. “And from me first, because I’m going to lead that project, they have to see something from me. That’s life, everything is about energy.”
Liam Fraser scored the FC Dallas goal in the tie against Minnesota United.
Petar Musa has a team-best five goals for FC Dallas.
St. Louis City (3-4-9, 18 points) are buried in their own five-match winless stretch (0-3-2) after playing the visiting Portland Timbers to a scoreless tie on June 8.
St. Louis took 15 shots against Portland but placed just four on target.
“When it’s going your way, the shots that hit the post go in,” St. Louis coach Bradley Carnell said. “When it isn’t going your way, they don’t.”
Roman Burki posted his fifth shutout of the season and 13th in 1 1/2 MLS campaigns with St. Louis.
Carnell said it’s always challenging when facing a team that just dismissed a coach.
“Whenever there’s a change in coach, there’s always just desire and the bounce-back effect and it gets energy in the group and that’s first and foremost,” Carnell said. “… I’m sure this weekend will be a tough game.”
Joao Klauss has a team-leading five goals for St. Louis, which is 0-2-5 on the road.
The teams played to a scoreless tie in St. Louis on April 6. St. Louis had a 26-10 edge in shots.
–Field Level Media