Midfielder Paul Arriola says FC Dallas need to start paying their supporters back in Saturday's Texas derby against the Houston Dynamo, having failed to impress in the early stages of the season.

Dallas sit 13th in the Western Conference standings with just five points from eight matches in 2024, their only victory coming against the San Jose Earthquakes in their season opener.

They have only taken two points from seven matches since then, putting head coach Nico Estevez under pressure. 

However, Arriola says a clash with their biggest rivals at Toyota Stadium represents a chance to put things right.

"Our fans have been great all season, we haven't shown up for them. It is motivation for us to go and beat Houston on Saturday and obtain three points," he said. 

Dallas were beaten 2-1 by the Colorado Rapids last time out, leading Estevez to question his players' character. 

"We turned up with fear, lacking in determination and character," the Dallas boss said after that match.

"It is very difficult to play like that because Colorado are one of the hardest working teams in the league on both sides of the ball."

Houston, meanwhile, are preparing for a second straight meeting with a state rival, having suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Austin FC – their third loss of the year – last week.

Star midfielder Hector Herrera made his first appearance of the season from the bench in that match, playing 30 minutes after recovering from a groin injury.

Head coach Ben Olsen said of the Mexican's return: "You can see when he comes on the field, the game changes for the better in some areas.

"Right after he came on, the pressure was turned up on them. We got into so many dangerous spots, but still that connection in the box just wasn't there."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Musa is the only Dallas player with multiple goals to his name in MLS this season, having netted his second goal of 2024 in last week's loss to Colorado. 

Can he provide attacking inspiration for a team with just seven goals in eight games this year? 

Houston Dynamo – Hector Herrera 

While it remains to be seen whether Herrera is ready for a start, he could have a sizeable impact upon his return to action.

Last season, the Mexican led all Houston players for chances created (77), passes into the final third (835) and assists (13) in MLS play.

MATCH PREDICTION – FC DALLAS WIN

Dallas have made their second-worst start to an MLS campaign, only taking fewer than five points by this stage of a season when they earned four in 2009. They did, however, go on to make the playoffs that year.

With home advantage on their side, perhaps things will start to turn on Saturday. The Dynamo haven't won consecutive away MLS matches within a single season for almost 11 years, and they won their last road game 2-1 against Minnesota United.

Dallas tend to turn up for the derby, having gone unbeaten through their last 13 regular-season home matches against Houston (eight wins, five draws) in a run which stretches back to September 2011.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 44.6% 

Houston Dynamo – 26.5%

Draw – 28.9%

Trinidad and Tobago's hopes of an historic qualification to the Copa America went up in smokes, as they suffered a 0-2 loss to Canada in their 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League Play-In encounter at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday.

Cyle Larin (61st) and Jacob Shaffelburg (90+1) struck in the second half to lift Canada, who will now join Jamaica, United States, Mexico and Panama in the prestigious CONMEBOL tournament to be hosted in the United States in June. For Angus Eve and his Soca Warriors, it is back to the rebuilding phase to challenge for FIFA World Cup qualification, which also starts in June.

Canada started off controlling possession, but it was Trinidad and Tobago who nearly got the first goal in the 18th, when a counterattack ended with Levi Garcia swinging a shot just wide.

Meanwhile, Canada fired a pair of warning shots when Jonathan David shot wide in the 22nd, and then Larin’s effort in the 26th, was saved by Trinidad and Tobago custodian Denzil Smith.

The chances kept coming for both sides. Trinidad and Tobago's defenders Andre Raymond swooped in to steal a pass and fired wide in the 47th, before David had a header cleared off the goal-line in the 55th.

The match was due for a goal and Canada inevitably found the go-ahead goal duly obliged, as a nice build-up from Tajon Buchanan and Ike Ugbo set up a fine strike from Larin.

Down a goal, Trinidad and Tobago were forced to open up and commit more numbers forward. Garcia proved a menace to the Canadian defence, but the Soca Warriors lacked composure in the final third.

Trinidad and Tobago mounted several late forays forward, including a chance for Garcia in the 85th, but the veteran striker watched as his effort was saved by Maxime Crepeau, in goal for Canada.

However, Canada eventually doubled the lead and confirmed victory courtesy of Shaffelburg, who drove home from close range after picking up a pass from David in time added.

A first-half strike from Jairo Henriquez and a late Walmer Martinez goal powered El Salvador to a 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in Group A of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup on Wednesday night at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

With the result, the Cuscatlecos have qualified for their first Gold Cup quarterfinal since the 2017 edition.

El Salvador came out the stronger of the two sides and soon started testing Trinidad and Tobago GK Nicklas Frenderup, beginning with a Joaquin Rivas effort in the 26’ that produced a diving save.

Four minutes later though, there was nothing Frenderup could do to stop Henriquez from giving El Salvador a 1-0 lead by receiving a pass and shaking a defender with a brilliant turn before hammering a right-footed shot past Frenderup.

Henriquez then nearly notched his second of the day in the 38’, only to see his shot from distance glance off the post.

Trinidad and Tobago looked to respond in the second half and moments after Aubrey David nearly scored off a corner kick, Marcus Joseph was denied the equalizer in the 66’ when his stabbing shot off a cross struck the crossbar.

El Salvador looked to put the three points on ice and it was all there for Juan Portillo to do it, but Frenderup had other ideas and snuffed out Portillo’s shot right in front of goal.

The insurance goal arrived in the 90+1 with Martinez finishing off a frenzied sequence that started with Amando Moreno’s short squirting past Frenderup, hitting the post and rolling across the face of the goal on the line. Marvin Marquez swooped in trying to poke it into the net, but it was deflected by Frenderup to Portillo, who passed back to Martinez for an easy stroke into the net to complete the 2-0 scoreline.