FC Dallas hits the road down I-35 on Sunday night for the Texas Derby. A regular season match with real stakes following the Leagues Cup obligations for both sides.
Dallas absorbed a 3-1 loss at Toluca in Mexico on Wednesday night. Thankfully the league table doesn’t care about Leagues Cup results. Austin FC, meanwhile, pulled off one of the better runs in 2026 with three straight wins in the Leagues Cup. Thursday night, they downed Club América in a penalty shootout to advance to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
Austin currently sit 14th in the Western Conference, has had a rough season. Davy Arnaud took over as the interim manager after the club let Nico Estevez go before the World Cup break.
Will the Leagues Cup success translate? Here’s what we’ll be watching for Sunday night.
Don’t Let the Leagues Cup Glow Fool You, Austin has been a disaster in League play
Let’s be clear about what Austin FC is right now. They entered the World Cup break in 14th place and outside of the Leagues Cup, they’re still a team near the bottom of the table. One win in their last six. The other five results were all losses.
Davy Arnaud is in as interim manager, a placeholder until Jim Curtin takes over next season. Basically, this is a group playing to figure out who can stick around next year.
They’ve conceded 36 goals this season, while only scoring 22. Their league form has been rough. The Leagues Cup has given them a reset, a crowd, and a bit more of a narrative. Sunday is where Dallas gets to test whether any of that translates to success in league play.
Big D Soccer gives you the why — the tactical breakdowns, the honest assessments, the context that actually helps you understand what you watched on Saturday night.
If you’re serious about this club, you should be reading all of it.
Uzuni Is Absolutely on Fire Right Now – Dallas Has to Find an Answer
Here is the fun part for Austin: Myrto Uzuni might have been one of the best players during the Leagues Cup. He scored a hat trick in one game and is beaming with confidence.
The Albanian Designated Player leads Austin with goals this season, but those numbers (six goals, five assists) undersell what he’s been doing lately. He’s found his rhythm under Arnaud that Estevez struggled to figure out. Uzuni is making defenders uncomfortable with his newfound swagger.
Dallas’ backline has been solid in stretches this summer, but they have also shown vulnerability. Toluca reminded us all how quickly things can unravel when things aren’t sharp enough. Uzuni will be looking for the space behind the defense. Stopping him before he gets going has to be priority one.
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