Jesus Ferreira's Homecoming Gets Real: Sounders Ready to Bury Dallas With Five Straight Unbeaten

Jesus Ferreira still gets butterflies when he lines up against FC Dallas. That's what happens when you grow up your whole life at a club, then leave. Saturday night at Lumen Field, he'll get another shot at the team that made him, and the Sounders are arriving with serious momentum on their side.

"Going against your childhood club, the club that you grew up your whole life in... so, it's exciting. I'm looking forward to it," Ferreira said ahead of the Western Conference matchup.

The Sounders Are Playing Like the Best Team in the West Right Now

Seattle rolled into this one riding a five-match unbeaten streak (4-0-1) and sitting pretty at 5-1-1 with 16 points. The Sounders were idle Wednesday after dismantling St. Louis City 4-1 at home last Saturday. Cristian Roldan went absolutely nuclear in that first half, scoring twice off corner kicks from Albert Rusnak. When Seattle got a penalty early in the second half, Rusnak asked Roldan if he wanted to chase a hat trick. Roldan's response? "I'd rather win than get a hat trick." That's the kind of team mentality you build championships on. Rusnak finished the job from the spot, and Osaze De Rosario added another off a Ferreira assist.

The defensive work has been elite too. Seattle has allowed just three goals all season, an MLS low, though a deflected shot from St. Louis in second-half stoppage time snapped a 495-minute shutout streak.

Dallas Is Desperate, But Musa Is a Problem

FC Dallas (3-2-4, 13 points) comes in winless in their last three matches (0-1-2), which is bad news. What's worse for the Sounders: Petar Musa is leading the entire league in the Golden Boot race with nine goals. Santiago Moreno, on loan from Brazilian club Fluminense, made his first start for Dallas on Wednesday in a 1-0 loss to Minnesota United. Moreno's a former Portland Timbers star, so he knows the Cascadia Cup wars and what it takes to compete in this region.

Dallas coach Eric Quill is still building chemistry with Moreno, but he's impressed. "Each practice as he gets to know the style of play and his teammates more, his quality is becoming more and more obvious," Quill said.

The numbers at Lumen Field tell you everything you need to know: Dallas is 1-12-4 all-time here, with their only win coming way back in 2011. Meanwhile, Ferreira's tied for fifth in MLS with five assists and he's got that extra edge playing the club that raised him. This should be good.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.