Musa and Abubakar Shine as FC Dallas Earns Statement Win Over Portland

FRISCO, Texas (Aug. 9, 2025) – FC Dallas earned a convincing 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers at Toyota Stadium on Saturday night, powered by early and decisive goals from Petar Musa and Lalas Abubakar. The result marks Dallas’ seventh win of the season and extends Portland’s struggles in league play, with the visitors now having just two wins in their last eight matches.

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Early Strike From Musa Sets the Tone

Croatian forward Petar Musa wasted no time asserting himself, scoring in the eighth minute to give Dallas a dream start. The goal, his 13th of the campaign, ties the fastest goal scored by a Dallas player this season, matching Shaq Moore’s effort against Inter Miami on April 27. Musa’s blistering form continues, with six goals in his last four appearances. His ability to score in bursts has been a rare bright spot in Dallas’ otherwise challenging season.

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Abubakar’s First Goal in Dallas Colors

Defender Lalas Abubakar doubled the advantage in the 61st minute, rising to meet a Sebastian Lletget corner for his first goal since joining the club. The strike was Dallas’ first goal from a corner kick all season and made Abubakar the 13th different player to score for the team in 2025. Lletget, who had entered the match just two minutes earlier, recorded his second assist of the year.

Abubakar’s strong performance earned him a place in MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Matchday for Matchday 28 — his first starting XI selection of the year. The veteran center back has featured in 20 matches this season, starting 12, and his defensive stability was as important as his set-piece finish in this win.

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Collodi Continues to Impress

Between the posts, Homegrown goalkeeper Michael Collodi delivered another composed performance in just his third MLS start. Making three saves on the night, Collodi notched his second career shutout and improved his record to 2-1-0 as a starter. His ability to step in and produce results adds valuable depth for Dallas as the season enters its critical final stretch.

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New Arrival Makes Debut

Louicius Don Deedson, a recent signing from Danish side Odense Boldklub, made his Dallas debut in the 87th minute. The Haitian midfielder became the 15th player to debut for the club this year, highlighting the roster turnover and developmental opportunities Dallas has embraced in 2025.

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Toyota Stadium Atmosphere and Sellout Streak

The crowd of 11,004 marked the club’s 29th consecutive home sellout. Despite ongoing renovations on the east side of Toyota Stadium, the atmosphere remained vibrant, a testament to the fan base’s resilience and support during a transitional period for the venue.

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Historical and Series Notes

This was the first meeting between Dallas and Portland in 2025, and the win extended Dallas’ dominant home record in the all-time series to 11-1-5. Overall, Dallas leads the head-to-head matchup 12-9-10. The result also improved their home form this season to 3-8-2, a statistic they’ll be eager to improve upon further.

For Portland, the loss comes amid roster changes. Forward Santiago Moreno is reportedly set to join Brazilian Serie A side Fluminense for a $5.5 million transfer fee, per ESPN. Moreno, who played 136 games for the Timbers and tallied 21 goals with 19 assists, leaves a significant gap in the attack that will need to be addressed quickly.

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Looking Ahead

FC Dallas will next face Texas rivals Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Aug. 16, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. CT. The match will be available on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, with live audio on the club’s official app. Portland, meanwhile, returns home to host Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati in what promises to be another stern test.

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