ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Sept. 6, 2025) — Playing down a man for more than 70 minutes, FC Dallas showed grit, resilience, and a bit of history on Saturday night in a 1-1 draw against St. Louis CITY SC at Energizer Park.
Forward Petar Musa continued his breakout campaign with his 14th goal of the season, while debuting goalkeeper Jacob Jackson made 11 saves in relief to secure a hard-earned point on the road.
Musa Levels the Score
Dallas fell behind early after St. Louis capitalized on its numerical advantage following a 16th-minute red card to starting goalkeeper Michael Collodi, who was ejected for a foul outside the box. St. Louis converted soon after, but Dallas responded quickly.
Just three minutes later, Musa struck back with the equalizer, finishing off a perfectly placed pass from Christian Cappis. The assist was Cappis’ first in Major League Soccer.
For Musa, the goal was his team-leading 14th of the season and his 30th across the last two years, tying Homegrown striker Jesús Ferreira for the most goals in a two-season span in club history.
Jackson Stands Tall in Debut
The red card forced head coach Eric Quill into an immediate adjustment, inserting Jackson for midfielder Kaick. Thrown into the fire in a hostile environment, the 23-year-old goalkeeper delivered a remarkable debut, recording 11 saves, the second-most in a single match in FC Dallas history.
Combined with Collodi’s two stops before his dismissal, Dallas goalkeepers tallied a franchise-record 13 saves on the night.
“I was a fan like everybody watching back home,” Quill said postgame. “Just watching a guy step up, cold off the bench and get thrown in a game, down a man, and he just stood on his head. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Jackson himself credited the collective effort of the goalkeeper group. “Honestly, we should put that as 13 saves, because Collodi had two amazing ones before the red,” he said. “We all work for each other, and tonight showed that.”
A Rare Red Card
The ejection marked only the fifth time in club history that an FC Dallas goalkeeper has been sent off. Ironically, the last came at the very same stadium when Maarten Paes was dismissed against St. Louis on August 30, 2023. Prior to that, the only Dallas keepers to see red were Dario Sala in 2009 and Matt Jordan in 1999.
Despite the setback, the short-handed Dallas back line tightened up, repeatedly frustrating St. Louis’ attack and preserving the draw.
Fighting Mentality
The result was another reminder of FC Dallas’ ability to claw back into matches. With Musa’s equalizer, Dallas has now earned 19 points from losing positions this season, the most in MLS. The team finished August unbeaten (1-0-3) and carried that momentum into September.
“This is a tie that feels like a win,” Quill said. “The defensive effort, the grind, the organization, the mentality to contest every shot — that’s what it takes. We may look back on this point at the end and say it was massive for our playoff chances.”
Defender Bernard Kamungo echoed that sentiment. “We made a mistake earlier with the red, but the team fought together. Every game is a final, and we have to keep getting points.”
What’s Next
With the draw, FC Dallas improved to 7-11-10 (31 points), while St. Louis slipped to 5-17-7 (22 points). Dallas remains in the Western Conference playoff hunt and will look to carry its fighting spirit into a critical Texas Derby next weekend.
The club returns home to host Austin FC on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Toyota Stadium (7:30 p.m. CT, streaming live on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV).
For a team that showed resilience in the face of adversity, Saturday’s point in St. Louis may prove to be a turning point in Dallas’ late-season push.
Final Score: FC Dallas 1, St. Louis CITY SC 1
