Success at home has FC Dallas surprisingly atop the Western Conference, but a visit to the New England Revolution could change that.
Dallas will try to carry its momentum to the road Saturday when it attempts to beat the Revolution at Gillette Stadium for the first time in nearly 10 years.
FCD (3-1-0) came up four points short of the playoffs last year, and it seems poised to avoid such a fate in 2013.
So far, Dallas has won all three home games, including last weekend's 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. The club is 5-0-2 in its last seven games as host dating to last season, but translating that success onto the road is still an issue.
It's winless in five games (0-3-2) as the visitor since beating Salt Lake on Aug. 18, and those troubles have carried into this season with a 3-1 loss at Chivas USA on March 10.
A trip to Foxborough may not help.
FCD is 0-7-1 over the past eight visits since a victory on July 16, 2003. However, defender Ugo Ihemelu scored a goal five minutes into stoppage time to clinch a 1-0 home victory over the Revolution (1-1-1) on April 5 in the only meeting last year.
Jackson will try to continue providing an offensive spark after scoring his team-high second goal while also assisting on Fabian Castillo's tally last weekend. The Brazilian midfielder has four goals in each of the past two seasons.
"I hope you see what I see in Jackson ... a much more mature player, a much more focused player and a much happier player," coach Schellas Hyndman said. "I think you put all those things together (and) you start to see the Jackson that we always remember in those good moments in the past, only those good moments didn't occur all the time.
"I think what you're starting to see is those good moments are occurring more often and that a lot of it has to do with his maturity."
While Dallas has seven goals in four games, New England has scored once in three while being shut out in each of the last two contests.
The Revs failed to muster even a shot on goal in last Saturday's scoreless draw with Kansas City in their home opener.
"I hope (fans) saw something a little bit different from us in terms of how we go out there and fight," coach Jay Heaps said. "I think last year maybe this game slips away from us and maybe we lose it. But, in terms of what we want to do for an offensive standpoint, it wasn't good enough in our end. Whether it was cold or snow, we need to get a goal."
Jerry Bengtson has New England's only goal, and he should be back in the lineup. The forward missed last week's tie while playing two World Cup qualifiers for Honduras, scoring a goal in a 2-all draw with Mexico on March 22.
