(Sports Network) - FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids aren't in must-win territory just yet, but it's getting close. The two Major League Soccer clubs square off on Thursday night at Pizza Hut Park with the hopes of not getting to that point. Both teams are slumping - with FCD winless in three and the last-placed Rapids losing four of five - and are in danger of falling out of the playoff race if they don't shape-up fast with just eight league games to go.

For either Western Conference team to make the playoffs, it will probably have to finish in the top three in the table. Dallas is just one point back of third-placed Chivas USA while the Rapids are just three points back, meaning they still have legitimate playoff aspirations.

FC Dallas (6-8-8) is coming off a 2-1 home loss to the league-leading Columbus Crew. It was the team's third consecutive fixture without a win despite scoring the first goal in the game. Two of those three were vs. the Crew.

"I think it's a game we should have won," FCD coach Schellas Hyndman said. "We had some good scoring chances, we were creating some problems for them, we're at home. We took a lead again, we go up and lose to a team we had a lead on two weeks ago through the same type of things. It's really all about choices that we make; do we chase players when they're going in? I mean there are head balls where people are unmarked. You know, it's just ridiculous. They are a good team, playing very well. But I think this is a game we should have won."

Dallas will be without one of its key defenders Thursday, with rugged fullback Adrian Serioux away with the Canadian nation team in World Cup qualifying. Also, Victor Sikora and David Wagenfuhr are out with injuries. One positive is veteran defender Duilio Davino could make his return from a toe injury that has caused him to miss the past few games.

For the Rapids (7-12-3), they will close out a three-game road swing in Dallas on Thursday. They are hoping the third game goes better than the first two - both shutout losses. The most recent loss was 0-2 at Real Salt Lake on Aug. 29.

For the Rapids to have a chance on the road, they will have to not only find a way to score a goal - which they haven't done since an Aug. 16 win vs. Kansas City - but they will have to slow down the Hoops' strike pair of Jeff Cunningham and Kenny Cooper. Cooper is second in the league with 13 goals this season while Cunningham has scored two goals in three games with the Hoops since coming over in a trade from Toronto.

Colorado will probably welcome back midfielders Terry Cooke and Pablo Mastroeni, who have missed the past couple games with hamstring injuries; while Mehdi Ballouchy, Greg Dalby and Ugo Ihemelu are listed as questionable on the team's injury report. The Rapids will also be without veteran forward Herculez Gomez, who was traded to the Kansas City Wizards for draft picks and allocation money on Wednesday.



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