Over the next month I will be putting out a series of previews for MLS (not The) this season. I know you are all wondering why should I care about MLS, however here are a couple facts to get you going.

• Since 2007 the league has gone from 13 to 24 teams (and counting)
• Last year MLS added a new team in LA owned by Will Ferrell, Magic Johnson, Nomar Garciaparra, and Mia Hamm!
• Soccer has the longest run time of the 4 major sports in 90 minutes, however because there’s no commercials the game only lasts 2 hours.
• Great players such as Josef Martinez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Carlos Vela, and many many more come to a tv near you every week!
• ESPN+ has made it very easy to find each game every week.

F.C. Dallas

Owner: Clark Hunt

Coach: Luchi Gonzalez

Previous Season Record: 16-9-9 4th in West

U.S. Open Cup 2018: Round of 16

Top Scorer: Maxi Urruti 8 Goals

Stadium: Toyota Stadium

2018 Recap

The last few seasons when you looked at MLS standings you would always see F.C. Dallas near the top and think “huh, how does that make sense?” They never have big name signings and have never won the championship so they often get overlooked. However, during the Oscar Pareja era they made the playoffs 4 of 5 years and finished first in the west twice. After last years fourth place finish though it was time for a change.

They had talent with Kellyn Acosta, Maxi Urruti, and Matt Hedges, but they never seem to have that it factor on the field after the sale of superstar Mauro Diaz in July. The number 10 left for the riches of the United Arab Emirates and the team floundered to the finish line. Losing in the first round of the playoffs just capped off a tough season in Frisco.

Off Season Transactions

*A couple things to highlight here.

• Bryan Acosta and Pablo Aranguiz are great buys for this team in need of energy.
• Dominique Badji is a great pickup, he led Colorado in scoring the last 2 seasons
• Losing Kellyn Acosta is tough, he has been a staple in the lineup for a couple years.
• Urruti and Akindele leaving will hurt up top unless Badji and Ondrasek cannot take their places.

2019 Outlook

This team has undergone some major changes in the off season including hiring a new coach in Luchi Gonzalez. He has been managing their Academy for 6 years so he knows the team backwards and forwards. Dallas can only hope he is finally the coach to get them over the top.

The team did a good job replacing their forwards who left with new ones. Especially bringing in Badji who runs the field very well and can finish in many different ways.

I do not know yet though if they have found good replacements in the midfield. They spent almost 4 million on new middies so they are definitely shooting for the stars. But can they ever replace the gap left by Mauro Diaz and get back to having fun again? I think this team has a lot of talent still, but there may be growing pains with the new coach. In my opinion Dallas will be fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the west this year.