A Terrible, No Good Week for FC Dallas and North Texas Soccer Club
FC Dallas close out April with humbling, back-to-back losses, and North Texas SC miss out on road points. What did we learn from the two clubs?
Being out of cell tower range most of the weekend, I had a welcome break from the woes of FC Dallas after a very disappointing midweek loss to Minnesota United.
The downside of that was the space to spew in frustration about a team that, for a stretch to start this season, has dallied with the potential to be a contender in Major League Soccer, but with these two results, preceded by disappointing home draws, has exited such talk and drawn far closer to reality. FC Dallas now looks not far from their best in 2025 - a squad with talent that can make a run with a combination of hard work, grit, and individual brilliance. Is this a team that is outright scaring anyone? No. Is this a team that deserves respect? Sure. Is this a team that has lots of work to do? Absolutely.
Let’s rewind the week a bit.
FC Dallas 0 - Minnesota United FC 1
After two disappointing home draws, FC Dallas faced their midweek home match knowing they needed points, all three points, to reverse some of the mistakes and bad luck they had been experiencing. Ahead of the match, Eric Quill and the players verbally said all of the right things. It seemed like their mentality was on the same page, but when the whistle blew, fans’ expectation turned to frustration.
It’s not that FC Dallas didn’t generate opportunities - they had 16 shots on the night, 7 of which were blocked by shot stopper Drake Callendar. They had enough possession to make things interesting. Ultimately, though, even in the final third, both Petar Musa and Logan Farrington struggled - alongside their attacking counterparts. Once Minnesota stretched FC Dallas’ defense and got their goal, their game plan was simple - frustrate the home side. And that they did.
Yes, this game was another example of the VAR crew getting it wrong, as a clear red card was not given early in the match, which would have made life much better for FC Dallas. Still, Quill and company can’t leave it to referees to get it right to grind out results, especially ones as big as this.
“We didn’t have our typical out-of-the-gates mentality or energy. We weren’t pressing from our organized shape and sat off too much, which allowed them to dictate the tempo in the first half. They got the goal they needed, so credit to them. They also blocked a lot of shots. I thought we were sloppy,” Quill told media after the game. “Usually we’re cleaner with our passing, sharper in tight spaces and quicker to switch the point of attack, but that wasn’t who we were tonight. I told the group in the locker room that you can’t give a team 45 minutes at home when you’re not yourself and not playing to the DNA we’ve shown all season. We have to be better and fix that. It was another missed opportunity at home.”
I made a point to say last Tuesday on the podcast — these lost home points significantly lower the ceiling of this team. Yes, we flirted with the idea that this team could be top five in the Western Conference, but I think that dream died this past two weeks. The rest of the season has room for improvement, so maybe this team will make me eat my words if they can find their form again.
Seattle 2 - FC Dallas 1
Whether it’s an attempt to inject life into the squad or just rest some weary legs, FC Dallas deployed a heavily rotated squad in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t mind it. With the team struggling mentally, some veterans need a break. It’s a long season, and with some promising pieces on the roster, how do you know what you have if you don’t find opportunities for them to grow in confidence?
Sam Sarver got his first start of the season, alongside rookie Nicholas Simmonds and new signing Ran Binyamin. Lalas Abubakar also cracked the starting lineup.
The Sounders quickly took control of the game through the first half with goals from Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris. While FC Dallas looked feisty, the two goals had fans back in Frisco pretty nervous. That was somewhat short-lived, as Nolan Norris got his first Major League Soccer goal of his career off of a corner. The homegrown player is living up to the hype and has potential to supplant Osaze Urhoghide as the best defender on the roster.
It was a big moment for him and got FC Dallas back into the game.
In fact, over the rest of the game, despite questionable subs, this rotated squad competed well and had opportunities to equalize. Michael Collodi continues to be let down by his defense but came up big to stop Jesus Ferreira on a penalty kick. There were definite positives from the performance, giving Quill some confidence to keep rotating when other veteran players are not living up to their potential.
“Obviously disappointed about the result, but I thought we played pretty well, and I think we're going to regret seeing the couple moments that led to their goals. Those moments are fixable,” Eric Quill told media after the match. “I was proud of our mentality, our resiliency. We were going for it, we never gave up. We didn't quit. We were pushing hard and came up short tonight.”
Big Picture
These two matches don’t have me panicking, but they have poked holes in my optimism for this squad and this season. One looming question for Quill is how to build the best starting XI out of this roster. Does that mean a formation shift is due? Does that mean benching some potential World Cup hopefuls over younger guys? Does that mean dropping someone with nice skill over a player who will bring the right mentality?
Nolan Norris is the story of the season, and it’s really frustrating when Quill chooses a veteran over the homegrown who has far more value and far more upside than any other defender on the roster. Yes, Petar Musa has been exhilarating in his early-season form, but with these recent results, I don’t think there is a sliver of hope that he stays past the World Cup (except if he stops scoring altogether). I’m always rooting for a guy like Sam Sarver to punch above his weight too, and while he had some excellent moments on Saturday, the wingback positions as a whole are anyone’s guess.
The team is going to have a slower week as they travel to New Jersey to face the Red Bulls in an important matchup on Saturday.
Minnesota United FC 1 - North Texas SC 0
Swinging back to the Baby Burn, North Texas Soccer Club traveled to Minnesota on Sunday and faced a good team in the Upper Midwest. MUFC 2 are very solid defensively, and they showed it as they welcomed a North Texas side that is growing in its ability to break down opponents and create highlight reel goals. The most important takeaway for me was how hard-fought this match was, and it wasn't until the 74th minute that Minnesota United broke through.
Really, North Texas held together defensively against a stout team that generated 23 shots against the visitors. Eryk Dymora continues to grow in his leadership, and the back line played one of its better games of the season despite giving up a goal and Jonah Bigger earning a late red card. The team nearly crawled back into a tie as Slade Starnes, playing high up the field, earned a penalty kick. Unfortunately, Natty James’ effort was saved.
A disappointing night for North Texas SC, but one that also shows this team is figuring it out bit by bit.
"Immediate thoughts, obviously disappointed for the group because we put a lot of work in today. We knew that we would come here and have a difficult time against a good Minnesota team. They've got some really good footballers,” head coach John Gall told media. “In the first half, I didn't think we were very responsible with the ball. In the second half, I thought we adjusted well. I also didn't feel in the second half that we were under too much pressure. I thought defensively we were fantastic. I thought Slade Starnes was a monster today, and I thought Enzo Newman did really well.”
North Texas SC will be back in action on Saturday evening at home against Austin FC II.
We are putting plans together on our next live podcast this week, so stay tuned for a date and time to go live with us.