Alan Velasco: Will he stay or will he go?

The rumors aren't going away. Here's the latest. Here's making sense of whether or not Velasco sticks around with FC Dallas.

Search for the name Alan Velasco on X, and right now, you find as much chatter as you can handle. Use that nifty translate feature. See what people like “noted soccer insider”, Chori-Pan Kenobi, are saying. Velasco is on his way back to Argentina. It’s just a matter of an announcement. Or maybe some more negotiations. Or wishful thinking. You decide.

Anyway, there’s smoke around this, but there was smoke last summer as well.

The question is - is there a raging fire?

Velasco has been vocal that he would like to return to Argentina. Dallas is a fine place, but home is home for a lot of players. Getting injured away from the soil you feel comfortable in and having to rehab as a young player - it’s been a tough year for the youngster. It makes sense that he might have second thoughts or be ready to try something different.

As we discussed on the pod yesterday, an inside source within the team suggested that there isn’t really a fire yet. Sure, it makes sense that teams might inquire about Alan Velasco. He still has value, even though he hasn’t played professional minutes in a while. It’s likely that other teams have been wondering if Dallas would be willing to let him go for cheap. Fire sales happen.

Apparently, that is not the case, as FC Dallas have at least some idea of the value they see in Velasco.

I tend to think Peter Luccin, who is fighting for the permanent head coaching position, would love to have Velasco in the mix to close out the next few weeks. FC Dallas needs a playmaker, even if off the bench. Velasco might be that for him and this team.

Other nuggets to think about:

• The transfer window has closed, so FC Dallas have very limited options to bring a playmaker replacement. Maybe that’s not a big deal with an interim head coach. Stash that cash and use it in the winter to reinforce/restructure the squad? Why not? But if you hung on to him for this long, why not run him out for a few months and see what he can contribute? You could still sell him in the winter.

• Would Alan Velasco on this roster entice other potential coaching hires?

• A lot can still change in the next 48 hours. Does Boca have the cash to spend? Can they find the right amount to pique Dallas’ interest? Every player has a reasonable price, and so I can see the front office feeling like they have no choice but to sell if that offer comes in.

• Does Velasco even fit with the personnel and formation that Luccin has in mind? With the long break of play, the extra practice time has likely opened the door to some formation and tactic switches. I wonder.

• Most importantly, Luccin has one big problem to solve this week and beyond - they must win some away games to have any shot of the playoffs. Velasco could be a piece of the equation to make that happen.

But in the meanwhile, here’s the video we shared on the pod from a media member during a practice.

Yes, that is Alan getting subbed on during practice and scrimmage time. You can hear the shouts of “Alan” ringing out. No doubt, an important moment for the player in his journey to get healthy and right. Congrats to him.

I’m still on the fence about this. I can see it both ways. I’d love to see Velasco get more opportunity in Dallas and help this team push to close out 2024 with at least a spark of excitement. But I understand if there is an offer that Alan wants and Dallas are happy with. We shall have to wait and see.