Catching Up on All the FC Dallas News
While the World Cup continues on, we start shifting back to FC Dallas they prepare for the rest of the MLS season and Leagues Cup ahead. Here are all the storylines we are tracking.
Welcome back, FC Dallas regulars, and welcome to those who are curious about Major League Soccer, MLS Next Pro, and all the other wonderful leagues in this country that deserve our cash and support.
It’s a great time to be a soccer fan in this country with brand new stadiums opening every year, more and more access to professional matches all over the place, and talented players getting their chances.
FC Dallas is back in practice, and over the next couple of weeks, the team will get the second half of the season into gear. It’s going to be an exciting one. And as usual, there are rumors of all kinds to pay attention, as the team keeps trying to improve and capitalize on the anticipated World Cup bounce.
Here is what we are tracking:
Petar Musa Is an All-Star and Probably Here to Stay?
The big news this week is that Petar Musa will represent FC Dallas in the upcoming Major League Soccer All-Star game. The prolific striker is having another fantastic season, and he deserved to both get a chance to show his stuff at the World Cup and now get mixed in with the best of the best in North America. A worthy honor for the international!
Speaking of the World Cup, while Musa bagged himself a crucial goal for Croatia, his play and usage by the national team fell off pretty quickly. It had to be disappointing for the striker to not get more opportunities, especially when Croatia were pushing late for equalizers. Whether something happened in the locker room or he picked up a nagging injury, he did not feature in the final Croatian game.
Musa returns to FC Dallas in fine form, likely deserving a break before getting back into rhythm with the squad.
But the even bigger news is that the market has likely cooled for the striker. No doubt, there are teams out there keeping an eye on him, but it’s not likely his World Cup appearances raised his stock high enough to justify the price tag it will require to get him out of Frisco. Fans, while gutted for him not making a bigger impact with Croatia, can breathe a little sigh of relief. The Moose is likely going to be here longer.
Truth, I think this raises the expectations for the rest of the season. If Musa stays in fine form, FC Dallas will continue to stay in contention.
Of course, never say never. Who knows what happens in the coming transfer windows.
FC Dallas Stadium Is a Work-in-Progress
The other interesting news was some flurry of photos showing a temporary press box on the east side of Toyota Stadium being damaged during the continued construction and demolition of parts of the venue. Unfortunately, I can’t find the image, but it marks how the return to action in Frisco will continue to be a very much “work-in-progress” experience. Fans should pay attention to the changed seating charts and be as patient as possible. We won’t see the true Frisco experience for a while.
You can argue that the timing for these important upgrades could have been better planned, with a World Cup in town and all, but permitting, financing, and planning are what they are.
Meanwhile, FC Dallas will be playing at least one Leagues Cup game on August 5 down in Mansfield in the new Texas Health Mansfield Stadium. That should be a special experience to get a look at North Texas SC’s new venue and environment.
New Starting Goalkeeper On the Way?
Tom Bogert is reporting, that with San Jose signing Scottish international keeper Angus Gunn, Daniel is on his way to FC Dallas in a trade.
The move is an interesting one. FC Dallas came into the year pretty confident in Michael Collodi as the leader and starter between the posts, but after being benched due to some choppy play, Jonathan Sirois, acquired in a trade with CF Montreal, got a couple of starts. Daniel is a very solid goalkeeper and offers an immediate upgrade. Rumor is that he was on the outs with Bruce Arena recently, so he gets a fresh start.
Goalkeeper was not a position we thought the team was worried about, but this could be a very shrewd move. FC Dallas can claim excellent depth in the position, and the three will really push each other for that starting spot. I expect Daniel is going to win the position and help stabilize a defense that at times has given up too many mistakes in big moments.
This also likely means that Brooks Thompson, who the team loaned in from Lexington SC until June as a third option, will return to his team.
Is the Team Still in Play for Other Moves?
My other hope out of this World Cup was for Deedson to show well in the tournament and get an intriguing offer to depart the team, as his minutes have not materialized and his profile doesn’t quite fit where the team is headed. Maybe FC Dallas can find a trade suitor for a rebuilding team like Sporting Kansas City, open up that spot, and look to deepen their roster. It’s probably wishful thinking.
A left-footed player who can offer competition at wing back would be nice, though Bernard Kamungo should be getting healthy and back in the mix soon.
We plan to do another live show soon and break down these stories and more as Major League Soccer play begins to kick off in just a couple of weeks.