From Futsal to the Field: Tomas Pondeca

We sat down with Tomas Pondeca ahead of North Texas SC's opening match of the MLS Next Pro season to find out more about one of the newest signings and his non-traditional path to professional soccer.

With the MLS Next Pro season kicking off this weekend, North Texas SC is finishing its roster construction.

In its short history, North Texas SC has shown it exists beyond serving as a reserve team to give experience and minutes to young or backup players on the senior team. It’s also another open door to opportunity for diamonds in the rough, talented international youth, and academy prospects. It allows the FC Dallas franchise to roll the dice on players who deserve a longer look or a chance to develop in a professional environment without sitting around on a bench.

On March 10, 2023, North Texas continued to identify the hidden talent in the Dallas-Ft Worth market by signing Tomas Pondeca, a professional and international futsal player looking to the next stage of his career.

Tomas is a Dallas area native, an All-American with his high school soccer team at Marcus High School. But instead of matriculating to college, Pondeca followed his first passion, futsal.

“I had fallen in love with futsal when I first started, like at 8 or 9 years old. I had goals. I wanted to play in the Futsal World Cup. I wanted to play in CONCACAF,” Tomas said about his non-traditional path. "I had a few other opportunities, but I just wanted to see out the futsal career and what I could do.”

Playing professionally and internationally with futsal means he comes in with a level of experience that other young players may still be adapting to.

“You always have to be on top of your game. You have to conduct yourself professionally. You have to put the work in,” Tomas said about what he has learned about being a professional in his career so far. “You have training, but outside of training, you have to fine-tune your skills and work on the individual piece of the game.”

Tomas played professionally most recently in the first division of a futsal league in Paris but made the decision to try out for North Texas after rehabbing from an injury.

“My time in Paris was wonderful. The league was a good level. It was the first division. I played for Paris Acasa. The team definitely shaped me,” he said. “I miss Paris a lot.”

The big question will be how he can translate his game from futsal into soccer, but he believes he is well prepared.

“In futsal, you have to work in tight spaces. Being aware of your space and where you are going to be. When you get to the outdoor field, it’s a lot bigger, and you have more time. Maybe a half a second more to know where the players are,” he said about the adjustment so far. "Individually, my footwork is there. I can really be good on the wing, taking on players one on one."

Tomas has played most of his career centrally as a 9 or 10, but he slots in at wing for Cano’s squad.

Of course, moving from a smaller arena to a larger field means he has to make adjustments, including the level of fitness required to compete day in and out, but he is making progress.

Tomas is excited to work with new NTSC Head Coach Javier Cano. “Coach Javi is a very good coach. He knows his stuff, his Xs and Os really well. The trainings are pretty good. Tactically, we are working on fitness, attacking, and defending. We are working on different progressions we want to see in the season. He is very hands-on. He is a good guy."

Tomas has not had the chance to train with the first team but is hopeful for that opportunity to gauge his skill level against fierce competition.

North Texas of course has a history of players gaining experience at this level and then taking their next step, whether we are talking about Ricardo Pepi, Ronaldo Damus, Arturo Rodriguez, or others. But that didn’t necessarily factor into Pondeca’s decision to try out for the team.

“To be honest with you, I have only heard of a few players like that. Really, it was not playing in the back of my mind. My goal was to get my foot in the door, let people know what I can do, and go from there,” Tomas said.

Ultimately, Pondeca sees his signing with North Texas SC and the year ahead as the first step to achieve his long term goals.

“My goals as a player for this year - to help the team win the title. I want to become a starter on the team, become one of the main guys on the team, get my name out there, and move on to a bigger stage.”

He is excited about the work ahead and from the moment he stepped into the open tryouts for North Texas believed he could stand out. And he did.

“I just worked hard and showed that I could do it. Exciting moments to get called up and get signed,” Tomas said.

Last but not least, Tomas revealed his go-to taco place in the DFW.

“Taco Hut in Lewisville,” he said with a smile.

Watching him suit up for North Texas as the season kicks off this weekend for MLS Next Pro teams will be fun. Who knows - FC Dallas may have another emerging talent in their ranks from an unlikely path.