I don't know what the starting lineup for FC Dallas will be on opening day. Stop asking.
In a wild offseason, FC Dallas is going to field a radically different starting XI than 2024. That's good. And should give FCD fans hope.
Here is what we know.
Maarten Paes is your starting goalkeeper.
Petar Musa is your star striker.
Marco Farfan is your starting left back.
Shaq Moore is your starting right back.
Everything else is up for grabs.
Seriously, I think you can make the case that Anderson Julio and Leo Chu start right away. Or at least one of them. Bernard Kamungo could upset that plan if he locks down a spot on the wings. Logan Farrington also has a case to make - he serves this team better on the field than off the bench.
I bet Sebastian Ibeagha and Lalas Abubakar start on opening weekend. Or at least one of them. Mohamed Ciset has sparkled in the offseason, so could he be a dark horse to grab a starting spot? Maybe FC Dallas is going to add a legit center back to designate Abubakar as a veteran off the bench. Rumors indicate they will. Or should. Could Matt Hedges return and go on a revenge tour against all the MLS teams that discounted him?
No one knows.
If FC Dallas doesn’t sign a superstar No. 10 (hi, Evander), Sebastian Lletget or Patrickson Delgado gets the nod in that role. Or maybe Tsiki, fresh off a fat contract extension. Why not? What else can you lose? Don’t forget Pedrinho. I like that kid a lot, but he is young.
Midfield is a mess. Yes, there are rumors that Illarramendi is coming back. Maybe he does. Show made a case for a permanent starting spot, but if Pomykal is healthy and Nolan Norris is ready, why not turn it over to the homegrowns? Show’s loan ends in the summer, by the way. Pomykal isn’t healthy… yet. Lletget could drop from a more advanced position and fill one of these roles. Delgado too.
Wait a minute. What about Ramiro? The new signing is clearly a warrior, the kind of guy that Quill wants. He probably fits perfectly in that deeper midfield slot, so drop one of those other guys and pencil him in.
But if Illarramendi comes back, who drops to the bench?
Show? But didn’t he “show” enough to be an every game starter? I thought I said he did.
I’m exhausted.
Looking at backup positions is even more chaotic. We have young guys and then younger guys. And some veterans who need to accept a different role.
Here’s the bottom line.
The starting XI is going to be different on opening day. And it likely will be different on week 2. And maybe, for once, that’s a good thing as FC Dallas charts a new identity.
The lineup won’t be about simply who is healthy and available. That was the disappointing story of 2024.
The lineup will be about reshaping this team’s identity after a few years of decent but lackluster results.
New signings are incoming that will further bolster these problems. I pray for some designated players who will raise the ceiling - a 10, a legit CB.
In the end, a coach wants a team of players who are going to fight for every opportunity and create an atmosphere where nothing is taken for granted. I think FC Dallas, more than in recent years, has the makings of that kind of environment. Quill better be ready to use it.
So, yeah, have hope, FC Dallas fans.
2025 is gonna be different. And that’s a good thing.