I made a mistake and predicted FC Dallas to finish 3rd in the MLS Western Conference
I spoke with MLS Eliott this week about my thoughts on FC Dallas' wild offseason, and I regret everything. Or do I?
Hello again, dear readers.
It’s offseason, and along with my main job and life, including a dark authoritarian turn that the US is taking at the moment, I’ve been swamped.
But that doesn’t mean my eye is not on the ball. Or the multiple balls skipping around preseason as FC Dallas wrapped up training camp in Portugal. Or the rumors that suggest imminent FC Dallas signings. Or the way North Texas is quietly putting together another intriguing roster.
I took some time to answer MLS Eliott’s answers over on the website formerly (and better) known as Twitter. Read them here.
But I made a mistake. I set aside my supposed objective journalist ideals and got back into the feels as I considered, despite an offseason that has largely led to a complete makeover of this team and a new coach, how my beloved FC Dallas will do this season. I predicted, to my lack of common sense, that Dallas would be in contention for the MLS Western Conference crown, falling to 3rd place when all is said and done.
Ridiculous. Ill-advised. Worthy of ridicule.
Those insults are well deserved, my friends.
You see, being a fan of a Major League Soccer team like FC Dallas may be a sign of an illness of some kind - or at least a personality defect.
And yet, what other team would I choose to follow?
My fandom with FC Dallas began while I was living in Dallas and fell in love with a gritty roster headlined by Blas Perez and David Ferreira, all DAWGs who put everything on the line and nearly won an MLS title. Sometimes, I wake in the night with the words “buttery leather jacket” echoing in the recesses of my mind. It was an exhilarating season, as the Los Angeles Galaxy were among those expected to win it all. But Dallas proved the meddle to do otherwise.
I was there during our incredible Supporter’s Shield and Open Cup victories in 2016, only losing out on an incredible trifecta because of a Mauro Diaz injury.
The ride has been bizarre and beautiful, like Ricardo Pepi’s legendary rise and the inside jokes from watching fans fall in love with trialists and SuperDraft picks.
The emergence of North Texas Soccer Club has only made my sickness more pathetic, as now I neglect my wife and kids to watch academy kids chase a shot at being the next phenom from the DFW.
But, if I do want to get serious for a minute, here’s the case I do make about FC Dallas having a strong year.
FC Dallas is not the only team to experience an enormous amount of turnover this offseason. Championship side LA Galaxy are also going through it. Los Angeles FC will appear different. San Diego is not going to threaten a title, but they widen the Western Conference field and will surprise people.
Dallas meanwhile has made enough changes around stars Maarten Paes, Logan Farrington, Sebastian Lletget, Patrickson Delgado, Marco Farfan, and, of course, Petar Musa to lift the floor of the team. If anything, last season showcased that Dallas needed better depth, bringing in guys who are veterans but spreading more of the talent in various positions.
Anderson Julio and Leo Chu are intriguing names. We know Julio is going to produce. He’s already having a strong preseason. Chu is a work in progress, but even if he is a depth piece when Bernard Kamungo takes a starting spot in the lineup, that’s better than we had last season. Our midfield is deep, especially if Paxton Pomykal can work his way back into the picture. I think Ramiro Benetti is going to be a DAWG for this team, and Patrickson Delgado can slot in at No. 10 or deeper in the midfield. For once, we have options.
Eric Quill also leads this team with the most experience as a head coach of any of the past two candidates. He led North Texas Soccer Club to a championship years ago. He’s been an assistant, and he’s had to work with less at New Mexico United to get more out of a group of hungry guys. That reads DAWG to me.
It takes me back to those Schellas Hyndman teams of old. Schellas was hardly the best coach around, but he had a vision of a team that was going to work as a collective, hold each other accountable, and make life miserable for opponents. It worked.
Oscar Pareja also found ways to get that kind of effort from teams that, at times, lacked the talent level of other squads.
So, I’m out of mind and yet I am intrigued going into this season.
Rumors abound that a couple of center-backs are soon to land in Frisco, creating competition along the defensive line.
And who knows? We may get a legit No. 10 in Evander if the deal can work out.
All of this lines up for an interesting season when the competition will be fierce, every point will be hard-fought, and Dallas may find itself in the running for one of those top spots in the playoff when all is said and done.
And if I’m wrong, come back to this post, and in the comments, tell me I was a fool.