International Break: Who to Watch
FC Dallas has 8 players playing for their senior and youth national teams. What should we be watching for?
FC Dallas has the week off, as a series of crucial international games ahead help nations prepare for the World Cup this summer.
While we anticipated Petar Musa, in dominant form as expected, to receive a call-up to Croatia, our boys from Frisco are well represented internationally.
Garret Melcer pointed out that FC Dallas has eight players heading out of town over the next couple of weeks:
Who are we especially watching for big performances? Who is feeling the pressure to perform ahead of the World Cup? Who needs to use this opportunity to build confidence?
FYI - FC Dallas lists where and when to watch some of their players in friendlies and a key UEFA play-off.
Petar Musa is obviously in such strong form and gets to step into the Croatian national team at the right time to prove his case as a lock for a World Cup spot, even if that means he serves as a key bench player who can come in and help his side push for a late goal. Just look at what he did coming in after halftime for FC Dallas’ come-from-behind victory over Houston. He’s a game changer. Every national team needs game changers. He should get at least one start out of a fun pair of matches against Columbia and Brazil.
Herman Johansson may not have been in good form like Musa, but getting a big assist last weekend is a nice boost of confidence for the Swedish international. There was a hint, per a post-game interview in Los Angeles, that his spot is in contention as Sweden begins to narrow down their roster. Of course, first, they need to get in by winning a massive matchup against Ukraine. Will he start? This will be a fun one to watch.
Deedson has yet to get major minutes for FC Dallas. He’s a curious player because he actually plays quite well on the international stage for Haiti. Haiti is already in the World Cup, so two games against Iceland and Tunisia are a good opportunity for the squad to prep. My hope is that Deedson gets a lot of minutes, looks good, and, if nothing else, becomes a transfer target if FC Dallas decides he isn’t a long-term piece for the club.
On the youth side, Ran Binyamin's call-up to the Israeli U21 squad is fascinating. Hopefully, he can use the opportunity to get into some rhythm. More importantly, I love Nolan Norris stepping into the US U21 team after a couple of starts with FC Dallas. What’s been fun about Nolan’s time with the international teams is that he always comes back better, with a bit more confidence. He is poised to continue to grow with each minute.
Who are you looking to watch?