Position Battles for FC Dallas
With a solid preseason victory against Brondby in the bag, let's take a look at the key position battles for FC Dallas in 2026.
FC Dallas rolled out to a 5-2 preseason victory against Brøndby IF yesterday (though essentially their U19 squad). Goals from Sebastian Ibeagha, Herman Johansson, Logan Farrington, and Nicholas Simmonds led the way, specifically a second half surge. Simmonds in particular had a nice goal to make a strong contribution for his new team. All in all, you saw a ton of guys get minutes and continue working on that fitness for a long season ahead.
No surprises — FC Dallas lined up in the same way they had success last year:
Yes, there has been some curiosity among the FC Dallas faithful about whether head coach Eric Quill would switch things up to work in wingers, but the team has spent the offseason going all in on potential wingbacks. In this game, you had Ricky Louis, Bernard Kamungo, Herman Johannson, and Sam Sarver in those roles. More on that in a moment.
Preseason is not a time to freak out about any result. Nor is it a time to read too much into a lineup or someone getting some minutes in a strange position. I’m really not worried about any of the team performances.
But I am curious who will win the week one starting jobs, and this preseason will at least give us some hints.
What is settled?
Petar Musa and Logan Farrington will start together. They developed a great partnership last year, and Logan is hungry for a big goal-scoring bounce. Yes, Anderson Julio is a speedy veteran more than capable of bagging goals, but, barring a scorching preseason, I think is better off the bench or out wide in certain scenarios. Sam Sarver could start, of course — and I don’t put it past the Indiana grad from making it hard on Quill - but we love him off the bench too. (Or he ends up at wing-back.)
Goalkeeping is set - mostly. I am not going to be surprised if Michael Collodi wins the starting GK job over Maarten Paes, but it will be a tough battle. Still, no surprises expected.
Yes, the midfield will be an intriguing one, but Christian Cappis, Ramiro, and Patrickson Delgado deserve to pick up where they left off. Rin Binyamin, as I mentioned the other day, could offer an alternative as he acclimates to the team though. Paxton Pomykal is evidently dealing with a knock - disappointing for the homegrown who deserves a bit luck on his side. Still, I think Binyamin has time to impress and begin to gel with his teammates.
What is not settled?
That back line is the first intriguing position battle for Dallas. I have my strong opinions, but the only clear lock we know for sure is Osaze Urhoghide manning the central spot. The guy is the best central defender Dallas has had in a long time, and the fans rightly want him to thrive.
Next to him, though? It’s up for grabs. Yes, Sebastian Ibeagha and Lalas Abubakar will get consideration. As much as I criticized the two veterans at times last season, they improved their play in that final push into the playoffs. They are capable of making mistakes and getting caught in danger, but it’s never a bad thing to have guys who have logged lots of minutes in Major League Soccer that you can turn to for leadership and stability.
My dream would be for Nolan Norris to win the starting job. We’ve been waiting for the homegrown phenom to find more minutes and stake a claim, and this year offers the closest chance we will have. The kid is ready - he will just need some patience to continue to grow. On the other side, Shaq Moore and Geovane Jesus will also compete for a starting role, bringing a bit younger legs and speed. Geovane is back and healthy after two years with injuries, and he can play that right centerback position. Will he be ready? Or can Shaq Moore be the best of both worlds? Is Alvaro pushing for more minutes?
And then, yes, the wing-back position is anyone’s guess. Quill loves Bernard Kamungo there, and while we love Bernie too, would he be better on the right? Can he step up with more competition to earn that starting spot again? Herman Johannson was signed, ideally, to start from day one. Pencil him in. But who goes on the left? Can Ricky Louis dazzle as a SuperDraft pick in that spot? Will they slide Anderson Julio to wing-back or shift Shaq Moore again into that role? Is Deedson a surprise competitor? There are options. Lots of options, and I anticipate being surprised in week one.
Again, don’t worry too much about how many minutes certain guys get or even if the team wins every match. Instead, try to pay attention to what Quill might see in this group of guys, in the particular group of XI who will get the squad on the front foot with the 2026 Major League Soccer season just weeks away.