The biggest position battle for FC Dallas is...

Which position in the Starting XI is still up for grabs?

FC Dallas Head Coach Nico Estevez has been pretty tight-lipped about internal battles as FC Dallas closes out preseason and begins to focus on their opening match of the season against Minnesota United.

During a press conference last week when asked about positional battles, Nico said, “One of the best things about preseason is to give opportunities to everyone. Everyone can feel that they can earn a spot. You can see the mentality of the players is amazing. Everyone is working really hard to have an opportunity to be important to the team.”

He noted the dynamic between young players and more seasoned players, as the younger ones tend to start strong but by the end of preseason are overshadowed by those with more experience and skills at their disposal.

“Overall, really really happy with every single player and their mentality every single day,” Nico concluded.

With that said, one position has been circled for a while since FC Dallas went out and signed a U22 player, Geovane Jesus from Cruzeiro in Brazil’s 2nd division.

Last season, despite a player with the pedigree of Nanu on loan, the job mostly went to converted winger Ema Twumasi, who has become a fan favorite for his solid play and energy out wide. However, it appears FC Dallas wants to continue to push for stronger play in that position, and with their history of developing European bound right backs (most recently in Reggie Cannon and Bryan Reynolds), Jesus seems like a prime young player to either bring along this season as competition to Twumasi or maybe with the potential to outright win the starting job.

Twumasi has been a great defender for the club, but he has only 3 assists to his name over his Major League Soccer career. It’s kind of hard to believe that the guy has been with the club since 2018. No doubt, FC Dallas sees a right back who can defend but also deliver more dangerous and accurate crosses as part of the solution to further unlock a potent offense. Can Twumasi take the next step? Or will Jesus emerge as the No. 1?

I think this is the position battle to watch. Whoever starts the opening match of the season may have the inside track, but expect to see some rotation there as both players look to establish themselves.