Weekend Blues: FC Dallas & North Texas SC Will Wonder "What If" After Tough Results
We are still learning hard lessons about both FC Dallas and North Texas Soccer Club after a weekend where things did not go each team's way.
We are four weeks into Major League Soccer and three weeks into MLS Next Pro, and both leagues are serving up some wake-up calls to FC Dallas and North Texas Soccer Club.
For every positive marker we’ve witnessed so far, fans also have plenty of question marks. To be fair, most teams in each league are still figuring things out, so I don’t think there is any need to panic. Rather, it’s an opportunity to be patient. In Major League Soccer, especially, teams can launch out of the gates slowly, but depending on when they find form, they can pick up steam down the stretch to clinch postseason action.
In short, let’s all take a breath.
Disappointment or Bad Luck?
On Saturday night, FC Dallas fought back to an energetic 3-3 draw against visiting San Diego FC.
I’m going to say what I said on our buddy Luis’ post-game Twitter space - give credit to San Diego FC. They are a well-coached team with roster pieces that fit, a strong sense of identity, and clear expectations. Even after doing an incredible feat and beating one of Mexico’s best teams (while down a man or two), they rolled into Frisco and put themselves into position for some fortuitous bounces.
Those bounces? Two penalty kicks awarded in the first half.
Luck in soccer is harsh. This is just the nature of the beautiful game, and it’s unfortunate that FC Dallas is so often on the receiving end of said bounces. But in both cases, those penalty calls were due to San Diego FC knowing how to work the field and force FC Dallas defenders into dangerous situations.
The third goal was an own goal by Nolan Norris. Sigh.
It’s safe to say that the team missed Osaze Urhoghide, who was dealing with an injury from the week before.
Petar Musa was, once again, the star of the show, as he served as the ruthless focal point of FC Dallas’ furious comeback. Fans should be so grateful to simply know we have a legit striker who will shatter a record or two or three before he departs Frisco this winter. The team around him continues to work hard and buy into Eric Quill’s tactical system, but it’s also clear that the team isn’t doing the Croatian striker full justice.
Here is Arman Kafai pointing out Ben Wright’s direct, honest-to-goodness truth talk on Backheeled:
Maybe Ben is being a bit harsh on the FC Dallas organization, but this squad is still missing someone… or multiple someones.
Herman Johansson feels the World Cup pressure, but he did not do himself any favors in this one, committing a poor foul leading to the second penalty kick. While he has looked better since joining, he’s not been the upgrade fans expected. He should fit like a glove, but right now, he looks like a typical FC Dallas bargain buy - decent but not quite there yet.
Valiente is part of the solution. I like his signing. Yes, he’s also a bargain buy, but he works hard and is getting more comfortable in every game. I think he will form a nice partnership with Musa if given the time.
Bernard Kamungo is up and down. What a creative play to lead to the game-tying goal, but is he really a starting left wing-back? If not, who on the roster is?
For all the offseason expectations, Logan Farrington looks frustrated out there. He was benched for the second week in a row, and when he came on, he missed a pretty straightforward chance that would have hastened the comeback.
Yes, Nolan Norris got a start — and really, he should be starting every game, even if he makes some mistakes, but the whole defense did not have a stellar showing. It’s just hard to be comfortable with the hope that the back line must play a perfect game every week.
The midfield is full of decent squad guys, some with potential to get better (like Kaick). Who will be the difference maker? Is it just a question of the right mix of guys who can compliment each other?
Keep in mind - San Diego FC fielded a heavily rotated side and got the job done. That gives us pause. Of course, soccer is cruel. Bounces can go your way, but at some point, FC Dallas needs to start creating their own bounces.
All in all, FC Dallas has started the year against some very good teams, carving out 5 points. Dropping home points is not where they want to be, but there is no reason to panic just yet. The schedule should lighten a bit in the weeks to come.
Windy City?
The story for North Texas Soccer Club, traveling down to Austin FC 2 for their second road game of the season, was also one of disappointment. A first-half goal was all Austin needed to lock down the result, though North Texas did their best, despite being down a man, to stage some sort of comeback in the second half.
Josh Torquato has the unfortunate honor of being North Texas’ first player sent off so far this year.
Of course, the big story was the weather conditions, a fierce wind that made restarts pretty difficult. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It made long passes difficult to weight, turned corner kicks in toward goal, and forced North Texas to have a player hold down the ball before a free kick. Wild stuff.
Despite such a strong showing last week, North Texas SC won’t need to be that harsh on themselves. The first half was poor, but the weather conditions and eventual red card made it a bizarre one. The fact that they had a few late opportunities to steal a point gives them something to build on.
But if I wanted to pause, this is too often what we saw last year - a team that makes a confident step forward and then struggles in their next match. Navigating out of that is key to success in 2026. This squad is too talented to come out of flat. Of course, they have plenty of growing to do.
We are planning to go live tonight and break it all down, so look for more later as we ponder what was a wild weekend for our squads.