FC Dallas limps into its season opener after a disappointing display in the CONCACAF Champions League, bowing out in the Round of 16 to Panamanian side Tauro FC. It’s a reminder of what the team went through last season, missing the playoffs after a stunning collapse that left many scratching their heads.
Dallas let go of some old faces, such as LAFC traded Walker Zimmerman, and brought in some new ones, including Colombian winger and designated player Harold Mosquera.
Mauro Diaz spent all last season recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in the penultimate match of the 2016 MLS season. The Argentine playmaker was not the same in last year’s campaign, but he is now closer to his previous form.
The Toros hope to see Maxi Urruti return to his beginning-of-2017 form and not his end-of-2017 form — when he failed to score in his last 10 matches.
Dallas’ homegrown players should get more time on the pitch this year. Reggie Cannon, 19, will get the nod at right back, showing coach Óscar Pareja’s constant faith in academy products. Expect 18-year-old Paxton Pomykal to get some playing time centrally, his most comfortable position and a spot where he excelled in Dallas’ academy.
FCD eyes a return to its 2016 form, when the club won the Supporters Shield and U.S. Open Cup and were expected by many to be MLS Cup contenders before Diaz’s injury.
FC Dallas welcomes Real Salt Lake to Frisco
When: March 3, 7:00 PM
Where: Toyota Stadium
Broadcast: TV– TXA 21; Radio– FCDallas.com/Radio (English), 1270AM (Spanish)
Live Stream: MLS Live
The Buzz: FC Dallas hopes to shake off its CCL disappointment with a strong start against Real Salt Lake, a team that has improved since its last visit to Frisco, which resulted in a 6-2 defeat. The new season means an opportunity to move on from poor 2017 MLS campaigns for both teams. Dallas started off strong and ended weak ast year, while RSL started weak and ended strong.
A new back line and new additions should feature for Dallas, which is focused on retooling certain parts of the squad after last season’s collapse.
Real Salt Lake will begin its first full season with coach Mike Petke at the helm. He helped the franchise become one of the hottest teams in the league after taking over for the second half of the season. Salt Lake, led by veterans Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando. aspires for the playoffs.
Other Key Matches
March 18 vs. Seattle Sounders — Dallas will face an early test in Frisco, squaring off against the back-to-back Western Conference Champion Sounders, who looked like the best team in the West for much of the season. Both teams will be missing key young USMNT players, with Kellyn Acosta out after hernia surgery and Jordan Morris out for the season with a torn ACL.
May 25 at Toronto FC — Last season, many saw FCD’s 3-1 defeat of Toronto FC as one of the most dominant displays against a team that was dubbed ‘the best MLS team ever’. It seems as if Toronto has taken Dallas’ role as MLS’ hope for winning the CCL and being a dominant team in the region. The side has improved from their 2017 MLS Cup winning side and look to be a frontrunner to win MLS Cup once again.
July 4 vs. Atlanta United — Atlanta United opened the Mercedez-Benz Stadium with a dominating 3-0 victory over Dallas in the 2017 season. This season should be an exciting match with Tata Martino’s attacking play squaring off against Oscar Pareja’s fluid dynamic and fast play. Usually played in front of a sell-out in Toyota Stadium and including stars such as Ezequiel Barco, Miguel Almiron, and Josef Martinez, expect fireworks on the field and in the sky post-game.
July 21 at Houston Dynamo — When either of these teams play, expect hate and passion from each side. Wilmer Cabrera’s men reached the Western Conference Final last season before being defeated by Seattle. The Texan Derby ended in three draws last season, with the last match ending in a 3-3 draw after Dallas allowed two late goals.
You can check out the full season schedule here.
Quotes & Notes
- Mauro Diaz has been looking sharp in training according to Oscar Pareja. The last season was tough for Diaz, but Pareja believes that was expected. “When we got him back in the summer after that, it’s normal that it takes some time, some games to get back into the rhythm. It’s something you have to get through, not just with him, but with the team with a player like him. I think it was expected for him to not be 100 percent after the first day.”
- Now that Dallas has lost in the CCL, attention must be shifted to MLS play according to center back Reto Ziegler, “We have to put that behind us, but of course it is disappointing for us because the CONCACAF [Champions’ League] is something special and you don’t play every year. You have to deserve to [play in it]. It was a big chance for us so we apologize to the fans but today we tried our best.”
- Dallas will be without USMNT midfielder Kellyn Acosta for 6-8 weeks after he had surgery on an injured hernia. Second-year player Jacori Hayes has had an impressive preseason and may feature with Acosta’s absence.
- Left-back Anton Nedyalkov has tendonitis in his left Achilles. He did not feature in the match against Tauro FC Wednesday and his status is unknown for the match against RSL.
Biggest Offseason Moves
- FC Dallas traded away center back Walker Zimmerman to LAFC for allocation money. Zimmerman, who had been apart of the club for five seasons, began to be replaced in the lineup by former defender Atiba Harris towards the end of the season. He fell out of favor with Pareja and was traded as soon as the season ended.
- To replace Zimmerman, Dallas brought in an experienced center back in Reto Ziegler, signing him on a free from FC Luzern in Switzerland. Ziegler has bounced around Europe, but provides stability in the back, including his ability to distribute the ball and composure.
- FCD traded up to select Michigan winger Francis Atuahene with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. The winger provides pace and playmaking ability from the left wing, something Dallas lacked in 2017.
- The big signing was the addition of Harold Mosquera from Colombian club Millianaros. The addition gives Dallas another experienced playmaker to pair with Diaz than can either play the wing or centrally if needed.
Roster Breakdown
Forwards: Tesho Akindele, 25; Francis Atuahene, 21; Cristian Colman, 24; Jesus Ferreira, 17; Harold Mosquera, 23; Adonijah Reid, 18; Bryan Reynolds, 16; Ema Twumasi, 20; Maximiliano Urruti, 27
Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta, 22; Michael Barrios, 26; Mauro Diaz, 26; Carlos Gruezo, 22; Jacori Hayes, 22; Ryan Hollingshead, 26; Roland Lamah, 30; Paxton Pomykal, 18; Brandon Servania, 18; Victor Ulloa, 25
Defenders: Reggie Cannon, 19; Jordan Cano, 21; Maynor Figueroa, 34; Matt Hedges, 27; Kris Reaves, 22; Reto Ziegler, 32
Goalkeepers: Jesse Gonzalez, 22; Jimmy Maurer, 29
The full roster details can be found here.