FC Dallas are riding high at the moment, and Kellyn Acostalaid out their ambitions for 2017 simply enough after Saturday’s hard-fought road win over the LA Galaxy:
“We want to be looked at as the best team in MLS. But each and every day we have a chance to prove ourselves.”
It may sound like the North Texans have entered the new campaign with a chip on their collective shoulder, and there might be something to that, too. But really, it’s quite a realistic statement from the young Homegrown midfielder, probably the hottest player in the league at this embryonic stage of the young season.
In some respects FCD shouldn’t have much to prove – they’re the defending Supporters’ Shield holders and US Open Cup champions, and have qualified for the postseason three years running. The frustrating reality for Dallas, however, is that they’re in something of a “critics’ darling” stage, with “big-time blockbuster” status still elusive despite that ‘16 hardware haul.
With their explosive attacking players and youth-oriented approach to roster-building, coach Oscar Pareja and his squad have earned plenty of insider cred among those of us who are immersed in the daily doings of this league. If they’re to become truly “bad and nationwide,” to borrow a phrase from a band of fellow Texans, here’s a checklist to consider.
Win CONCACAF Champions League
Yes, I’m serving up a tall order off the top here. No MLS team has ever won the modern iteration of CONCACAF’s top club competition, and only two have even reached the final in nearly a decade of trying. FCD will have to find a way past rugged Liga MX contenders Pachuca in the CCL semifinals first.
But this Dallas squad can do it. And they’ll become legends if they can pull it off.
Pareja and the FCD front office are taking this tournament seriously, having planned their preseason with the CCL knockout stages’ extra demands in mind. A lengthy training camp in Argentina – where a player strike actually helped FCD by bringing them up against tougher opposition in scrimmages and friendlies – was particularly useful.
Pachuca are an excellent side, and their Estadio Hidalgo home (where they’ll host the second leg on April 4) sits at a lung-searing 7,800 feet above sea level. Beating them would stop FCD’s doubters in their tracks.
No more humiliating hiccups
As consistently strong as FCD have been under Pareja – they’re a whopping 37-7-7 at their Toyota Stadium home in league play over the three seasons he’s been in charge – they have a periodic tendency to lay eggs on the road, even against weakish teams.
Last year they got hammered 5-0 by their otherwise hapless cross-state rivals the Houston Dynamo, lost 3-0 at Vancouver and 4-0 at the New York Red Bulls in April. Dallas then lost 5-0 at Seattle in July before allowing the Sounders to do them almost as dirty (3-0) in the opening, and ultimately decisive, game of the Western Conference Semifinals.
You can find some asterisks to stick on most of those results. But the fact remains that blowouts of any kind are a black mark on the reputation of Pareja & Co. Compete tenaciously for 90 minutes every gameday, never losing the plot, and your counterparts will take notice.
Fire up the home faithful
Since their birth two-plus decades ago as the Dallas Burn (RIP Cotton Bowl days), FCD have faced the knotty challenge of carving out big-league relevance in a jam-packed DFW sports scene. The Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars and myriad college allegiances can suck the oxygen right out of the proverbial room, especially when they’re winning.
FC Dallas have made big strides in business terms over the past few years. But there’s still ample room for further buzz to be built across the North Texas soccer hotbed. Keeping the stands at Toyota Stadium – which is currently undergoing major renovations around the construction of the US Soccer Hall of Fame in its south end – full and frantic week in, week out will advance the club’s dreams of dominance.
Go beat the Sounders
In the words of Atlanta United fan Ric Flair, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” And for FCD, that means beating the Seattle Sounders, the team that ambushed them in the 2016 postseason on their way to the MLS Cup title.
Unfortunately for Dallas, their two league meetings with the Rave Green don’t arrive until September and October. In the meantime, downing the Galaxy in their own house on opening day is a good place to start. Mowing down West rivals Sporting KC (at Children's Mercy Park on Saturday), Colorado (at DSG Park on April 1) and San Jose (at Avaya Stadium on April 14) would lay down a powerful marker, even if Pareja has to use his depth to rest starters for CCL duty.
Can FCD stake their claim as the class of MLS? Or have they done so already? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or send me a tweet.
