The 2021 FC Dallas time introduced a disappointing end as Dallas skipped the playoffs. This calendar year, a youthful FC Dallas staff has additional some firepower up top rated and a new mentor in Nico Estevez.
A couple of silver linings came out of the challenging 2021 season. Ricardo Pepi amazed for club and state, earning a $20 million transfer to Bundesliga club Augsburg after the period. Jesus Ferreira also had a breakout time, main to DP standing in 2022, and Paxton Pomykal regained his stride right after damage struggles of earlier yrs.
Now, FC Dallas must deal with the actuality that Pepi is gone for 2022. The club reloaded its assault with Argentine remaining winger Alan Velasco and U.S. men’s nationwide workforce winger Paul Arriola. Those two will lineup on possibly facet of recently-minted youthful DP Jesus Ferreira, a 21-calendar year-old who had nine targets and 8 assists in 2021.
Ferreira mixed perfectly with Pepi previous time, but in 2022 Ferreira is going to just take in excess of for Pepi at heart ahead. By signing Ferreira to a DP contract this offseason, FC Dallas instilled faith and assurance in Ferreira to go on impressing.
“I have to alter my mentality to I really don’t have to deliver that past move any longer, I have to be in that placement to receive that final move and rating the aims,” Ferreira reported. “That’s the most crucial point, the 9 wants to score aims to support the staff gain and that is what I’m having from the mentor and workers, just that I have to be in the ideal place at the ideal time to rating objectives and get the workforce on the proper foot.”
Estevez enters his 1st year at the helm with an remarkable young squad. FC Dallas appears to be poised for a year of statements from these younger prospects, regardless of how effectively the group finishes up faring on the MLS desk.
Estevez does not get a free pass just simply because of the youthful roster, however. The club fired Lucho Gonzalez previous season immediately after lousy league effectiveness.
Here is a closer look at FC Dallas heading into the 2022 period:
2022 FC Dallas Season Preview
2021 complete: 11th in Western Meeting (7-12-15 33 factors, skipped playoffs)
Crucial Acquisitions: Paul Arriola, Alan Velasco, Marco Farfan
Vital Losses: Ricardo Pepi, Ryan Hollingshead, Justin Che
Newcomer to View: Alan Velasco
Velasco is the most expensive signing in FC Dallas history, and Velasco is 1 of a several enormous signings of young South American gamers getting into MLS in 2022. If Velasco enters 2022 on the right foot, he offers FC Dallas a 1v1 menace on the proper side to go together with the crossing and floor-covering of Arriola and the goalscoring of Ferreira.
The Stress is On: Jesus Ferreira
It was rather of a shock that FC Dallas signed Ferreira to a Young DP contract. The shift confirmed FC Dallas’s religion in Ferreira’s continued improvement, handing him the reins to the team’s assault. Ferreira scored 9 objectives and added nine helps very last time. He’s less than pressure to alter to the middle ahead place and get in excess of for Pepi’s production.
Outlook
It is complicated to imagine this FC Dallas staff participating in without having Pepi. Pepi’s 13 ambitions previous period saved the workforce from hitting the bottom of the standings and captured the awareness of the league even though FC Dallas struggled for outcome. Expanded tasks for Ferreira, in addition the revelations of Arriola and Velasco might allow FC Dallas’ assault to come to be one particular of the main types in the West.
The Homegrown motion is still potent with FC Dallas — now it’s up to Ferreira to verify he can play just as perfectly or superior than Pepi — but the crew also added a large signing in Velasco from Independiente for $7 million. Velasco, 19, scored five targets in 9 appearances in the Argentine league previous year.
The assault has yet another menace in Jader Obrian, who scored 9 goals and had 9 helps last year. The 26-calendar year-previous Colombian winger can stake his claim to a beginning location, but in any other case he is an outstanding alternative off the bench or to start out when Arriola or Velasco require rest.
FC Dallas’ again line is a further story. Matt Hedges, the ever-existing FC Dallas captain, started out 30 online games very last season and will anchor the defense all over again in 2022. Starting up together with him is Jose Martinez, a 29-year-outdated Spanish defender coming into his 2nd time with FC Dallas.
The fullback spots are a minimal fewer established in stone. Justin Che amazed at proper back towards the close of 2021, but Che was loaned to Hoffenheim over the offseason. Ema Twumasi, a 24-calendar year-previous draft pick from 2018, signed a new three-12 months offer and figures to start at ideal back again. Ryan Hollingshead left for LAFC in the offseason, leaving FC Dallas devoid of a longtime mainstay in the lineup and a veteran presence.
Paxton Pomykal designed 18 starts final time, showing he moved past a 2020 period in which he struggled with accidents. Pomykal’s performance will be vital for the team’s accomplishment, as the central midfield lacks depth and sits in entrance of a partly transformed again line in 2022.
“I want to contribute and be far more successful in assisting the team win this 12 months,” Pomykal said. “And ideally I can do that and participate in a whole lot of minutes and continue to keep us in the playoff spots and hopefully in the prime two or top rated three.”
Brandon Servania, 22, figures to line up next to Pomykal, with 28-yr-outdated defensive midfielder Facundo Quignon powering them. Servania created 11 starts previous year, showcasing more normally toward the finish of the season.
The Hunt relatives, owner of FC Dallas, has invested sizeable quantities of revenue again into the workforce given that promoting various leading kids, this sort of as Che, Pepi, Chris Richards and Bryan Reynolds.
Now, it’s up to Estevez, Arriola and Ferreira to flip the club into not just a acquiring floor for younger gamers, but a winner in MLS at the same time.
FC Dallas Roster
GOALKEEPERS: Jimmy Maurer, Martin Paes, Alec Smir
DEFENDERS: Jose Antonio Martinez, Matt Hedges, Nkosi Tafari, Lucas Bartlett, Marco Farfan, Nanu, Eddie Munjoma, Collin Smith.
MIDFIELDERS: Facundo Quignon, Edwin Cerrillo, Brandon Servania, Nicky Hernandez, Jesus Ferreira, Paxton Pomykal.
FORWARDS: Tsiki Ntsabeleng, Alan Velasco, Szabolcs Schon, Khalil El Medkhar, Beni Redzic, Isaiah Parker, Paul Arriola, Jader Obrian, Franco Jara.