Our 2023 FC Dallas player recaps continue with defender Marco Farfan.

Farfan completed his second season with FC Dallas after coming over before the 2022 season in a trade with LAFC. Along with keeper Maarten Paes, he was one of two players to start more than 30 games this past season.

Stat breakdown

Farfan was Mr. Reliable for FC Dallas in 2023. He played in 32 games, starting 31 of those. He also appeared in two of the club’s three playoff games against Seattle. He nearly matched his output offensively from 2022, scoring one goal and adding three assists (down from four in 2022).

He’s consistently one of the better passers on the team. Farfan also does an excellent job of putting himself in good spots in the attack. He had several chances in 2023 that could have been converted into more goals.

There are times, however, on defense that he gets put into bad spots. Think back to the first Seattle game, where he gave up a foul that led to the Sounder’s first goal off a penalty kick. Those moments show some vulnerability, but thankfully, they are few and far between.

Highlight

The match with St. Louis CITY SC at home took over a month to complete, but for Farfan, it was worth the wait to see him get his only goal of the year.

What can we expect from him in 2024?

Honestly (and hopefully), more of the same. Farfan appears to be one of the few players immune to injuries, as he only missed a few games this season. This is what you want out of a defensive player, too. Someone who is always there to call on and know what you’re going to get from.

Photo via FC Dallas

Final thoughts

Farfan is one of those quiet leaders on the field that I love watching. He isn’t flashy, doesn’t cause many issues for his fellow defenders, and does well at advancing the play up the field.

I think the addition of Sam Junqua was also great for Farfan, as it pushed him to be better and more consistent. Head coach Nico Estevez always talks about being deep at each position and having roster battles. Junqua provided that for Farfan while also carving out playing time for himself elsewhere on the field.

I’d argue that if there was one area of the roster that I don’t feel FC Dallas has to improve in the coming years, it is left back. Farfan should have it locked up for years to come.