FC Dallas begins their 2023 campaign on Saturday when they host Minnesota United. Unlike previous offseasons, the club hasn’t gone through a major roster makeover to prepare for the new year after head coach Nico Estevez turned the club around in a big way in 2022 by guiding the team back into the playoffs with a third place finish in the Western Conference.
FC Dallas - 2022 Record: 14W-9L-11T, 53 points, 3rd in Western Conference
Head coach: Nico Estevez (second year as a manager with FC Dallas)
Additions:
- Tarik Scott (Homegrown)
- Nolan Norris (Homegrown)
- José Mulato (transfer from Deportivo Cali)
- Sebastien Ibeagha (free agent - previously with LAFC)
- Geovane Jesus (transfer from Cruzeiro)
- Amet Korça (transfer from HNK Gorica)
- Jesus Jimenez (trade with Toronto FC)
Departures:
Lucas Bartlett (option declined)
Kalil ElMedkhar (option declined)
Matt Hedges (option declined - later signed with Toronto FC)
Nicky Hernandez (option declined)
Eddie Munjoma (option declined)
Nanu (option declined)
Joshué Quiñónez (option declined)
Beni Redžić (option declined)
Thomas Roberts (option declined)
Franco Jara (mutual termination of contract)
Brandon Servania (trade with Toronto FC)
Projected Best XI:
We should see FC Dallas continue to use a 4-3-3 formation in 2023, though we could see them shift to a 4-4-2 when needed.
Best offseason move: While last offseason saw so much change in FC Dallas, this year’s offseason was fairly quiet. Most moves were designed to cut players that weren’t contributing, and the additions were those that helped fill needs on the roster.
But at the end of the day, finding a way to open a Designated Player slot and international roster slot by letting Franco Jara go was the best move possible for this club going into 2023. Jara wouldn’t be an everyday starter for Estevez, and his price tag ($3 million per season), even for half a season, was too much to deal with for a guy that wasn’t producing on the field.
Best reason to pay attention: It is year two of the Jesus Ferreira, Alan Velasco, Paul Arriola, Paxton Pomykal and Sebastian Lletget combination in the attack. The preseason didn’t show us a ton from this group (not to mention we couldn’t see a single game played while this club was in Spain), but we fully believe this year will be even better than the last. And last year was pretty damn special, with Ferreira tying the club’s single-season goal-scoring record with 18 and Arriola having a career year.
The one glaring weakness: There are a couple of spots of concern going into the new season. First off, the defense was great last year as Jose Martinez and Matt Hedges were both healthy for the long haul, but with Hedges gone, can Martinez step up and become the true leader in the back? We don’t know yet. Also, can Nksoi Tafari become a weekly starter next to him? Or will Sebastien Ibeagha be the guy?
Also, despite the improved attack last year, this group struggled to turn 1-0 games into 2-0 or 3-0 games. They need to find ways to put teams away early and often.
