The 2026 FIFA World Cup rolls into North Texas in the coming weeks. While the rest of the soccer world descends on the Metroplex, FC Dallas gets a few weeks to catch its breath and evaluate the first half of the season to see if the roster is good as is, as well as, figure out what the hell comes next.
It is a useful pause from league play. Because there’s no shortage of questions hanging over this club right now.
Some of them are straightforward roster questions. Some are genuine dilemmas that Eric Quill and his staff will have to ponder over for the next few weeks. A couple could also define how the second half of the season actually goes, including the seven games on the road when play resumes. Here are the five that matter most right now.
Where does Bernard Kamungo and Anderson Julio fit in when they’re healthy?
Both players are expected back after the break, with Kamungo likely first and Julio returning later in the summer. I would not be shocked when the front office treats their returns as a pair of summer signings. “New players” who just happen to be already under contract. It’s a move as old as the sport itself, and honestly? It’s not entirely wrong.
Here’s the thing though: the roster didn’t stand still while they were out. Santiago Moreno was signed and you could make the argument that Julio’s injury directly sparked that signing in the first place. On the other side, Eric Quill and his staff shifted formations when Kamungo went down into a new formation. Guys like Ran Binyamin have stepped up into some similar roles that Kamungo occupied.
The club adapted. So now what?
Julio remains the simpler piece of the puzzle. He slides back into the attack, almost regardless of the formation used. Once he is healthy, he feels like the perfect super sub counter part to go with Sam Sarver. Just think about adding both players in the 75th minute of a tight game and let them burn defenders with speed up front.
Kamungo is genuinely the more interesting piece. His speed and directness on the wing is a different tool for Dallas. Losing him forced a formation change. So does Dallas revert back to it when he is healthy again? For me, it is a good piece to have back regardless of the formation. I’m curious if Quill would try him out on the wing in the 4-4-2, or even slide him into the fullback role in the defense. Honestly, I’d lean toward that.
We’re not asking whether or not these two make Dallas better. I think a healthy version of each of them do. How Quill uses each of them will be a story worth following this summer.
What does FC Dallas do with Enes Sali and Tsiki Ntsabeleng?
Two players on loan. Two very different headaches that FC Dallas has to sort out in the coming weeks.
Let’s start with the good news. Tsiki Ntsabeleng is on loan in South Africa with Mamelodi Sundowns, and while his minutes weren’t exactly overwhelming over there, the man just won the CAF Champions League. That’s a big boy, continental title, and you don’t downplay that regardless of how much time he logged. He contributed and you have to celebrate it.
The business questions is straightforward though for FC Dallas. If Mamelodi comes to the table with a purchase offer when his loan expires at the end of June, FC Dallas should absolutely take it. Full stop. Ntsabeleng is a good player, but should he return to Frisco, he’ll be slotted into an already crowded midfield. There’s no obvious path to regular minutes and selling to a club where he’s valued, and just won a major trophy is good, clean business. You get that money, that roster spot and everyone moves on. In a way, that one should be easy.
Enes Sali is a totally different story, and not a fun one.
The signing has easily become one of the more difficult roster mistakes of the recent era. He’s a U22. He’s also an international. Both of which are some of the more valuable roster spots that FC Dallas can use. And Sali has been occupying both for a couple of seasons now. Thankfully his loan in Saudi Arabia has helped open those slots up temporarily, but if he returns to Frisco like we saw last summer when that loan to Al-Riyadh didn’t turn into a purchase, Dallas had to juggle the roster a bit.
The club needs to move on this summer from Sali…if they can. Yeah, that is a big if, too. Sali isn’t exactly lighting things up in Saudi Arabia, so his value is not high. Maybe Dallas can line up a USL-C type loan when he comes back after his loan expires in June. Maybe. Either way, this is one of those additions the club wishes they never made.
Stay on top of every FC Dallas move this season. Free subscribers get breaking news straight to their inbox — no algorithm, no noise.
Who is the best starting goalkeeper going forward?
This was supposed to be a simple story. When Maarten Paes was transferred to Ajax at the beginning of the year, the plan was pretty simple. Michael Collodi, the homegrown keeper, would get his shot the starting job with newcomer Jonathan Sirois backing him up. Competition and a clean narrative. Something I think FC Dallas wants and tries to have at every position.
Collodi started the first 12 games and looked fairly comfortable as the club’s main starter in goal.
Then the Vancouver game happened to Collodi.
Collodi struggled in the match that Dallas ultimately lost 3-2 in their final home game before a nine-game road trip. There were shots that could have been saves, especially the two from Sebastian Berhalter from distance.
Following the game, questions immediately surrounded Collodi and his ability to keep his job. Quill and his staff opted for a change the very next game in Sirois. The Canadian keeper took the job, made a penalty save against San Jose and hasn’t truly given Quill or his staff a reason to rush back to Collodi after two straight road wins.
The second half of the season is going to be a true test of who wins out here. Sirois isn’t a journeyman backup here. He’s a legitimate MLS starter. Collodi has the Homegrown story and the quality you want in a MLS starter.
In a way, this is a good problem to have.
The one good thing about the schedule when the team gets back is that there will be plenty of games for both. That Leagues’ cup mess in August will clog up the schedule and allow both time in goal as a starter.
Does Dallas make any big splashes in the summer mark?
The short answer is probably not.
Look, this roster isn’t totally broken. It’s functional and has depth in most areas. As I mentioned above, Kamungo and Julio are going to feel like new signings when they return from injury. The front office has never been the type to throw money around in the summer window just because it is open.
My gut tells me to expect maybe one or two pieces added this summer. We’re talking targeted additions that address a specific need rather than a headline grab. That’s the proper pattern for this club, who are sitting well in the playoff race at the moment.
The one scenario that blows this up entirely? If Petar Musa goes off at the World Cup with Croatia and someone decides to back up the Brinks Truck to the Dallas front office. We’re talking a seriously massive offer for the DP striker. That is the domino that changes everything. Until then, I wouldn’t expect massive fireworks.
We’ll have a dedicated summer window preview coming soon…stay tuned.
Stay on top of every FC Dallas move this season. Free subscribers get breaking news straight to their inbox — no algorithm, no noise.
Are there any North Texas SC players worth getting the summer bump?
During last summer’s run, FC Dallas dipped into the academy to sign Josh Torquato, who also saw some minutes with North Texas SC to help earn a first team contract.
Then, the club signed Sam Sarver from NTSC. The second round SuperDraft pick was dominating things in MLS Next Pro, as he eventually became the league MVP in 2025.
This year, the summer question is whether or not anyone with NTSC has done enough to earn a similar call. With additional games in August for the Leagues’ Cup, having some extra players for those games could be a smart call for the club.
Two names have separated themselves from the pack at NTSC this season: Edu Nys and Natty James. Both are currently tied for the Golden Boot race in MLSNP with eight goals this season.
Nys, a Belgian midfielder selected in the MLS SuperDraft, has been following the same path that Sarver set a year ago. He made his name known two weeks into the season with a hat trick. The man appears to be on the right track to earn that first team call.
James came to NTSC in the offseason from USL-1 side Portland. Like Nys, he’s making his name known for the number of goals he’s put up so far. The only thing to flag is that most of his goals have come against Sporting KC II. It either means he’s great at exposing a truly weak defense or its a red flag worth keeping in mind.
If Sarver was the precedent here, these two feel like they coud be next in line.
Bonus question to ponder: Is Santiago Moreno doing enough to carry a DP tag?
He’s been good, but I wouldn’t classify him as great just yet in a Dallas uniform. Moreno is third on the team in total xG, fourth in key passes, as well as third in xG+xA. His stats are fairly solid so far, but again nothing groundbreaking.
His loan goes through the end of the season, so the next set of games when play resumes will largely determine his future here.
