Welcome to my 7th annual MLS Season Preview. This season I've gone club specific, allowing you to check in with whatever clubs peak your interest. The following is the preview of FC DALLAS...
IN:
M Alex Zendejas (10/1/14 - Homegrown)
G Dan Kennedy (11/19/14 - Dispersal Draft)
M Atiba Harris (12/18/14 - Re-Entry Stage 2 Draft)
D Otis Earle (1/15/15 - SuperDraft)
M Kyle Bekker (1/21/15 - trade from Toronto)
M Michael Barrios (2/20/15 - free)
OUT:
D Jair Benitez (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Walter Cabrera (12/2/14 - option declined)
M Andres Escobar (12/2/14 - option declined)
GK Raul Fernandez (12/2/14 - option declined)
M Peter Luccin (12/2/14 - option declined)
M Adam Moffat (12/2/14 - option declined)
M Hendry Thomas (12/2/14 - option declined)
F Jonathan Top (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Nick Walker (12/2/14 - option declined)
D George John (12/10/14 - Expansion Draft to NYCFC)
D/M Je-Vaughn Watson (12/31/14 - out of contract)
M Brian Span (2/5/15 - waived)
MANAGER: Oscar Pareja
If you enjoy goals, FC Dallas could be the team you want to watch most. Could they score 7? Sure. Could they concede 7? Sure.
Up front, Blas Perez is back, and looking to add a dozen goals to Dallas' 2015 tally. A healthy and firing Perez could be a fun thing to watch.
The mid is where even more fun lies. MVP candidate (when healthy) Mauro Diaz is looking to build upon his great start to 2014, before injury slowed his second half of the season, with Fabian Castillo to his left and 2014 Rookie of the Year Akindele to his right. Though Ryan Hollingshead has been putting major pressure on the former Rookie of the Year during preseason, and looks to get some major playing time himself. Behind the attacking three, Michel and Ulloa look to protect the back four and distribute the ball for the attack, with new addition Kyle Becker looking to break in the mid himself as the season progresses.
In the back, Hernandez and former forward turned midfielder turned right back Atiba Harris look to be an adventure at the fullback positions, while former right back turned center back Zack Loyd and Matt Hedges form a questionable but potentially potent CB pairing.
A major question for Dallas is who the starting goal keeper should/will be. Last year Chris Seitz held the job down, but they brought in former Chivas USA keeper Dan Kennedy, perhaps the best keeper in MLS to push for the job. While smart money is on Kennedy taking the spot, Pareja may remain loyal to Seitz until he has reason not to.
2014 Western Conference Finish: 4th
Predicted 2015 Western Conference Finish: 5th
Thank you for reading my FC Dallas preview, feel free to check out all of the other previews as well. Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
I don't like them not picking up Jair Benitez, seems pointless when you think about their other options. Diaz never really was fit when the rest of these boys got going, and I think spacing might be an issue. I remember seeing an illustration where they actually improved in attack after he was out even with his great production because the rest of em weren't suited to his skill set. Unqualified to give an opinion on this, but their vids seemed to show the point.
ReplyDeleteIn Oscar Pareja I trust. I think another season with him and Diaz things will have more flow. Though you are correct, when he got hurt and then struggled to return, everyone else did step up. I'm not sold on it being that he was too dominating over them, I think it may be that they just finally stepped up. He does float into everyone else's space, but now that they know him, they should use the feel of the game help them lot to the space he vacated, which they didn't do early last season.
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