Where we left off last year
2023 season: 46 points, 7th in the Western Conference
FC Dallas finished third in the West back in 2022 but failed to follow that campaign with a strong 2023. The club finished seventh in their conference before being bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by the Seattle Sounders.
The attack didn’t perform, even before DP attacker Alan Velasco went down with a torn ACL in the playoffs (he’s likely to miss most, if not all, of 2024). Dallas found themselves 22nd in MLS in non-penalty xG during the regular season. Defensively, they had an excellent year, conceding fewer goals and fewer non-penalty expected goals than all but two teams in the league. Overall, though, a lack of firepower killed their chances of making a real play for a trophy.
What changed in the offseason
Notable arrivals:
- Enes Sali, W: Dallas helped Bernard Kamungo develop into a legit starter on the wing last year and they’ve signed Sali as another project in the attack. The 17-year-old already has one cap with Romania’s senior team.
- Omar Gonzalez, CB: While Gonzalez wasn’t brought to Frisco to start every game, he’s a net negative on the field at this point in his career. He’ll bring valuable leadership, but at what cost? It’s hard to feel great about FC Dallas’ center back options right now.
- Patrickson Delgado, DM: Joining on a loan deal with an option to buy from Independiente del Valle in Ecuador, Delgado has good size and defensive range. The 20-year-old still needs time to develop in possession, but clearly has upside.
- Petar Musa, ST: Easily the biggest move of Dallas’ offseason and one of the biggest from around the league, Dallas had to fork over a club-record fee to get Musa’s signature. The 25-year-old Croatian looks like a strong fit up top. Over the last 18 months with Benfica, Musa scored 12 goals in just under 1,200 minutes to go along with 0.82 non-penalty xG per 90, according to FBref. Those numbers are artificially high due to his status as a super-sub, but it’s clear that Dallas’ attack will improve with Musa up top and Jesus Ferreira playing in a deeper role.
