FC Dallas is alive, well and living in Frisco

By David Mullen

The world’s most popular sport has gained footing in the Dallas area. Led by FC Dallas, local fans should be ready to be entertained this season. The team has introduced new jerseys, a series of promotions, expanded media presence and an enhanced stadium menu. It also helps that the team is very good.

FC Dallas opens the 2023 season on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco hosting Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m.

“What we want to see and what we will look for in the 2023 season is that, if I know something about MLS, it is that every season is a new experience. It is a new season. Nothing you have done in the past is going to help to be successful,” said 43-year-old FC Dallas Head Coach Nico Estêvez, a native of Valencia, Spain. “We start today brand new.”

Despite playing their first ever game in 2018, Los Angeles FC won the 2022 MLS championship. Since 2017, six different teams have won the MLS Cup Finals. In 2023, FC Dallas hopes to make it seven. 

“We have to work hard on the things we did well last season and work even harder on the things we did not do well,” said Estêvez, hired in late 2021 to lead the club. “We are not going to throw out what we did last season, but complacency is the first enemy.” In the 2022 regular season, FC Dallas finished third in the Western Conference with a 14W-9L-11T record, a +11-goal differential, amassed 53 points and qualified for the playoffs. 

FC Dallas won its first-round playoff game on penalty kicks against Minnesota United FC. In the Western Conference semifinals, FC Dallas ended their successful run under a new head coach with a 2-1 loss to Austin FC. 

“2022 was an amazing year. We came out of it ahead of schedule,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “When we were going through the process of hiring Nico and his staff, our goal was about making it to the playoffs. You can’t win it without being in the playoffs. We had the good fortune of hosting a home playoff game and winning that game and then having a hard-fought game down in Austin. So, from that standpoint, we are ahead of schedule.”

In the 2023 preseason MLS Power Rankings, FC Dallas is ninth out of 29 teams. Expansion franchise St. Louis City SC joins the league this season.

FC Dallas’ reputation is that they play both sides with their front-line players, meaning they are solid defensively but don’t take a lot of risks. Out of 28 MLS teams in 2022, FC Dallas was 13th in the league in goals scored, but 22nd in shots taken. A team is under pressure when consistently trying to hold onto a thin lead.

The team remained mostly intact. Maarten Paes will be the primary goalkeeper. Popular center Matt Hedges moved on to Toronto FC. After playing 78 games with FC Dallas, Franco Jara returned to Argentina. The club acquired defender Geovane Jesus from Brazil and MLS Cup starter Sebastien Ibeagha, formerly of LAFC. FC Dallas likes young players like forward José Mulato. The club currently has seven homegrown players on their roster. 

“We are trying to connect the players with the community and are trying to sell the experience,” said FC Dallas VP, Marketing Jerome Elenez. “We are addressing the entertainment experience more so than just leaning on the game.” The team has scheduled six drone nights this year, spaced out from March to September, based on the popularity of last year’s promotion. 

Aided by the residual of the 2022 World Cup, anticipation of North America hosting the 2026 World Cup and FC Dallas coming off a successful 2022 MLS season, local pro soccer has become fashionable. 

FC Dallas has two new front-of-jersey partners in Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center. And the team recently unveiled their secondary jerseys, called the “Burn Baby Burn” kit designed by adidas, paying tribute to the Dallas Burn as one of the original 10 MLS  franchises when the league launched in 1996.

Watching a game at Toyota Stadium is a treat. Not only does it house the National Soccer Hall of Fame, but the stadium is home to the viral media sensation Monster Taco, filled with one pound of barbacoa, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and hot sauce giving new definition to “Dallas Burn.” 

This season, Toyota Stadium is introducing the Double Stacked Quesadillas, Hot Nashville Chicken Mac N Cheese, Vegan Tenders, Texas Caviar Salad and Funnel Sticks with Cherry Sauce. “Families also come to matches hungry and love to share items together in the fun environment,” said FC Dallas Executive Chef Erika Dabney.

Demand for viewing and listening to FC Dallas and MLS games continues to grow. New for 2023, all FC Dallas regular season, Leagues Cup and postseason matches will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+. Complimentary, on-demand programming is available in the MLS Season Pass FC Dallas Club Room. All FC Dallas matches will be available in English on the official FC Dallas app which can be found for free everywhere apps are available.

Game broadcasts return to Talk Radio 1190 and on the iHeartRadio app. All FC Dallas matches will also be available in Spanish on TUDN Radio Dallas 1270 AM. The FC Dallas Show moves to The Ben and Skin Show on 97.1 The Freak Thursdays at 1 p.m. with interviews with Estêvez, other coaches and players.

The 2023 MLS postseason has been revamped. Eighteen of the 29 teams will have a chance at winning the Audi 2023 MLS Playoffs. Estêvez is not content with ending the season in the Western Conference semifinals. “We can be happy about what we did last season, but we are not happy. We want more. This club wants more. And this is what we are going to do this season.” 

Much like their Instagram-worthy taco, FC Dallas is hoping 2023 will be a monster. 

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