Thanks for the great Q&A, everyone. If your question didn't get answered, come to MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday evening for a written Q&A in the comment section of my latest Armchair Analyst column.
Posted by Major League Soccer (MLS) on Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Welcome to the Wednesday Q&A series, where we focus on one particular topic – today's being FC Dallas – and ask you to react, share, and discuss in the comments section. However, feel free to ask about anything game-related (MLS, USL, NASL, USMNT, CanMNT, etc.) over the next several hours.
The No. 1 question in this morning's Facebook Q&A, which you can see above, was some variation on "Who do you think is going to be the best team in MLS this year?" And I mostly dodged it.
There is a simple reason for that dodge: The season is still just about a month away, and even then the first month of MLS is rarely indicative of who the best team will be. Remember Montreal's fast start in 2013, or New York's slow start last year? Remember Octavio Rivero banging home goals left and right last March, only to go barren down the stretch for a Vancouver team that really did have notions of a Supporters' Shield/Canadian Championship double?
Remember how mid-season signings have changed the shape of the league each of the last five years?
MLS is one of the few leagues in the world where you really shouldn't try to peg a favorite until about the midway point. And yet... I'm about 90% certain it's FC Dallas.
Here's a big part of why:
Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo have both entered the primes of their respective careers, both young veterans who are arguably the best players in the league at their respective spots. You could maybe make the same argument about Matt Hedges. You'd certainly be right to argue that Kellyn Acosta, Victor Ulloa, Jesse Gonzalez and Ryan Hollingshead should be expected to improve with a year of experience, and that any improvement from that core creates a bit of daylight between Dallas and the rest of the league.
The one concern at this point is what happens up top. Maxi Urruti is part of the answer, but in Blas Perez FCD had a safety valve of a target forward to lean on when they ran out of ideas. Replacing him will not be trivial.
But even so, I think this is the team that will lead the initial Power Rankings, which come out in a couple of weeks.
So there's your answer.
Ok folks, thanks for keeping me company!
