FC Dallas have built much of their recent success on a commitment to young players, and especially their academy. Don't expect that to change any time soon, says team president Dan Hunt.
In his most recent Facebook Q&A, ahead of Dallas' 2-2 draw with San Jose on Saturday evening, Hunt was asked about which academy player he felt would be the next to "step up" for the first team. Though Hunt declined to give a name, he was certainly bullish on the future.
"I'm so proud of our homegrown system and the nice thing is we do have stars here too," he replied. "I'm not going to mention who I think is next because I don't want to give any foreign clubs a hint but there is a cycle of five or six that will be signed over the next couple years that are incredible."
We can, of course, make a few educated guesses as to which players might be the next to come through and join the likes of Kellyn Acosta, Jesse Gonzalez,Moises Hernandez and Victor Ulloa, among others, as key contributors for the first team. At the recently-completed 2016 Generation adidas Cup, attackers Paxton Pomykal and Jesus Ferriera (son of 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira, pictured above), were among the MLS prospects that stood out as hot prospects for the future.
While those youngsters could still be a few years away from making an impact in the pro ranks, there are other FCD Homegrowns already on the first team roster that could get their chance to break through this year. Crafty midfielder Alex Zendejas, 18, played all three games for the US in the the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, and has already started to earn head coach Oscar Pareja's trust. And forward Coy Craft, also 18, just did this on Saturday night to score his first professional goal, on a loan assignment in USL with Oklahoma City Energy FC:
Between their academy's continued production and success on the international transfer market, it's hard not to be envious of the talent Dallas will have at their disposal for the foreseeable future.
