Major League Soccer will kick off its 25th season this weekend and one of its ten original members, FC Dallas, is ready to get things going for the 2020 season.

This will be the second season under head coach Luchi Gonzalez after he was promoted to the position last year after successful six years of being the director of the organization’s youth academy. 2020 will be another year where FCD leans heavily on some of the academy players that Gonzalez helped develop himself. The formula worked out well in 2019 as the team managed to sneak into the MLS playoffs and almost upsetting the eventual champions, Seattle Sounders FC, in the first round.

What should we make of FCD’s relatively quiet offseason following their second consecutive playoff appearance?  
I think the off season could’ve been better. One of the signings that stood out was Fafa Picault. After coming from the Philadelphia Union, he has the potential to lead the attack alongside Zdeněk “Kobra” Ondrášek and Jesus Ferreira.

Who is someone on FCD that might be flying under the radar a bit heading into 2020?  
One player that comes to mind is Thiago Santos. Coming off five seasons with Brazilian club Palmeiras, he brings a lot experience. Not being in bright lights or hovered by the media, he could potentially become a player that will provide build ups and/or assists to the slew of attackers.

What’s the biggest area of concern when looking up and down the roster?  
The amount of depth in the midfield. A lot of potential players for only a few spots. That being said, I believe we will see constant rotations from Luchi to experiment with who will be in the starting lineup. This could prove to be an issue when facing bigger teams like LA Galaxy, Portland, LAFC, and Kansas City. It will be difficult to get the right men on the field that will provide depth both defensively and on the attack.

What is the overall outlook for the 2020 FC Dallas season?   
It feels too early to say, but I would think they’d be able to make it to the playoffs again. Once there, it’s up in the air. They should be a solid team that manages to get positive results throughout the season, but there will also be bumps along the way.

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FCD kicks off the 2020 this season this Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco at 5 PM against the Philadelphia Union.