{"id":169779,"date":"2026-02-18T14:14:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T14:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/169779\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T14:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T14:14:13","slug":"fc-dallas-resets-its-identity-as-it-opens-a-new-mls-season-aiming-to-win-lots-of-games-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/169779\/","title":{"rendered":"FC Dallas resets its identity as it opens a new MLS season, aiming to win \u2018lots of games\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

FRISCO \u2014 As preseason winds down and the first MLS match approaches, FC Dallas<\/a> is preparing to unveil a refreshed identity \u2014 one built on continuity, cohesion and a rising goalkeeper stepping into a long\u2011awaited opportunity.<\/p>\n

Michael Collodi will enter the 2026 campaign as FC Dallas\u2019 starting goalkeeper, earning the nod for Saturday\u2019s home opener against Toronto FC at Toyota Stadium. For the Plano-born shot-stopper, it marks the culmination of a journey he began in 2015 when he first joined the club\u2019s academy.<\/p>\n

When injuries sidelined Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Paes last season, Collodi seized the moment. His performances showed a blend of composure and quality that made it clear he could handle the responsibility.<\/p>\n

During the offseason, Paes returned to The Netherlands to sign with Ajax,<\/a> opening the door for the 24\u2011year\u2011old Collodi to take over as FC Dallas\u2019 full\u2011time starter.<\/p>\n

Sports Roundup<\/p>\n

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\u201cI have a huge opportunity this year to come in and play a good amount of games,\u201d Collodi says. \u201cIt\u2019s the job I\u2019ve wanted to do with this club for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collodi, who signed a Homegrown contract in January 2025, went on to start nine matches, logging 736 minutes, conceding eight goals, and recording three clean sheets. <\/p>\n

Now, he steps into the No. 1 role with confidence \u2014 but also with a clear understanding of the pressure that comes with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mental game is huge,\u201d he explains. \u201cThe most important thing is staying level\u2011headed\u2014not getting too high with the highs or too low with the lows. You move on to the next action and don\u2019t dwell too long on anything, good or bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Optimism, continuity<\/p>\n

Collodi\u2019s personal goals align with the club\u2019s ambitions: \u201cWin as many games and trophies as we can. Whatever comes from that, comes from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Midfielder Ramiro, one of the team\u2019s emotional leaders, echoes Collodi\u2019s optimism but highlights a different factor: continuity. <\/p>\n

The Brazilian believes the stability of the roster is the biggest change from last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cEighty or ninety percent of the group is the same,\u201d Ramiro said. \u201cSo it\u2019s easier to start the year already knowing the coach\u2019s ideas and knowing your teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ramiro joined FC Dallas last year from Cruzeiro (Brazil) and quickly became the team\u2019s anchor thanks to his leadership and relentless work rate. <\/p>\n

At 32, he understands the importance of setting the tone early, especially at home, where Dallas struggled last season.<\/p>\n

FCD finished with a 6\u20138\u20133 home record in 2025, a disappointing mark for a club that traditionally relies on Toyota Stadium<\/a> as a fortress.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, last year at home we weren\u2019t good,\u201d the veteran said. \u201cThere\u2019s no real way to explain why. The stadium being half\u2011finished affected things a bit, and we missed the fans. But the strength has to come from inside the field, never from outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t mince words: \u201cWe have to be stronger at home. We have to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collodi agrees, noting the team enters 2026 with a clearer identity and a more defined style.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re coming into this year knowing what worked for us and what we want to do from the start,\u201d he said. \u201cThe team\u2019s excited. We\u2019re ready to come out in the first game at home flying.\u201d<\/p>\n

New season, same goal<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s home opener marks FC Dallas\u2019 31st season in MLS. Despite being one of the league\u2019s founding clubs, FCD is still searching for its first MLS Cup<\/a>, a contrast to reigning champion Inter Miami, which lifted the trophy in just its eighth year of existence.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir business model is different than ours,\u201d says head coach Eric Quill, now entering his second season in charge.<\/a> \u201cWe know what their model is, but they\u2019re beatable, like anybody in this league. It\u2019s not like they ran away with the league and dominated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"FC<\/p>\n

Quill\u2019s vision for FC Dallas isn\u2019t built on star power. It\u2019s built on cohesion, identity, and a collective edge he believes can carry the club further than any marquee signing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what you\u2019re going to see from us\u2014a cohesive team,\u201d he says. \u201cYou may not recognize the names on our backs, but you\u2019re going to recognize a style of play, an aggressiveness, and a mentality that\u2019s going to win a lot of games. And I don\u2019t care how it\u2019s done, but it\u2019s going to get done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find more FC Dallas coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FRISCO \u2014 As preseason winds down and the first MLS match approaches, FC Dallas is preparing to unveil…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[732,102,104,103,2124,240,731,154,2257],"class_list":["post-169779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-article","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-fc-dallas","tag-frisco","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-toyota-stadium"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}