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Dallas Trinity FC players huddle around head coach Nathan Thackeray after a victory over Fort Lauderdale United FC in a USL Super League soccer match, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
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Then the gleefully hostile chorus of \u201cyou\u2019re going to miss!\u201d raining down from a pack of assistant coaches and teammates hiding behind the net.<\/p>\n
That was the final scene of Dallas Trinity FC\u2019s<\/a> Wednesday practice \u2014 a full\u2011volume, fully intentional simulation of the chaos they might walk into this Saturday in Lexington.<\/p>\n The players crowded around a single goal on their practice field to rehearse penalty kicks under pressure.\u00a0<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n One by one, each stepped up to the spot while the noise behind them swelled. It\u2019s the kind of noise meant to rattle even the calmest striker.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope it doesn\u2019t come down to deciding the game on penalty kicks, but we\u2019re preparing for it in case it\u2019s necessary,\u201d forward Allie Thornton said.<\/p>\n Related: Dallas Trinity FC dominates Fort Lauderdale United FC in regular-season finale to book playoff spot<\/a><\/p>\n The winner of Saturday\u2019s showdown in Lexington will punch its ticket to the championship match, where Sporting JAX or Carolina Ascent will be waiting. For Dallas Trinity, simply getting to this point has been a season-long climb.<\/p>\n In just their second year of existence, DTFC has reached the playoffs both times<\/a> \u2014 but this season\u2019s route was anything but straightforward.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n DTFC\u2019s year began like a roller coaster \u2014 sharp climbs, sudden drops and more twists than anyone expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eight games into the season, Dallas Trinity sat seventh in the standings, outside the playoff picture. Over the September\u2013November stretch, the team endured a rough spell, dropping five straight matches and going seven games without a win.<\/p>\n Midway through the season came the jolt that changed everything: the arrival of Nathan Thackeray as head coach<\/a>, replacing Chris Petrucelli, who stayed on as general manager.<\/p>\n Related: Dallas Trinity FC hires Nathan Thackeray as new permanent head coach<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Thackeray walked in with a blank notebook and a steep learning curve.<\/p>\n \u201cMy knowledge of them was not great,\u201d the 38\u2011year\u2011old Burnley native admitted. \u201cI needed to figure out what worked for them personally and where they fit in the system or the style of play that suited them better.\u201d<\/p>\n Alongside his arrival, the club added three key reinforcements \u2014 defender Lauren Flynn, goalkeeper Tyler McCamey, and midfielder Heather Stainbrook \u2014 a trio that injected fresh energy into a roster searching for stability.<\/p>\n The final month of the season became the team\u2019s true turning point: two wins, two draws, and a sense that Dallas Trinity had finally found its rhythm.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The final day of the regular season arrived with a simple, brutal mandate: win, or go home.\u00a0<\/p>\n They responded with one of their most complete performances of the year, a commanding 4\u20130 win at the Cotton Bowl<\/a> over Fort Lauderdale United FC.<\/p>\n \u201cThe season is so long, and we\u2019ve been working hard since day one,\u201d Thornton said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBeing in the playoffs is the goal \u2014 something to show for what you did over the last ten months.\u201d said Thornton, who scored once in that decisive victory against Fort Lauderdale.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n