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FC Dallas and Orlando City SC players are seen during the second half of a summer friendly match at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Mansfield.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
For\u00a0FC Dallas<\/a>, restarting the season after the World Cup<\/a> is, as they say in show business, a tough act to follow.<\/p>\n After weeks surrounded by the brilliance of the world\u2019s biggest stars, the drama delivered by the most electrifying national teams and the energy of packed stadiums filled with fans<\/a> from every corner of the globe, the contrast is undeniable and the challenge is real.\u00a0<\/p>\n MLS paused its calendar for two months<\/a> to make way for the World Cup, which ended Sunday with Spain lifting the trophy<\/a> for the second time in its history.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related: World Cup showed FIFA how \u2018we do things bigger and better in Texas,\u2019 Dallas organizer says<\/a><\/p>\n When the league hit the pause button, FC Dallas was in the middle of an unusual stretch: nine straight matches on the road, a run almost unheard of in top\u2011flight soccer.\u00a0<\/p>\n The club\u2019s away marathon has gone as follows<\/a>: Before the break, FC Dallas\u00a0played May 16 in San Jose, Calif., and May 23 in Commerce City, Colo. After the break, the team plays Wednesday in Portland, Ore., Saturday in San Diego and Aug. 1 in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n FC Dallas returns to North Texas on Aug. 5 for a Leagues Cup match in Mansfield against Quer\u00e9taro of Liga MX \u2014 a game that is unrelated to the MLS regular season.<\/p>\n FC Dallas will resume MLS play with four consecutive road matches \u2014 in Austin, Salt Lake City, Vancouver and St. Louis.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The club won\u2019t play again at home at Toyota Stadium<\/a> in Frisco<\/a> until Sept. 5, when it hosts Kansas City.<\/p>\n \u2018Ready to fly\u2019<\/p>\n For FCD head coach Eric Quill<\/a>, the gauntlet isn\u2019t something to fear. It\u2019s something to embrace.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a personality type that says, \u2018What a great challenge,\u2019\u201d Quill said. \u201cI don\u2019t sit there and say, \u2018Who would put this kind of schedule together?\u2019 I\u2019m not wired like that. I like challenges in life.\u201d<\/p>\n FC Dallas manager Eric Quill applauds fans after a victory over Houston Dynamo in an MLS soccer match, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Frisco.<\/p>\n Smiley N. Pool\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Quill\u2019s optimism isn\u2019t blind. FC Dallas has been one of the league\u2019s strongest road teams this season, posting four wins and two losses away from home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Only the San Jose Earthquakes have more road victories \u2014 six in eight matches \u2014 within the Western Conference.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re really good on the road, so it\u2019s not daunting,\u201d Quill said. \u201cI\u2019d probably have a different mindset if we weren\u2019t so good away from home, but we are. Life doesn\u2019t give you a lot of challenges, but when it does, you\u2019ve got to accept them and be excited for them.\u201d<\/p>\n The World Cup break offered its own set of complications. The pause forced FC Dallas to rethink how to maintain rhythm, fitness and cohesion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Watershed moment or wasted chance? What USMNT\u2019s World Cup exit means for North Texas soccer<\/a><\/p>\n Quill described the stoppage as \u201calmost like having two seasons in one.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n FC Dallas came back from the World Cup break sitting fifth in the Western Conference, holding 25 points from a 7\u20114\u20114 record \u2014 a solid position considering the club had been grinding through one of the most demanding road stretches in MLS.<\/p>\n FCD coaching staff built a physical plan to keep players sharp, knowing the restart would demand immediate intensity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cWe have to come out ready to fly,\u201d said Quill.<\/p>\n No excuses<\/p>\n For midfielder Ramiro, the road stretch has been less philosophical and more practical. He acknowledges the oddity of the schedule but refuses to dwell on it.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit strange, the way things work here,\u201d he said. \u201cBut for me, it\u2019s about trying to step on the field and play. It seems a bit strange, but that\u2019s how it is. And if that\u2019s how it is, we have to try to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ramiro\u2019s perspective reflects the team\u2019s broader mentality: accept the situation, adjust and keep competing. He said playing nine straight road games is unusual anywhere in the world, but not entirely unprecedented in MLS.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other clubs \u2014 such as Montreal, which opened the season with six straight road games \u2014 also contend with extended stretches away from home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no excuses,\u201d \u00a0Ramiro said.<\/p>\n Related: FC Dallas resets its identity as it opens a new MLS season, aiming to win ‘lots of games’<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Uruguayan midfielder Joaqu\u00edn Valiente has also felt the weight of the schedule. For him, the World Cup break was both a pause and a reset.<\/p>\n \u201cThat depends on each player,\u201d Valiente said. \u201cWe can\u2019t lose sight of the fact that when we come back, we\u2019ll have a lot of competition ahead of us. It\u2019s important to maintain the level we\u2019ve been showing.\u201d<\/p>\n Valiente is in his first season in MLS, and in a short time he has already realized what it takes to succeed in the league.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very good league, very competitive, with very talented players,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a league that stands out for its physicality, with teams that have a very even competitive level.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking ahead<\/p>\n Valiente said the long pause inevitably disrupted some of the rhythm and chemistry the team had built during the first half of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said when collective training stops, \u201cyou lose a bit,\u201d but emphasized that individual preparation can soften the impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n By staying sharp on their own, Valiente said, players can return in better shape and ease the transition back into full team training. The team even held a tune\u2011up match July 15 against Orlando<\/a> in Mansfield.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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