FC Dallas forward Jesus Ferreira (10) controls the ball away from Los Angeles FC defender Jesus David Murillo (3) during an MLS soccer match at BMO Stadium Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock).
If you ask us, summer is for soccer (sorry, America’s favorite pastime!), which can only mean one thing: It’s time to roll out the red carpet and welcome 2024’s Major League Soccer starters in Dallas.
FC Dallas put our Texas city on the map in 1996, but in the nearly three decades since its inception, the team has only ranked first in the league once, claiming the title in 2016. FC Dallas has consistently ranked in the top 10 MLS teams over the years, but it’s had some rougher seasons over the last half-decade. In 2021, the team finished in 23rd place, while they finished in 14th in 2023. FC Dallas’ 2024 showing is looking similar, with the Southern soccer stars holding 24th place at the time of writing.
No matter where FC Dallas currently stands, the season is only just beginning, and the team has proven time and time again that it can come back from almost anything. After all, anything can happen with the right team, which is why we’re here to detail all of Dallas’ hottest ball-kickers of the 2024 season. Ready to meet your local legends (listed in no specific order)?
1. Eugene Ansah
Position: Forward
Eugene Ansah has been on the FC Dallas team since 2023, and he’s been proving from the jump why he’s meant to be on the Big D’s MLS team. A perfect example of his soccer stardom hit Instagram this January when, during a preseason match, the 29-year-old player scored “three goals in three minutes,” which FC Dallas’ caption hoped would “set the tone for the rest of our preseason.”
But what about his stats? Well, the Ghana-born player played for 174 minutes across eight games in 2023, and in that time, he was able to achieve a successful pass rate of 77% and one goal. This year, he already has one goal, so just one more goal would beat last year’s number. Plus, his pass rate is sitting at 79%, showing that he’s only growing more precise.
Ultimately, Ansah is one to watch if you’re not already — there’s no sophomore slump here.
2. Danté Sealy
Position: Forward
Brooklyn native Danté Sealy has been in the MLS since 2020 (bar a break year in 2022), but he’s actually been affiliated with FC Dallas since he was young. An 8-year-old Danté became a member of FC Dallas Academy and grew up enjoying his favorite sport with like-minded players. Now, he’s a premier homegrown forward, and his stats have only improved with each passing season.
Case in point: Sealy’s game minutes rose from a meager 49 minutes in 2020 to 279 in 2023 and now 688 so far in 2024, reflecting how much of a cornerstone the 21-year-old player has become for the team. His successful pass rate has consistently risen, too. In 2021, his final pass rate was 72%, while his 2024 rate so far is perched highly at 80%.
With numbers like this, it’s incredibly easy to see why he’s being pulled into more and more games. He may just be the secret weapon FC Dallas needs to rebound from last year’s final league placement.
3. Maarten Paes
Position: Goalkeeper
Dutch soccer star Maarten Paes was born in the Netherlands but plays for FC Dallas — and potentially Indonesia’s national team in the near future. Paes, who’s just 26, is conquering the world via soccer thanks to his heritage, as Indonesia was the birthplace of his grandmother due to the Netherlands’ colonization of the Southeast Asian country.
“I want to play for Indonesia because, first of all, it’s a tribute to my grandmother,” Paes told FC Dallas in early May, adding that she sadly “passed away a month ago and I was very, very close with her…” Paes has already taken the first step, too, becoming an official Indonesian citizen earlier this year.
If Paes plays for Indonesia, he’ll undoubtedly prove a big asset. Paes has played for thousands of minutes each season since joining FC Dallas in 2022, with his save percentages always sitting comfortably in the 70th percentile. His goalkeeper saves are always high as well, accumulating 92 in 2022, 94 in 2023, and 43 so far in 2024. This is probably why he was nominated for a 2023 Year-End Award for Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
With numbers and nominations like this, it’s no wonder Paes remains a go-to starter.
4. Patrickson Delgado
Position: Midfielder
Hailing from Ecuador, Patrickson Delgado is a new member of the FC Dallas crew. Despite debuting on the team just this year, Delgado has already played for about 600 minutes across 12 games (starting in seven). His successful pass rate is a whopping 88%, proving that FC Dallas was smart to sign this 20-year-old rising star.
But just how did he get to Dallas? Good question. Delgado has played soccer in Ecuador as well as in the Netherlands, but Dallas was ultimately able to get him on a single-year loan from his home country. However, that doesn’t mean his time in Dallas is limited; an offer to buy a longer membership on Dallas’ team is on the table.
We just have to wait — impatiently, of course — to see how this deal and his stats for the remainder of the season go.
5. Paul Arriola
Position: Forward
Husband and father Paul Arriola is a 29-year-old player from Chula Vista, California, who’s been part of Major League Soccer since 2017. He first played for D.C. United for five years, but since 2022, Arriola’s been all Dallas all day, including reaching new heights. For example, he was nominated for a 2023 Year-End Award in the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award category, and his stats are like a boomerang, making him particularly interesting to examine.
In his first few years, Arriola’s seasonal averages were quite strong, but they took a dip in his middle years. Then, once he joined FC Dallas, they’ve gone back up, with the star reaching early-career highs again. Oh, and did we mention that he set three personal bests (starts, goals, and minutes played) in 2022?
This upward trajectory makes him a fascinating starter to keep an eye on in 2024.
6. Sebastian Lletget
Position: Midfielder
Do we even need to introduce Sebastian Lletget? This San Francisco-born player with Argentinian heritage has some of the highest stats on the FC Dallas team, and he’s also known for his long-standing relationship with pop singer Becky G, who’s known for songs such as “Shower” and “MAMIII” featuring Karol G. (Many believed the two to have broken up following a cheating scandal, but Becky G and Lletget are steady as ever if recent reports are to be believed.)
This 31-year-old midfielder has been an MLS player since 2015, but he’s played for three different teams. Lletget began his MLS career with LA Galaxy before being acquired by the New England Revolution for the 2022 season. Partway through the season, FC Dallas grabbed him, and the rest is history.
And his stats read like a thrilling history, too. Lletget typically plays between 1,000 and 2,400 minutes per season, with a successful pass rate averaging in the 80th and 90th percentiles every year. You read that right. His lowest average is 84%, making him a powerhouse player and one to always look out for.
7. Jesús Ferreira
Position: Forward
Jesús Ferreira comes to FC Dallas by way of Santa Marta, Colombia — oh, and Dallas-famous father David Ferreira. The 23-year-old striker entered the MLS scene in 2017, playing a single game during the season. The same was true for 2018. However, come 2019, Ferreira was a full-fledged member of the team, playing 33 games throughout the season (starting 29), amounting to nearly 2,500 minutes on the field.
What makes Ferreira such a standout player is his consistency. Where some players have great seasons followed by slumps, Ferreira’s stats have been consistent since 2019. His successful pass rates are always in the 70th percentile (or slightly higher), and in recent years, his goals have been reaching double digits. Altogether, these goals have earned him the title of “youngest player in MLS history to reach 50 [career] goals,” as reported by MLS.
Ferreira is also one to watch this year because you can keep an eye on him in several places. In addition to catching him on the soccer field, you can follow him on Twitch, where he streams video games such as the ever-popular “Fortnite,” “Fall Guys,” and more. “Fortnite” has created characters (known in-game as “skins”) for popular sports players and content creators in the past, so if Ferreira keeps it up, there’s always a chance we could see him taking on the battle royale game in new ways.
8. Omar Gonzalez
Position: Defender
Hometown hero Omar Gonzalez is one of the few members of the team that’s actually from Dallas. However, the 35-year-old defender’s journey didn’t begin on the FC Dallas team, despite being from the Big D.
From 2008 to 2015, Gonzalez played for LA Galaxy, and he then played for Toronto FC and New England Revolution for a few years each before landing at FC Dallas for the 2024 season. That’s right: This is Gonzalez’s first year on the team despite his veteran track record. Like Sebastian Lletget, who also played for LA Galaxy and New England Revolution, Gonzalez’s stats stay consistently in the 80th percentile, with only three years dipping into the 70th. And for 2024? Currently 94%. Need we say more?
The correct answer is “no,” but we have a couple more facts to make Gonzalez look even more admirable. Thanks to his stats and long tenure in the MLS, this star player has more professional experience than almost anyone else in the United States, and on the global stage, Gonzalez has emerged in the World Cup Qualifiers 18 times. Finally, Gonzalez has won the MLS Cup thrice, cementing his spot in American soccer for years to come.
9. Logan Farrington
Position: Forward
Logan Farrington is just 22 years old — a baby on the scene compared to the likes of our previous player — but he’s not a player anyone should underestimate. This Wisconsin-born forward is in his first MLS season, but his collegiate career has teeth. Playing at the University of Wisconsin, Farrington racked up a lot of goals, amassing 20 in just a couple of seasons. As if that weren’t enough, he scored 15 in 2023 alone, which landed him a tied accolade for second-most goals in one UW soccer season.
On the FC Dallas team, Farrington is fairing well so far. His successful pass rate is sitting at 74% based on 10 games played so far (started two). However, he’s yet to score a goal this season, but we’re sure he’s just warming up and adjusting to the big leagues.
With his history, he’s undoubtedly one to watch this year.
10. Herbert Endeley
Position: Forward
Bringing the Great Lakes’ winds of change to Texas just like Logan Farrington, Minnesota-born Herbert Endeley joined the FC Dallas crew in 2023 but is really hitting his stride in 2024. Endeley — who’s known for scoring goals, including more than 70 in high school and 13 goals at Indian University — played just eight games (started two) last year, but he maintained a 77% successful pass rate. This year, he’s already played in four games so far, with his successful pass rate rising to a whopping 88%. Sebastian Lletget might just have a potential protégé on his hands.
Endeley’s also one to watch because his options for future seasons are open. Instead of a longer contract, Endely was only tapped for one year (2023) in addition to opportunities for the following three years. We see how 2024 turned out, as Endeley’s proving himself a valuable member of the team this year, but all eyes are on his play and growth this year since the 22-year-old player has two more years on the ballot.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
READ MORE: Fun facts about your favorite Dallas Stars players
