 | |||
| Nickname(s) | Los Toros (The Bulls)[1] The Burn | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | June 6, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-06-06) asDallas Burn | ||
| Stadium | Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas | ||
| Capacity | 19,096 | ||
| Owner | Hunt Sports Group | ||
| Chairman | Clark Hunt | ||
| Head coach | Eric Quill | ||
| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2024 | Western Conference: 11th Overall: 21st Playoffs: Did not qualify | ||
| Website | fcdallas.com | ||
| |||
 Current season | |||
FC Dallas is an American professionalsoccer club based in theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes inMajor League Soccer (MLS) as a member of theWestern Conference. The franchise began play in 1996 as a charter club of the league. The club was founded in 1995 as theDallas Burn before adopting its current name in 2004.
Since 2005, Dallas have played in the DFW area's northern suburbs at the 20,500-capacitysoccer-specificToyota Stadium inFrisco, Texas; home games in the club's early years were played at theCotton Bowl. The team is owned by the Hunt Sports Group led by brothersClark Hunt and Dan Hunt, who is the team's president. The Hunt family also owns theNFL'sKansas City Chiefs and part of theChicago Bulls.
FC Dallas in2016 won their firstSupporters' Shield. In2010 they were runners-up in the MLS Cup, losing to theColorado Rapids in extra time. The team has won theU.S. Open Cup on two occasions (in1997 and again in2016). Their fully owned USL affiliate,North Texas SC, won the 2019USL League One regular season and overall championship titles, the third division title in American soccer. TheInternational Federation of Football History & Statistics, in its Club World Ranking for the year ending December 31, 2016, placed FC Dallas as the 190th best club in the world and the ninth best club in CONCACAF.[2]
The Toros' academy is reputed for its player development, having produced several players who have gone on to feature for European clubs and theUnited States men's national soccer team such asWeston McKennie,Reggie Cannon,Ricardo Pepi, andChris Richards.[3][4][5]
Dallas was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise on June 6, 1995, the same day as teams were awarded toKansas City and Colorado.[6] The team was given its name for the burning in the Texan oilfields and the state's hot weather.[7] On October 17, formerMexico internationalHugo Sánchez was designated to the team as their first player.[6] Initially not attracting investors,[7] the Burn was financed by the league itself.[8]
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On April 14, 1996, the Dallas Burn played their first game, defeating theSan Jose Clash in a shootout win in front of a crowd of 27,779 fans at theCotton Bowl.[6] Five days later,Jason Kreis scored the team's first goal in a 3–0 home win over theWiz.[9] With a record of 17–15, the Burn finished in second in theWestern Conference behind theLos Angeles Galaxy. They lost in the best of three playoff semifinals to the Wiz after three games, the last one being decided by a shootout.[6] Their first campaign in theU.S. Open Cup ended with a 2–3 home defeat in the semifinals againstD.C. United.[10] In their second season, the Burn again reached theplayoffs, where they lost in the conference finals to theColorado Rapids.[11] Later in1997, they won their first U.S. Open Cup by defeating the MLS Cup champions, D.C. United.[12] In 1999,striker Kreis was voted the league'sMVP for a season in which he became the first player to reach 15 goals and 15 assists.[13] That season ended in the playoffs with a defeat to the Galaxy in the conference finals.[14] In October 2000, head coachDave Dir was fired, despite again taking the team to theplayoffs for the fifth consecutive time.[15]
Dir's replacement in January 2001 wasMike Jeffries, who had won the1998 MLS Cup and two U.S. Open Cups with theChicago Fire.[16] In his first season in charge, which was cut short as a result of theSeptember 11 attacks, Dallas lost in theplayoff quarterfinals to Jeffries' former team.[17] They were also eliminated in the second round of the2001 U.S. Open Cup by theSeattle Sounders Select, an amateur team from the third-tierPremier Development League.[18] The 2002 season ended with a third-place finish in the West and overall for Dallas, along with an early playoffs exit to theColorado Rapids.[citation needed] For the2003 season, the Burn relocated their home games from the Cotton Bowl to the much lower capacityDragon Stadium (a high school football stadium) inSouthlake, which is a northernFort Worth suburb.[19] The team performed poorly in 2003 and Jeffries was fired in September. He was temporarily replaced by his assistant, formerNorthern Ireland internationalColin Clarke.[20] The team missed the playoffs for the first time, having been one of only two teams to have qualified on all seven prior occasions.[19]
For the2004 season, Clarke was named the permanent coach and the team returned to the Cotton Bowl,[21] for a campaign in which they again missed the playoffs. In August, club ownerLamar Hunt announced that the club would be re-branded and known as "FC Dallas" to coincide with their newsoccer-specific stadium inFrisco for the2005 season.[22][23]
In March 2005, FC Dallas signed Guatemalan forwardCarlos Ruiz, who had scored 50 goals in 72 games for the Galaxy and earned the MVP award for helping them to the2002 MLS Cup.[24] On August 6, FC Dallas played their inaugural game atPizza Hut Park and tied theNew York/New Jersey MetroStars, 2–2.[25] Ranked second in the West behind the San Jose Earthquakes, Dallas returned to theplayoffs for the first time in two seasons, losing in the conference semifinals to Colorado in a penalty kick shootout, withRoberto Miña's attempt saved byJoe Cannon.[26] In2006, the team finished the regular season at the top of the Western Conference,[27] but lost in the playoffs in the conference semifinals again, leading to Clarke's dismissal. He was replaced bySteve Morrow. In2007, a third consecutiteplayoff appearance ended at the same stage with a 4–2 aggregate defeat to fellow Texas club, theHouston Dynamo, who would go on to win their second consecutive MLS Cup.[28] In2005 and2007, Dallas reached their first two U.S. Open Cup finals since their 1997 victory, losing both by one-goal margins to the Galaxy and theNew England Revolution respectively.[29][30] For the following two seasons, Dallas missed the MLS playoffs. During the2008 season, Morrow was replaced bySchellas Hyndman. In 2009, the club signedBryan Leyva as the club's firstHomegrown Player from its development academy.[31]
In2010, Dallas played in theMLS Cup for the first time, losing 2–1 after extra time to Colorado atBMO Field inToronto, after anown goal byGeorge John.[32] They were the last of the surviving original MLS clubs to appear in the MLS Cup final. On-loan Colombian midfielderDavid Ferreira was voted the league's MVP, having missed only one minute of the season,[33] and Hyndman won theMLS Coach of the Year Award.[34]
By finishing as runners-up in the MLS Cup, Dallas competed in the2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, their first time in the leading continental tournament. Following a victory in thepreliminary round againstAlianza F.C. of El Salvador,[35] they reached thegroup stage. In the first group game,Marvin Chávez's goal defeated Mexican championsUNAM at theEstadio Olímpico Universitario, making Dallas the first MLS team to win an away match in the Champions League against a Mexican team.[36] The team followed this achievement with a victory by the same score atToronto FC,[37] but did not win any of their four remaining games and were eliminated from the competition after finishing in third place in their group. In October 2013, Hyndman resigned as head coach after a second consecutive season without making the playoffs.[38]
Three months after Hyndman's resignation, his replacement was confirmed to be Colombian and former Dallas player and assistant coachÓscar Pareja, who had resigned from the Colorado Rapids after two seasons as head coach there.[39] Pareja led the club back to the playoffs in2014. Dallas finished in first place in the Western Conference in2015.[40] They defeated theSeattle Sounders FC in the conference semifinals, only to fall to thePortland Timbers in the Western Conference finals.[41]
Their regular season performance earned them a return to the Champions League for2016–17. In2016 the club won their firstSupporters' Shield and secondU.S. Open Cup. For the third consecutive year, they met the Sounders in the conference semifinals, this time losing 4–2 on aggregate.Dallas, in their return in the Champions league, had advanced from the group stage and into the knockout round. The club was eliminated by Pachuca, in their home and away semifinal series, after a late goal in overtime fromHirving Lozano.[42]
Originally, the Dallas Burn played in a predominantly red-and-black color scheme, and had a logo which featured a fire-breathing black mustang behind a stylized red "Burn" wordmark.[7] The logo and the original colors of red and black were revealed at an event in New York City on October 17, 1995.[6]
The team re-branded as FC Dallas in 2005 to coincide with their move toPizza Hut Park in the middle of that season and has since played in a color scheme of red, white, silver, and blue, and a uniform design of horizontally hooped stripes.[43] The colors are officially listed as Republic Red, Lonestar White, Bovine Blue, and Shawnee Silver.[44][45] Red remained as a primary color in their home uniforms, with blue eventually becoming a primary color of their away uniforms. The club badge was also changed with a bull replacing the mustang. In July 2012, the team wore their first sponsored jerseys, bearing the logo of Texan sports nutrition manufacturersAdvoCare.[46] For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the hoops were a different shade of red rather than a contrasting white.[47] The jersey also incorporated the motto "Dallas 'Til I Die" on the inside of the collar and the initials "LH" on the back for Lamar Hunt.[48]
FC Dallas has had three different home stadiums, each of which has been located in theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
| Name | Location | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton Bowl | Dallas | 1996–2002 2004–2005 |
| Dragon Stadium | Southlake | 2003 |
| Toyota Stadium | Frisco | 2005–present |
From its foundation, the team played in the 92,100-capacityCotton Bowl inDallas.[6] In an effort to save money due to the club's unfavorable lease with the Cotton Bowl, the club played its 2003 home games atDragon Stadium, a high school stadium inSouthlake, aFort Worth suburb.[19] After listening to its fans, the team moved back to the Cotton Bowl for the 2004 season.[21]
In August 2005, the club moved to Toyota Stadium, the third Americansoccer-specific stadium in the northern suburb ofFrisco. The stadium's south end was extensively remodeled in 2018, including a new home for theNational Soccer Hall of Fame.[49]
In 2025 construction will begin on a $182 million redevelopment of the stadium that is scheduled to be completed before the 2028 season. Highlights include installing roof structures over the east and west stands to provide shade from the brutal Texas sun, removing the unpopular and dated concert stage, developing a new north stand with standing room for the club’s “ultras” supporters, and adding the largest LED board in an American soccer-specific stadium.[50]
         1996 |      1997 |      1998–1999 |      2000 |     2001–2002 |     2003–2004 |     2005 |      2006–2007 |      2008–2009 |
     2010–2011 |     2012–2013 |   2014–2015 |      2016–2017 |      2018–2019 |      2020–2021 |    2022–2023 |      2024– |
   1996 |     1997 |    1998–1999 |      2000 |    2001–2002 |     2003–2004 |     2005 |      2006–2007 |     2008–2009 |
 2010–2011 |    2012–2014 |     2015–2016 |      2017–2018 |      2019–2020 |     2021–2022 |      2023–2024 |      2025– |
     2001-2002 |      2006-2007 |      2018 |    2019 |      2021 |      2022 |      2023 |
The mascot of FC Dallas is a bull named Tex Hooper. His fictional biography, by the team, states that he was born on September 6, 1996, inFrisco, Texas.[51]
FC Dallas has two recognized supporters groups:Dallas Beer Guardians and El Matador.[52]
FC Dallas' main rival is theHouston Dynamo in theTexas Derby. The two teams reside in the same state and compete for El Capitan, a working replicaCivil War cannon that goes to the regular season victor.[53]
Animosity grew between fans and players of FC Dallas and theColorado Rapids, mainly sparking from Colorado players' comments towards the fans and Colorado's victories over FC Dallas in the2005 and2006 MLS Cup Playoffs.[54]
In addition to the Texas Derby, the team also competes in two otherMLS rivalry cups. TheBrimstone Cup against theChicago Fire, so named for the allusions to fire in both teams' names when FC Dallas was the Dallas Burn, was inaugurated by the fans in 2001.[55] TheLamar Hunt Pioneer Cup has been contested againstColumbus Crew SC since 2007. It is named afterLamar Hunt, who was an investor in both teams.[56] Due to league expansion and realignment, FC Dallas only plays Chicago and Columbus once a year now in the regular season, which has led to decreased importance of these two rivalry cups, especially when compared to the Texas Derby.
During a period where MLS created songs for each club, the team anthem was "H-O-O-P-S Yes!" and was performed by Dallas nativesThe Polyphonic Spree, achoralsymphonic rock group.[57]
The FC Dallas Academy has produced talent includingWeston McKennie,Chris Richards,Nico Carrera,Reggie Cannon,Christian Cappis,Jesus Ferreira,Brandon Servania,Ricardo Pepi andBryan Reynolds. In 2020, they were ranked the number one academy in MLS by David Kerr on chasingacup.com MLS Academy rankings.[58]
FC Dallas was formally associated withOklahoma City Energy FC of theUSL Championship, the second tier of theAmerican soccer pyramid.[59][60] They were affiliated withArizona United SC of the USL in 2015.[61][62] Abroad, the team was previously affiliated toTigres de la UANL of Mexico andClube Atlético Paranaense of Brazil.[43]
On November 2, 2018, it was announced byUnited Soccer League that Dallas would be granted a side to play inUSL League One, its newly created third division for 2019.[63] The club then officially announced their name,North Texas SC, and crest on December 6, 2018.[64] The club is owned and operated by FC Dallas.
In 2005, Pizza Hut was the title sponsor of the club's stadium and complex when it opened.[65] On June 27, 2012, FC Dallas reached a three-year sponsorship deal withAdvoCare, aPlano-based health and wellness company, worth US$7.5M making AdvoCare the official jersey sponsor.[66] After the 2012 season, Pizza Hut ended their relationship with the club, and the stadium was temporarily renamed as FC Dallas Stadium. In September 2013 FC Dallas reached a long-term deal with Toyota to be official stadium naming rights partners, and the stadium was once again renamed, this time as Toyota Stadium.[67] In October 2014 FC Dallas and AdvoCare announced an extension of the jersey sponsorship through 2020.[68] In February 2021, FC Dallas announced MTX Group, a B2B information technology company based in Frisco, to be its new shirt sponsor, with Advocare remaining as the team's sleeve sponsor.[69] In January 2023, FC Dallas announced a sponsorship deal withChildren's Health andUT Southwestern to be its new jersey sponsors.[70]
From 2023, every FC Dallas match is available viaMLS Season Pass on theApple TV app.
Prior to the all-streaming deal, the club's non-nationally televised games were primarily broadcast in Dallas on local channelKTXA. This arrangement began with the2015 season.[72] The club struggled for years to find consistent broadcast partners in the crowded Dallas–Fort Worth sports market. In August 2018, FC Dallas launched the FCDTV Network, comprising local stationsKJBO-LP (Amarillo),KMYL-LD (Lubbock),KTPN-LD (Tyler-Longview) andKJBO-LP (Wichita Falls/Lawton).[73] Due to scheduling conflicts with KTXA during the return of2020 Major League Soccer season from the COVID-19 pandemic, select matches of FC Dallas were moved toFox Sports Southwest.[74]
On February 25, 2013, FC Dallas signed a deal withTime Warner Cable to air most of its games on theTime Warner Cable Sports Channel in Dallas, replacingFox Sports Southwest as the primary broadcaster of games.[75] This arrangement lasted for two seasons. It was not popular with fans as the channel was not available on many cable and satellite packages besides those offered by Time Warner. The channel still broadcasts some games that are not broadcast by KTXA.[76] Also, in some areas outside of the Dallas–Fort Worth market, the channel continues to broadcast the club's games.
Until the2012 season, FC Dallas matches appeared on various local television stations such asKTXA andWFAA (digital channel 8.3), and regional sports networkFox Sports Southwest (often on alternate Fox Sports Southwest Plus channels when conflicting withTexas Rangers,Dallas Mavericks, andDallas Stars games).
In 2012,Dallas Mavericks play-by-play announcerMark Followill also became the primary play-by-play announcer for FC Dallas, replacing the lateBobby Rhine. FormerHouston Dynamo announcer Jonathan Yardley shared play-by-play responsibilities with Followill in 2012. In 2013, Bob Sturm (weekday early afternoon co-host on sports radioKTCK) replaced Yardley, who has continued to fill in for Followill and Sturm in 2013, 2016, and 2018. The color commentator spot was filled until 2016 by a rotation of former MLS players including:Brian Dunseth,Ian Joy,Kevin Hartman,Steve Jolley, andDante Washington. FC Dallas employee Daniel Robertson or Sturm (beginning in 2016) filled in when one of the others are not available.[77] Longtime national soccer writer Steve Davis has been the analyst on all matches since 2018. Beginning with the new KTXA deal in 2015, longtime local sports broadcaster Gina Miller hosted a team produced 30-minute pregame show on select broadcasts.
In 2021, FC Dallas announced thatEstrella TV would become the first team's Spanish TV broadcast partner for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with matches appearing on Estrella's Dallas affiliateKMPX. This marked the first ever Spanish language broadcast for FC Dallas on TV.[78]
Beginning with the 2018 season,[79] English radio coverage of the club's MLS matches has been on the club's website.[80] Beginning with the 2019 season for locally televised games, the radio coverage has been a simulcast of the audio from the television broadcast.[81] When the club's match is televised nationally with no local coverage, a radio-only broadcast is available online.
Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon provide Spanish language commentary on radio stations such asKFLC andKFZO.[72][82] Alvarado has been the play-by-play announcer since the inaugural 1996 season, and Calderon has been the color analyst since the 2001 season.[80]
Just like on television, the club struggled to find radio broadcast partners. For several seasons, there were no English radio broadcasts of FC Dallas games. Beginning with the2014 season, English radio broadcasts (including a postgame show) returned for the club withKWRD-FM becoming the primary radio home for the club's matches.[83] This arrangement continued through the 2017 season. Steve Davis was the initial and most used announcer, calling the games solo.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
| Coaching staff | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Eric Quill |
| Assistant Coach |  Michel Garbini |
| Assistant Coach |  Rodrigo Rios |
| Assistant Coach |  Matt Watson |
| Goalkeeper Coach |  Drew Keeshan |
| Chief Soccer Officer Sporting Director | Andre Zanotta |
| Technical Director | Sandro Orlandelli |
| Director of Scouting | Leonardo Baldo |
| Name | Nation | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Dir | United States | 1996–2000 |
| Mike Jeffries | United States | January 23, 2001 – September 15, 2003 |
| Colin Clarke |  Northern Ireland | September 15, 2003 – December 4, 2003 (interim) December 4, 2003 – November 7, 2006 |
| Steve Morrow | Northern Ireland | November 7, 2006 – December 11, 2006 (interim) December 11, 2006 – May 20, 2008 |
| Marco Ferruzzi | United States | May 20, 2008 – June 16, 2008 (interim) September 19, 2021 – December 2, 2021 (interim) |
| Schellas Hyndman | United States | June 16, 2008 – October 18, 2013 |
| Óscar Pareja |  Colombia | January 10, 2014 – November 16, 2018 |
| Luchi Gonzalez | United States | December 16, 2018 – September 19, 2021 |
| Nico Estévez |  Spain | December 2, 2021 – June 9, 2024 |
| Peter Luccin |  France | June 9, 2024 – November 20, 2024 (interim) |
| Eric Quill | United States | November 20, 2024 – Present |
Source:[86]
Minor
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by FC Dallas. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of FC Dallas seasons.
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | CCL | LC | Other(s) | Name(s) | Goals | ||||
| 2020 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 24 | +4 | 34 | 1.55 | 6th | 11th | QF | NH | DNQ | DNQ/NH | DNQ | 5,527 |  Franco Jara | 7 |
| 2021 | 34 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 47 | 56 | -9 | 33 | 0.91 | 11th | 23rd | DNQ | DNQ | 13,418 | Ricardo Pepi | 13 | |||
| 2022 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 53 | 1.56 | 3rd | 7th | QF | Ro32 | 16,615 | Jesús Ferreira | 18 | |||
| 2023 | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 46 | 1.35 | 7th | 14th | R1 | Ro32 | Ro16 | 18,287 | Jesús Ferreira | 14 | ||
| 2024 | 34 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 54 | 56 | -2 | 41 | 1.21 | 11th | 19th | DNQ | QF | GS | 19,096 |  Petar Musa | 17 | ||
^ 1.Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2.Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League,MLS Cup Playoffs,U.S. Open Cup,MLS is Back Tournament,CONCACAF Champions League,Leagues Cup,FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
The following players have won theMLS Scoring Champion or Golden Boot.
| Player | Season | Points /goals |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Kreis | 1999 | 51 |
| Jeff Cunningham | 2009 | 17 |
| # | Name | Career | MLS | MLS Cup Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | CCL | Leagues Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Kreis | 1996–2004 | 91 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| 2 | Jesús Ferreira | 2017–2024 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 55 |
| 3 | Kenny Cooper | 2006–2009 2013 | 46 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 4 |  Blas Pérez | 2012–2015 | 37 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| 5 |  Carlos Ruiz | 2005–2007 2016 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Fabián Castillo | 2011–2016 | 34 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 7 | Michael Barrios | 2015–2020 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36 |
| Ariel Graziani | 1999 2000–2001 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | Maximiliano Urruti | 2016–2018 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 35 |
| 10 | Jeff Cunningham | 2008–2010 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
Odd Grenland – 1–2
Dynamo Kyiv – 2–2Stabæk – 2–1Bodø/Glimt – 1–3
Guadalajara – 1–1Pachuca – 1–1Los Angeles Galaxy – 5–6
Alianza – 1–0 Alianza – 1–0UNAM – 1–0
Toronto FC – 1–0Tauro F.C. – 1–1UNAM – 0–2Tauro F.C. – 3–5Toronto FC – 0–3
Real Estelí – 2–1Real Estelí – 1–1Suchitepéquez – 0–0Suchitepéquez – 5–2Árabe Unido – 4–0Árabe Unido – 1–2Pachuca – 2–1Pachuca – 1–3Tauro F.C. – 0–1Tauro F.C. – 3–2
