FC Dallas announced their third club affiliation today with the news that Texas Fire Soccer Club of El Paso is now FC Dallas El Paso. FCDEP joins FC Dallas Emerald Coast in Florida and FC Dallas West in Midland, however this partnership is more significant than those with the news that El Paso becomes the first Tier 1 affiliation.

This meansthat kids from this team qualify as Home Grown players for FC Dallas, with the best players likely being sent to the FCD Development Academy teams here in Frisco. FC Dallas El Paso is 10 years old and has produced Omar Salgado, the 2011 MLS first overall draft pick as well as Michael Ambrose, arguably the best talent on the current FC Dallas U18 Academy team.

5 kids from the El Paso program have moved to Frisco for the academy season that is 2 weeks old, Alonso Gallegos(U18), Aaron Guillen(U18), Cesar Murillo(U15), James Olmos(U15) and Jose Livano Salas(U15).

In a depressing couple of weeks for FC Dallas fans, this is some fantastic news as El Paso has long been an untapped market from an American perspective with the best players going to Mexico.

Jump for the full press release with quotes