FC Dallas had an interesting scrimmage on Saturday against Houston Baptist and, as it turned out, Dallas Elite. Houston Baptist plays in the WAC (NCAA D1) and Dallas Elite was a UPSL (semi-pro) team that is taking a season off with "big plans ahead."

FC Dallas, in preseason ramp-up mode, wanted to extend minutes for their players up to 60. So FCD ran out three different XIs who each played 60 minutes. The FCD 1st team played 60 against Houston Baptist, then FCD 2nd team played 30 against Houston Baptist and 30 against Dallas Elite, and the final FCD team played the last 60 minutes against Dallas Elite.

With so much action I'll try and keep it brief.

Let's break it down.

Game 1 - FC Dallas 1st XI 6 - Houston Baptist 0

FC Dallas rolled out in a 4-3-3 that used two 8s in the midfield ahead of the "single-pivot 6." In today's game, Paxton Pomykal and Pablo Aranguiz were the 8s each taking turns to burst forward and fill in the 10-hole from time to time.

First FC Dallas XI on 2-2-19. (3rd Degree / Buzz Carrick)

Andy Swift asked me on The Kickaround if this was what some people might call a 4-1-4-1. To which I replied, "you could call it that, but since the wings were staying quite high and width was coming from the outside backs I call it a 4-3-3."

Goals

1-0 FC Dallas. Santiago Mosquera scored off an FC Dallas corner.

2-0 FC Dallas. Michael Barrios picks up the ball wide left after a wing swap, dribbles across the top of the box past 5 defenders, and shoots back to the left post.

3-0 FC Dallas. Beautiful. Barrios wins the ball on right-wing near midfield, plays a give and go with Pomykal (who is marked) on the break into the right corner, and crosses to an open Aranguiz who volleys the ball out of the air for the goal.

4-0 FC Dallas. Dom Badji header on a cross from Mosquera. Badji was wide open.

5-0 FC Dallas. Mosquera again, from Ryan Hollingshead.

6-0 FC Dallas. A second Badji header. Cross from the right from Mosquera. Badji out jumps his marker by a foot, really rises up.

Thoughts and Observations on Game 1

Paxton Pomykal was first XI Man of the Match for me. He's not on the score sheet above but he looked fantastic playing with the first unit. A really strong performance. With Bryan Acosta arriving eventually, Pomykal will probably lose out for this spot long run. The big question becomes: can Pomykal outplay Aranguiz and take the other starting spot?

Speaking of Bryan Acosta...

Bryan Acosta visa update: he's had his interview, so just waiting for the phone call to pick it up. Could be Monday... Could be... well, let's just hope it's this week. He'll be on his way as soon as he gets the call and picks visa up. — 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) February 2, 2019

Bryan Reynolds doing some serious running of the line today, end to end. Strong effort.

Santiago Mosquera and Michael Barrios are looking really good, as you would expect against a college team.

This is only the 2nd scrimmage of the spring, so this game was as much about implementing Coach Luchi Gonzalez's final third tactics that they've only worked on for a few days as anything else.

Game 2 - FC Dallas 2nd XI 1 - Houston Baptist 0

The same 4-3-3 shape with two 8s in the middle.

2nd FC Dallas XI on 2-2-19. (3rd Degree / Buzz Carrick)

In the 2nd

Marcos Pedroso

asked to sub out. You may recall he's coming off a core muscle surgery operation last November. He certainly looks like he's still in recovery mode; playing, but not 100%, and that's why he's with the 2nd unit at this point. Here's some info on him straight from the source.

Pedroso came out during the first half of his scheduled 60. Still working out some scar tissue and a high volume of crosses from the left made for a very painful day in that. Said his inability to make those crosses before was the whole reason he had the procedure. #FCDPreseason — Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) February 2, 2019

Hector Montalvo, former FCD Academy and Pumas U23 defender who's on trial for a spot with North Texas Soccer Club came on for a few moments to finish the first half. Draft pick John Nelson went from right back to left and Montalvo finished the half at right back.

In the 2nd half, against Dallas Elite remember, Moises Hernandez came in a left back and Nelson returned to right back. Hernandez and Nelson later swapped outside back spots again.

Ema Twumasi and Jesus Ferreira also did some flank swapping in the 2nd half.

Goals

1-0 FC Dallas. Goal by Callum Montgomery. Free kick set play gets Edwin Cerrillo a shot after he comes off the wall. A good save is made but Montgomery scores the rebound with a good clean finish.

Thoughts and Observations on Game 2

Brandon Servania was my 2nd group Man of the Match. An overall strong outing by the holding mid, controlling the game and possession.

Cerrillo was again good. A better game today from Jacori Hayes.

Twumasi was much better out wide than he was last game in the middle, but he needs to get behind the defense more as Barrios does. Force them back on their heels.

Ferreira has played two games as right wing now, I would like to see him get some time as a 9 as well.

I'm up to almost a complete game watching Bressan. He looks pretty good. But I would like to see him against some tougher competition soon.

Zdenek Ondrasek

Let's talk about the elephant in the room, Zdenek Ondrasek. There are a lot of expectations on this fellow as a lot of fans want him to be the answer up top. So far from what I've seen in the 90 minutes of scrimmage I've watched him play, I'll grade him as ok.

I don't see anything stand out that is catching my attention. He's not fast over the top, no quick burst, no nifty feet, no dazzling combo play, no clinical touch... he does play some high press but not relentlessly like Maxi Urruti. He times his moments better. I do like that Cobra is bulldogged though, a battler. I can't knock his effort and tenacity.

Let me make two big caveats to this first impression.

1. He's two weeks into camp with a new team, new system, and a new coach. That's got to hamper him.

2. He's mostly playing with the 2nd unit so far. That's means younger kids and new players to the team. There is a clear disconnect in the final third with this group still as they are all learning. Let's see him with the first group, it might be very different.

I'm hoping that the thing that makes Ondrasek special or different is that he scores bags of goals.

Some guys are just like that. The FCD U19s striker Johan Gomez (12 goals, 13 games) is like that. I watch him play and hardly notice him... until the end of the game and he has 3 goals.

Who knows, maybe in a month we'll all be laughing our tails off at how wrong this early impression is.

Game 3 - FC Dallas 3rd XI 2 - Dallas Elite 0

Again, it's a 4-3-3 but Thomas Roberts is clearly playing as a 10 with Arturo Rodriguez as an 8. Whether this is by design or just Roberts' nature I don't know, but I expect it's probably the latter.

3rd FC Dallas XI on 2-2-19. (3rd Degree / Buzz Carrick)

At halftime, Eduvie Ikoba comes on at striker. Oscar Ramero goes to left wing and Mohamed Essay goes to right back. A short time later Alex Radilla subbed on at left-back for Hernandez.

Goals

1-0 FC Dallas. Goal by North Texas trial list Mohamed Essay. A really well-taken goal after he picked up a loose ball, ripped it left side.

2-0 FC Dallas. Oscar Ramero goal. FCD breaks down the right. Romero to Francis Atuahene, back to Romero for the goal. Francis' run stretched the defense.

Thoughts and Observations Game 3

Mohamed Essay was my Game 3 Man of the Match. He's on trial for a spot with North Texas SC. He was the tournament MVP for Richland College's National championship a few months ago. He's got serious pace and pretty good feet. This is the 2nd time I've seen him and liked what I saw. Sign him up for NTXSC, I say. This is the kind of guy this new team was made for.

Correction: His name is actually Mohamed James Sesay. He was named United Soccer Coaches Junior College DIII Men's Player of the Year for 2018. And is Richland's all-time leading scorer with 55 goals. Here's a 12-minute interview with him produced by Richland Student Media.

Oscar Romero and Arturo Rodriguez are both signed for North Texas. Arturo is the older brother of FCD U17 (now U19) standout David Rodriguez.

Draft pick Sam Ebstein was again solid. But solid against Dallas Elite probably isn't going to win a spot. Not when the FCD Academy and MLS side is loaded with guys in the middle of midfield.

Moises Hernandez being a left back or center back, two positions FCD drafted this season, might be battling for a roster spot. Then again, since Callum Montgomery and John Nelson might spend a lot of time with NTX, a veteran back up in those spots is needed. Particularly since Kris Reaves wasn't around today (I didn't think to ask where he was).

As I mentioned up above, Hector Montalvo is a former FCD Academy and Pumas U23 defender (usually center back) who's on trial for a spot with North Texas.

Alex Radilla is a former Academy player who played soccer at Grand Canyon in college for Schellas Hyndman.

Francis Atuahene needs to find his game again. He kept getting banged up last year and that really hampered him. He showed such promise last spring I hope he finds it soon. He did look better today than Wednesday.

Brecc Evans is another NTX signed player, a u19 last year, he played one season at Cal Poly before signing.

Eduvie Ikoba (right, grey shirt) next to assistant coach Peter Luccin.

Eduvie Ikoba (6'4" - 205 lbs) the club's later round draft pick from Dartmouth, was giving me Tony Nhleko flashbacks. Ikoba is a big, massive, physically intimidating striker.

Kyle Zobeck was super vocal today, almost like a coach on the field helping all the youngsters in group 3.

New NTX assistant coach Michel subbed on for Dallas Elite and played the 2nd half of this last game. You can easily see his thinking is on a level way above this game, even if the body can't produce it anymore. He was also helping coach Dallas Elite.

A Couple More Notes

Mauro Cichero I hear is going to start camp with North Texas for now as he tries to claw back from that ACL tear.

Also heard today that FCD expects Cristian Colman should be back training sometime "this summer." I'm still not holding my breath for a return to play this season.

FC Dallas is going to scrimmage the Bayern U23s on Tuesday or Wednesday as well as this weekend. Time/location clearly up TBA.

Adonijah Reid signed with Le Havre AC in the French 2nd division earlier this week.

Moises Hernandez throws the ball back into play against Dallas Elite. (2-2-19) (Buzz Carrick / 3rd Degree)