FC Dallas President, Dan Hunt, spoke to MLSsoccer.com's Sam Stejskal yesterday about how FC Dallas can rebuild for 2019. Among Hunt's main points were that the team does not need another #9, a reluctance over further investment in Designated Players, the belief that Michael Barrios could be another Josef Martinez, and a desire to add to the present set of FC Dallas wingers. For anyone counting, there are 14 wingers or part-time wingers on the 2018 FC Dallas first team roster and ten of those are guaranteed for next year.

The younger Hunt potentially gave us a glimpse of what he has in mind for 2019 by citing Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake, and the Portland Timbers as not requiring a dominant #9 to achieve success. We could also throw in Atlanta United if we're going to talk Martinez as opposed to the more traditional #9 like Cristian Colman and Dom Badji. Of course, this is Dan Hunt in ownership, not Oscar Pareja the coach, so it's all fun and games.

Sporting Kansas City

We all got to see Peter Vermes' system work well a couple of weeks ago as that 4-3-3 with three strikers left Toyota Stadium with three goals and three vital points. Krisztian Nemeth, Johnny Russell, and Diego Rubio have represented their nations as a #9. Then you have Daniel Salloi, Khiry Shelton and Cristian Lobato who have all spent a lot of their club careers as #9s. It may not be one dominant #9 but it's dominant as a position group.

Behind them, you have a core of midfielders with Roger Espinoza, Chile international Felipe Guttierez and former Barcelona man Ilie Sanchez pulling the strings, which FC Dallas simply cannot match. Sanchez is the lone defensive midfielder of that trio, whereas Dallas' Carlos Gruezo, Jacori Hayes, and Victor Ulloa are all predominantly defensive midfielders. Brandon Servania is the team's true box-to-box player with Paxton Pomykal a good fit for that role also which Buzz mentioned in his roster rebuild article.

For FC Dallas, this would be far more like a 4-2-3-1 as you rely on traditional wingers in Mosquera and Barrios. The closest comparison for FC Dallas would be to have Badji and Barrios as wide men, as players who have played forward and wing roles, and restore Maxi Urruti as a striker. Alternatively, the team could run false wings with Pablo Aranguiz in the team. That would essentially turn into Terry Venables' Christmas Tree from before England's Euro '96. AC Milan also used it under Carlo Ancelotti, as did a fellow MLS team...

Portland Timbers

Dallas' conquerors in the knockout round have also used the Christmas tree with Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco as co-10s. They've combined for 25 goals and 25 assists. Urruti, Lamah, Barrios and Mosquera combined only achieved five more in either category. Portland is the closest blueprint in terms of what FC Dallas has across the pitch, also using the 4-2-3-1 alongside the 4-3-2-1 which was rolled out 18 times in MLS play. The striker is still a key piece with Lucas Melano, Fanendo Adi, Samuel Armenteros and Jeremy Ebobisse contributing 16 goals and six assists from the #9 spot.

Part of Portland being the blueprint comes down to what's behind the attack. FC Dallas lacked a #8 in 2018 and Portland have a similar use of two defensive midfielders in David Guzman and Diego Chara, but importantly will use either Andy Polo as more of a dropped-back attacking threat or Club America loanee Cristhian Paredes as a true #8. If you're looking for a true #8 to use sparingly, that's Brandon Servania.

Real Salt Lake

This was the strangest comparison for me. RSL play a 4-2-3-1 like Dallas, but they have a trio of effective strikers that sit ahead of one of the league's best #10s. Newly crowned MLS Rookie of the Year Corey Baird got most of his eight goals and five assists from the top spot, Luis Silva added five from up front. Salt Lake's versatile midfielder, Damir Kreilach, just nabbed goal of the week with three of his 14 goals coming in the #9 spot. While this is very much an FC Dallas look, it's one that requires a Mauro Diaz or David Ferreira. The current Real Salt Lake team is built around Albert Rusnak and while FC Dallas believe they may have a future answer in both Paxton Pomykal or Pablo Aranguiz, they aren't the answer right now.

Atlanta United

Let's suppose FC Dallas does want to use Michael Barrios like Josef Martinez. I'll preface it by saying Barrios isn't the natural finisher that Martinez is. That's a tough ability to have. In all other facets of the position Cristian Colman is a fantastic #9 but finishing is king when you're the striker. Martinez tends to drop behind Miguel Almiron and Hector Villalba creating a front three whatever the formation. The closest FC Dallas come to achieving that shape going forward is actually having Urruti up front with Barrios and Roland Lamah on the wings. There are definitely a lot of parallels between the breakaway styles of the two clubs, but FC Dallas simply doesn't have the quality the Five Stripes do. Carlos Gruezo is the only player that would potentially get in Atlanta's front six.

The Atlanta formation also plays around with the backline a lot. There were some experiments in a three-man back line with wing-backs in preseason that were ditched after crashing out of the Concacaf Champions League. There's a shortage of quality center backs in the team after Matt Hedges and Reto Ziegler, but a fit Kris Reaves would be the next man up from the 2018 squad.

Can Bayern Help?

The 2016 roster was a player away from MLS Cup. The back line has been rebuilt and improved, but there has been a steady regression higher up the pitch as rivals improve. It seems daft to run away from the reality that FC Dallas is short of a consistent goalscorer up front. As Sam mentioned, winning MLS Cup without one is the exception rather than the rule.

Buzz has mentioned in the 3rd Degree Podcast that Dallas was close to landing a striker from Bayern Munich last year, and it may be a possibility in 2019 that Hunt doesn't wish to commit to talking about. It may make sense for Bayern to use the partnership with FC Dallas to get Justin Butler some time in the senior game, and improve his work permit standing, by sending him back to the States for a year. Maybe they look to give Mathis Lange some significant time on the pitch where he's struggled to catch a break in the Bayern second team in that crucial 18-21 period for young Europeans.