The 2019 WPSL season begins this week in Texas as FC Dallas and Texas Spurs face off on Wednesday night in Frisco.

Dallas head coach Tyler Powell enters his second year with the FCD senior women's team, after leading them to the top of the WPSL Red River Conference in 2018. Powell will welcome back much of the side that finished top in 2018 before falling to then-defending WPSL champions Fire & Ice SC in the play-offs.

"During the regular season we didn't lose a game. We had a small blemish in a draw when we played away against Tulsa."The majority of our players are coming back. We were a young team, and we had a couple that got drafted [to the NWSL]. Julie James and Kaycie Tillman both were drafted so we wish them well and hopefully they've got some long careers ahead of them." - FC Dallas coach Tyler Powell

Julie James (Baylor) and Kaycie Tillman (Florida) became FC Dallas' first-ever NWSL draftees during the NWSL college draft in January. James, drafted 11th overall, has started five of Sky Blue FC's six games in the Carli Lloyd-led side. Tillman was expected to be a top-ten pick but had to wait until the final selection as NC Courage selected the NCAA College Cup winner. The 22-year-old, who scored four and assisted three times, has since signed for PSV Eindhoven. One other player who is trying to work her way into the pro game is Chelsea Surpris, who is registered to return to FCD but has been on trial with the Chicago Red Stars.

Dallas' opponents on Wednesday, Texas Spurs, have also experienced a loss to the professional game as Kenne Kessler, also formerly of FC Dallas, signed for Villareal CF in Spain.

Two players are returning to FC Dallas with something to prove at the national team level. Madison Haley missed out on the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup despite putting up 10 goals and seven assists from eight starts for FC Dallas and Stanford. Like Haley, Taryn Torres finished her U-20 eligibility in an unsatisfying way. After fighting back from the disappointment of missing the U-17 World Cup, the Virginia striker earned her way on to the roster in France last year but didn't see the field as the US failed to advance from the group.

Powell also has the possibility of calling up Athalie Palomo (Pittsburgh) and Reyna Reyes (Alabama), who have both seen time with the Mexico U-20s, as well as Samar Guidry (FCD U18/19 & McKinney Boyd HS) with US U-17 WNT. The Dallas coach is, however, keen to prevent players being overworked while creating opportunities for players from the club's academy.

"We know there's going to be a challenge for us. We feel like if we worry about us and the things we do, and basically carry over from last year then we're going to put ourselves in position to be back-to-back [WPSL Red River Conference] champs. That's always the goal, but the other sub-category of that is to continue to give youth players minutes like we were able to do last year. We had a bunch of players in high school, Athalie [Palomo] being one of them." - FC Dallas coach Tyler Powell

The Red River Conference has seen a slight change as Little Rock Rangers depart WPSL and Wichita FC move over to the Heartland Conference. The conference does add Fort Worth-based SouthStar FC, coached by former USWNT striker Susan Bush Quill. Quill, an A licensed coach, is also the wife of North Texas SC coach Eric Quill. The changes leave Fortuna Tulsa and Oklahoma City FC as the only out of state trips.

FCD host former Dallas Burn defender Ed Puskarich and his Texas Spurs side at Dr. Pink Stadium at the north end of Toyota Stadium. The game will kick off at 7 PM.