It's been a few years now with the current FC Dallas organizational system in place, by which I mean Head Coach Oscar Pareja and Technical Director Fernando Clavijo running the technical side of the club under the fiscally responsible Hunt Family model that emphasizes team building form the academy and via young, affordable South American talent.

Fernando Clavijo (left) and Oscar Pareja celebrate FC Dallas' 2016 US Open Cup win. (Matthew Visinsky / 3rd Degree)

Over time I've come to look at how Pareja and Clavijo build their roster in a certain way. While neither of the two men responsible has specifically articulated it in this manner, I believe there is a clear divide in the makeup of the team. I'm going to try to use this space to crystallize this idea.

The way I see it, the professional roster of FC Dallas is divided into two halves: the Game Half and the Developmental Half. And between these two halves is a large gap.

The Game Half consists of players who on any given game day are in competition for selection. These are the men Pareja trusts to throw out against any team. They generally make up the 18 man game day roster.

The Developmental Half consists of Homegrown signings, Generation adidas players, and SuperDraft picks. These players are "for the future" and being developed to someday be members of the Game Half but aren't yet. Some are close to breaking in and some are perhaps years away. A few may never make it.

Here's how I see the current roster divided.

The Game Half

Forwards: Maxi Urruti, Cristian Colman, and Tesho Akindele.

: Michael Barrios, Roland Lamah, Santiago Mosquera, and Mauro Diaz.

: Kellyn Acosta, Carlos Gruezo, Jacori Hayes, and Victor Ulloa.

: Matt Hedges, Reto Ziegler, Anton Nedyalkov, Reggie Cannon, Maynor Figueroa, and Ryan Hollingshead.

The Developmental Half

: Jimmy Maurer, Jesse Gonzalez, and Kyle Zobeck.

Forwards: Jesus Ferreira

: Paxton Pomykal, Francis Atuahene, Ema Twumasi, Adonijah Reid, and Mauro Cichero.

: Brandon Servania.

: Jordan Cano, Kris Reaves, and Chris Richards.

: Carlos Avilez.

: Bryan Reynolds.

A few notes - I put in Chris Richards even though he's not officially on the roster yet. I added Carlos Avilez as he is signed to a pro contract, just not an MLS contract. I left off Anibal Chala because he's never coming back to Dallas. I also included all the loan guys, even the ones who can't be activated because of the international player limit. I was tempted to add Chris Cappis but didn't since he hasn't signed yet either. Mauro Chichero I included as he is an FC Dallas player, just one for next year.

Playing the Kids - Also Known As, So What's the Point?

A great many people like to toss around the phrase "play the kids." I like the phrase "soccer is a young man's game," that I stole from my friend Mike Renshaw.

As we stated above, the goal of the club and the players in the Developmental Half is to progress their individual game and break into the Game Half of the roster. But Pareja isn't going to call on players willy-nilly. How he gets young players game time matters. The environment and timing need to be right and positive. Throw someone in where they get crushed and you can harm a player for a long time. Bottom line, a young player has to prove to his coach in training and scrimmages that he is ready. No one is going to play just because.

Reggie Cannon and Jacori Hayes are the two most recent players to cross the FC Dallas roster divide.

Jacori Hayes (front) battles Real Salt Lake at Toyota Stadium. (3-3-18) (3rd Degree / Matthew Visinsky)

Last year as a rookie midfielder Hayes got some minutes when FCD had some difficult roster circumstance. Those positive minutes combined with a loan spell at Tulsa Roughnecks helped progress Hayes' game. Then this spring the injury to Kellyn Acosta opened a door for Hayes and he exploded through it. His excellent spring camp performances elevated him into the Game Half of the roster and then his terrific regular season performances cemented his place in Coach Pareja's plans.

Cannon, also a rookie in 2017, was a diligent worker in training and scrimmages. His progress on the training ground over the latter half of the year gave the coaching staff confidence that Cannon was ready for a run in the first team to start 2018. Cannon entered this year as part of the Game Day group having made the leap over the winter when fat was trimmed from the FCD roster. Cannon's performances have rewarded that coaching staff's optimism.

So the gulf can be jumped. That is, after all, the point of having all these young professionals in the squad.

Who's Next

Paxton Pomykal would have made this jump already, I feel, had he not been injured just as he got a taste of first-team action. With his recovery looking complete I expect him to be back again pushing for a place in the Game Half. He's not there yet, but with a few more chances, perhaps in Wednesday US Open Cup game, and a strong showing or two, I think he will be.

Brandon Servania (#81 in black) of FC Dallas playing on loan with Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL. (Tulsa Roughnecks / Brooke Carroll)

After Pomykal, Brandon Servania is the next player making a case for himself. Since his return from Compartment Syndrome surgery, Servania has really elevated himself in training. This recent loan stints contributed to his readiness. Pareja says Servania has already put himself into the conversation. The leap may be imminent.

The two SuperDraft picks, Francis Atuhene and Ema Twumasi, both have the same obstacle, FCD's lack of open international roster spots. At the beginning of the season, I thought Atuahene was already making waves but his injuries have greatly slowed his progress. Now Twumasi has moved ahead of his Ghanaian friend and if not for the roster problem he might have made the leap already as well.

Jesus Ferreira (#27 in black) of FC Dallas plays on loan with Tulsa Roughnecks of the USL. (Tulsa Roughnecks / Brooke Carroll)

Jesus Ferreira has stalled a little ways back down the track. While he has made his MLS debut, scoring a goal, he's since been hampered by both injuries and the fact he's behind a ton of wing and forward talent at FCD. I would be encouraged to see him continue his loan at Tulsa Roughnecks. He's still 17 and needs to develop his body.

Jordan Cano's inclusion on recent road trips as the 19th player is a positive sign. He even made the bench at LA Galaxy as the Dallas D is banged up. But he's still a little ways off from contention for places. I'd like to see more loan action to the Energy for him.

Kris Reaves injury leaves him with work to do as well. He was making great progress, but that's obviously been halted by the injury.

Chris Richards (left) directs traffic against Tigres as Kyle Zobeck looks on. (3rd Degree / Arman Kafai)

As natural a defender as he is, brand new signing Chris Richards will still have a lot to learn after the DA season ends. He's 18 and is just now getting his first taste of first-team training.

18-year-old Generation

player

Adonijah Reid

is one for aways down the road and his season-long loans are indicative of that. Even when he was in camp, time in scrimmages was hard for him to come by and he was frequently playing in odd positions.

Mauro Cichero was drafted by FC Dallas this season after an ACL injury during his senior year at SMU. Prior to the injury, he was considered a first-round MLS talent. He's currently rehabbing with FC Dallas and will be part of the team going into next spring.

Carlos Availez is still the FCD U19 Academy keeper. Technically FCD signed him to a USL contract for their USL team they don't yet have. This was a way to pay the young man and keep him in FCD camp as a 4th keeper without the pressure of being the emergency 3rd goalie at 18 years of age. He's 19 now and is on track to perhaps move up to the MLS roster in the next year or two. Next season he will probably be the starter for FCD's USL III team.

Last, but not least, is

Bryan Reynolds

. Signed just after turning 15, we have to look at his signing as a protection of the Hunt's youth team investment

McKennie departure. Even now, Reynolds is frequently one of the youngest players in the U19 games. Reynolds won't be the last signing you see of this type either.

Bryan Reynolds (center) plays for the FC Dallas Academy U19 team in the 2018 Dallas Cup against Arsenal at the Cotton Bowl. (Douglas W Berg)

Reynolds is blessed with size, pace, and some serious soccer tools. At 15 years of age, being 6'3", really fast, and having good soccer skills meant that Reynolds dominated Developmental Academy opponents even playing up with the U19s. The problem for Reynolds is that when you put him against MLS level players the raw tools are no longer enough by themselves.

Nobody should worry though, Reynolds doesn't turn 17 until later this month. He still has to learn how to use those wonderful tools and how to play with high-level professionals. He has time.

Let's be real though, there's a way to go as Reynolds was gone for most of 2017 with the U17 National Team. Even the FC Dallas coaching staff isn't quite sure what to do with Reynolds at the moment, currently trying him at right back to get him playing time. If he can back up Cannon it would eliminate the need to sign a more veteran defender as cover in that spot.

The sky's the limit with Reynolds, but that's a long ways off. Honestly, at this point, he's as likely to never play in MLS for FCD as he is to become a star.

The Future

Moving forward, more and more players will make the jump from the Developmental Half to the Game Half. When they do, older players who have plateaued could be bypassed and find themselves falling out of the rotation. Next season (or sooner), more youth players will be signed and drafted, filling back up the Developmental Half of the roster again...

Thus continuing the cycle of professional soccer life.