With the USL D3 all but confirmed for the club, it's interesting to think about what it might entail for FC Dallas. Many fans would probably agree that they would prefer the club to follow the NYRB II format, in which the team plays the same style effectively and successively in a lower league in order to find diamonds in the rough (like Aaron Long or Florian Valot) that could break through the first team. It would also be assumed that it helps build a bridge from the academy to the professional team. These are some details/predictions for the second team

Name

Names are always a shot in the dark. It would be better if it were original, but FCD Dos has a nice ring to it. Some original team names could be...

1. Dallas Burn

2. Dallas Tornadoes

3. Dallas 96 FC

Stadium

There are really only three general options

1. Toyota Stadium - This seems to be the most logical first choice if number three is in the planning because of the time needed to build a stadium. However, most would hope that the first team's fortress isn't the end goal, as that would end up having a negative impact on the second team fanbase

2. Available football stadiums - It would be in the FO's interests to use a football stadium, as they are cheap and mostly empty, except on Friday nights. However, as most of the DFW football stadiums are above 10k in capacity, and also the fact the majority are on turf, this would also have a negative impact on the second team and its fanbase

3. Available Soccer/New soccer stadium - The SMU Wescott Field, the TCU Garvey Rosenthal, and the new UNT Soccer facility are the only current soccer-specific stadiums that come to mind, and all of them are spread out around the Metroplex. A renovation to Dr. Pink field could get it up to USL D3. Still, the most ideal scenario would be to have a new soccer stadium, probably around 5k, somewhere in DFW.

If we end up having a new soccer stadium, one would hope that it would be somewhere south of Toyota Stadium, but it wouldn't be awful if the team played in a new stadium around the training facility

The Coach

This is something to ponder because we know that Oscar likes to align himself with coaches that he knows and trusts. Therefore, it's probably going to be someone who is or was part of the club. One that comes to mind is Michel, mainly because he has been coaching around the team but has yet had an official role with the club. It might be an assistant coach with the team right now, like Marco Ferruzi or one of the Bazan Bros. It could also be an academy coach (probably not Luchi Gonzalez, since he just received an extension to a contract to be head of the academy). Maybe Figgy coaches when he inevitably retires in the next year or two. The coach is the uncertainty that I'm most intrigued by.

The Team

The moment all of you have been waiting for.

The most probable estimate is that we have 24-28 players circling around the team. You have four types of players, generally, with MLS B teams in the USL

1. Players signed by the USL Team

2. Players signed by the MLS team to a USL contract

3. Players signed by the MLS team and loaned on a season-long loan

4. Players signed by the MLS team that is on short loan stints with the second team

FCD already have a player in the second category: Carlos Avilez (who ironically hasn't played a USL game in a year). He is already the first player on this USL team. There are a couple players on the roster who fit in specific categories:

1. Ferreira, Servania, Pomykal, Reid: All of these guys are capable of contributing to the first team at any time IMO. Both Reid and Ferreira start consistently for USL teams, Servania sometimes does but he's also been called up to the youth national teams, and Pomykal has already proven that he can give you things game in and game out if he starts consistently, which he has not so far. These guys could contribute to USL D3, but I honestly think they are too high of a level to play and develop there full time (remember that FCD could still loan players to USL teams that they aren't affiliated to).

2. Roberts, Reaves, Cano, Twumasi, Atuahene, Reynolds, Zobeck: All of these players could really use playing time and are currently on the roster. With the exception of Zobeck, all of them would gain massively from being to develop at this age

3. Richards, Chala: There is about a 60% and a 90% chance respectively that these guys will not be here come March. Richards' capabilities warrant him getting in the first team though, so there is a chance that if he comes back, he won't need the second team to develop. Chala is a punchline in people's eyes at this point, and no one really knows what his future here is.

There are also players not on the roster that could be on the USL D3 team in the future:

1. High first round, low third round, and two low fourth round SuperDraft picks: The draft picks are becoming more obscure every year, but even the low draft picks may contain hidden gems (Badji was a fourth round pick for Colorado).

2. Homegrowns: This list includes but isn't limited to Julian Hinojosa, Gibran Rayo, Chris Cappis*, Dante Sealy, Tanner Tessmann, Ronaldo Damus*, Kevin Bonilla, Imanol Almaguer, Edwin Cerrillo, Diego Letayf, Michael Collodi, Justin Che, Ben Hale, Brandon Terwege, Eddie Munjoma, Aldo Quevedo, Chris Fuentes, Giovanni Montesdeoca, Mark Salas. I didn't include incoming university freshman because it seems unlikely that they would sign a contract immediately after going to university.

*Both players' statuses as possible homegrowns is unclear at the moment, as Cappis is currently not allowed to sign with FCD and Damus was last seen being called up to the Haitian NT under the club name "Heal Hope Academy"

There is always a chance of outside signings, but this is a good template for the future team.

Depth Chart

Goalkeeper: Carlos Avilez, Ben Hale, Kyle Zobeck, Michael Collodi

Centerbacks: Chris Richards*, Kris Reaves, Brandon Terwege, Jordan Cano, Chris Fuentes

Right Backs: Bryan Reynolds, Imanol Almaguer, Kevin Bonilla, Mark Salas

Left Back: Julian Hinojosa, Eddie Munjoma

Defensive Mid: Brandon Servania, Chris Cappis*, Edwin Cerrillo, Diego Letayf

Left Mid: Adonijah Reid, Ema Twumasi, Beni Redzic

Right Mid: Paxton Pomykal, Francis Atuahene, Gibran Rayo, Ronaldo Damus*

Attacking Mid: Thomas Roberts, Giovanni Montesdeoca, Tanner Tessmann

Forward: Jesus Ferreira, Dante Sealy, Aldo Quevedo

The SuperDraft Picks are a complete shot in the dark. So far, the best players are Andre Shinyashinki, Andrew Gutman, Brad Dunwell, Antonio Bustamante, and Oscar Hayes Brown. And that could always change as the season progresses

So what do you think of this rundown? Anything I missed or have gotten wrong? Any ideas that you believe top mine? Please let me know in the comments down below.