*updated 2/23 to reflect new info about FCD kits*

tl;dr version - FCDallas looks to kick off the season without getting the one part we all thought was most needed, and that might be ok / Maybe MLS refs should take a lesson from Felix Zwayer / I have seen the new FC Dallas kit and I like it

No #9 for you! - We're are so close to the start the FC Dallas season, its pretty safe to assume the one thing the general consensus was "a must" is not going to happen. At this moment we can all just take a measure of how disappointed we'll be Fernando Clavijo didn't hand over a legit #9, wrapped neatly in a bow.

I'm disappointed, but I'm also feeling kinda ok with it.

One would think there has to be a worthy candidate to fill what appears to be the team's most obvious hole. Globally, isn't there someone with size, speed, makes good soccer decisions and can finish with some acceptable percentage out there? Sure there is, but this off season we've come to learn Oscar Pareja has a plan and the changes that have taken place provide a surprising level of comfort considering it didn't include that #9 guy.

What we weren't thinking, at least I wasn't, was Dallas' plan to overload on additional, experienced Latin American midfielders. At last count, the Huntsman added four guys we all have to go into the season assuming are upgrades. The thinness of that group last season was evident and now the thickness actually gives pause to consider if either (or both) homegrowns Victor Ulloa and Kellyn Acosta may lose their starting spot. Oddly, if they were, that would be a good thing simply because anyone displacing either of them would have to be a fantastic player.

Anyone who wants to fuss over the team's inability to add that #9 is fully in fair game territory, but at this point Pareja seems comfortable with his current parts and there's enough new on the team to gobble up one's attention to start the season. Additionally, it points to Pareja's insistence he find players that want to be in Frisco and play/train his way. We all may want a big name player, but go back and consider the case of Blas Perez. A player considered to be one of the region's better strikers, Perez all but lost his place on the FCD team in the 2nd half of the season largely because of his refusal to play that position in a manner Pareja wanted. We all may dismiss Perez's departure but there is a larger story and reasoning in there everyone would do well to pay heed as they crave a new #9.

The downside is if that missing #9 does turn out to be a needed part for the rest of the squad to properly work, it'll be a summer buy and we all know what history tells us about summer additions. Lastly, Pareja is going to give Max Urruti his chance to prove his ability in that spot. Nabbing a pair of goals against Alianza over the weekend was neat, but Max has to prove he can overcome his smallish size.

The Ref Always Wins - Saturday I made the choice to watch Leverkusen and Dortmund simply because USMNT U20, Christian Pulisic was getting his first start. Getting to see "the next big thing" is always a treat, but what we got instead was without question, a first.

If you haven't heard, a controversial goal led to the ref, Felix Zwayer, dismissing the Leverkusen manager, Roger Schmidt - who wasn't having any of it and wasn't going anywhere.

So, in what was a first for me, and I think everyone, the referee simply literally "took the ball and went home". That's right, the ref and his three assistants halted the game and walked into the locker room and stayed until Schmidt finally relented and left the field. It felt like 30 minutes but the whole thing really was only about 10 minutes of dead time. But it was riveting 10 minutes.

The oddity of the whole scene was there was no yelling, physical confronting, angry gestures or violence. When the ref walked off the general sense was just confusion. Seeing a referee take such drastic action from what seemed to be a rather innocuous scenario was entertaining, but also refreshing.

In America we see players treat officials so poorly, and that's not to say it's not justified many times. It would be downright amazing to see a MLS center official just decide he'd had enough, stop play, grab the ball and head into the locker room until all parties stopped acting like idiots.

Much of what ails MLS officiating is simply the inability for that guy in the middle to act like a proper adult, man managing other adults and being willing to just put a stop to it. MLS players are given such leeway in the area of dissent it many times looks like the brink of assault.

Just saying, if Zwayer is brave and willing enough to stop a top flight Bundesliga match because a manager is calmly and rationally protesting an ejection - you'd think (insert MLS ref here) could do the same next time (insert MLS player name here) is spraying spittle in his face from a foot away because he thought the ball went out of bounds.

Yes, I have seen the FC Dallas 2016-2017 primary kit - Somehow, someone was kind enough to shoot me a picture, if only in a bootleg style. I'm not posting it here because I'm not 100% sure its legit, but gut tells me it is. Plus, the team wants this to be a surprise for the March 3rd Cocktails & Cleats reveal and I don't wanna be that guy, again.

Here's what I will tell you, I like it. Like it enough I'd probably buy one. I'm fascinated to see the reaction when the fanbase see it. I'm betting it will be warmly received as it's more reflective of the last design but some other details are included that should warm everyone's kit loving hearts.

I think its safe to say, and this may be the very best part, white shorts are here for 2016. Because they've been shown publicly from other sources, I'll reveal the pic I saw had the player in white shorts with a larger red side stripe containing the three smaller white 'adidas stripes' - making a connection to the jersey with the now consistent three side stripes seen on all MLS kits so far.

Personally, I am hoping the club is progressive enough to consider swapping shorts and sock colors to create the best conflicts in whatever the opponent wears to Frisco. So options for all red, red/white/red and red/white/white would be just down right perfecto.

*update* - yesterday FC Dallas tweeted a sneak peek, that confirms my mention about the white shorts.