Ahead of the 2015 SuperDraft, MLSsoccer.com is breaking down each team's needs and potential draft targets. FC Dallas -- the only team team that went unbeaten in last year's playoffs -- comes into this year's edition with a few holes to fill.
For FC Dallas, most of the answers will probably come from within. They led the league by miles in minutes played by Homegrown players in 2014, and will probably double up on that feat again in 2015 with Victor Ulloa and Moises Hernandez looking like mainstays in the starting XI and Kellyn Acosta very clearly ready for more minutes in central midfield.
So there are doubtless more contributors on the way from one of the most talent-rich areas in North America.
But let's also remember that it's Oscar Pareja calling the shots here, and nobody does "scouting the draft" better than Papi. He's made three Round 1 picks in the last two years, and come up with the last two Rookies of the Year (Dillon Powers and Tesho Akindele) as well as a consistent double-digit goal-scorer (DeShorn Brown).
Bet against him finding talent at No. 15 at your own peril.
FC Dallas SuperDraft selections: #15 (1st round), #56 (3rd round), #76 (4th round)
FC Dallas depth chart: 22 players
Goalkeeper (2): Chris Seitz, Dan Kennedy
Left Back (1): Moises Hernandez
Center Back (3): Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Stephen Keel
Right Back (2): Zach Loyd, Je-Vaughn Watson
Central Midfield (3): Victor Ulloa, Michel, Kellyn Acosta
Attacking Midfield (3): Mauro Diaz, Danny Garcia, Alejandro Zendejas
Winger (5): Fabian Castillo, Tesho Akindele, Ryan Hollingshead, Atiba Harris, Brian Span
Forward (3): Blas Perez, David Texeira, Coy Craft
Primary Need: Defensive depth
The fullback spots aren't as thin as they look on paper, since Loyd and Acosta can play on either side while Michel can slide to left back. Loyd can also play in the center of the defense -- as we saw last season -- so we may as well call FCD four-deep in the middle of the backline.
But two of those guys (Zimmerman and Keel) are relatively injury prone, which means Dallas are always on the verge of needing to scramble and flip positions. That's something they did quite well in 2014. Do they want to try it again this year?
Probably not. It makes sense for Dallas to look at a true central defender at No. 15.
Targets: Tim Parker (St. John's), Anthony Manning (St. Louis), Oumar Ballo (UMBC), Aaron Simmons (UCLA), Axel Sjoberg (Marquette)
Secondary Need: Central midfield
Ulloa is a workhorse and Acosta looks very much like a young Kyle Beckerman -- so much so that he'll be away with the US U-20s for the Youth World Cup this summer, provided Tab Ramos can guide his team through CONCACAF.
Watson can play here in a pinch, but this area is thin.
Targets: Fatai Alashe (Michigan State), Nick Besler (Notre Dame), Eric Bird (Virginia), Seth Casiple (California)
SUPERDRAFT TEAM PREVIEWS
- Columbus Crew:Step by step, second time around for CCSC
- Colorado Rapids:Can Mile High Club find a contributor late?
- DC United: One more piece for one more step
- Houston Dynamo:One decade later, a new era begins
- LA Galaxy:Recalibrating a championship machine
- Montreal Impact:Building out after a promising stretch run
- New England Revolution:Suddenly great, but plenty of need
- New York City FC:Feeling kind of blue east of the Hudson
- New York Red Bulls:Another new era in Jersey
- Real Salt Lake: Not quite a rebuild in the high desert
- San Jose Earthquakes: Recapturing that Goonie magic
- Toronto FC: Trying to solve the eternal problem in Ontario
- Vancouver Whitecaps:A full roster for Cascadia kings
- New England Revolution:Suddenly great but plenty of need
- Phildelphia Union: Building around the core
- Seattle Sounders:Nothing glaring for Shield, USOC winners
- Sporting KC:Filling it all out after a mini-rebuild
- Chicago Fire:Endless questions in the Windy City
- Portland Timbers:Draft & stash with T2 up and running
- Orlando City:Is there a trade for No. 1 in the works?
