I know there is some kind of All-Star game going on tonight, but FC Dallas fans aren’t really bothered by such diversions.

Instead, we are basking in a 4-point week for our team, a rarity in what has been a tough season.

Of the many questions troubling fans in Frisco, one has been the lack of opportunities for young players trying to make their way through the academy, out of North Texas SC, and into the senior team.

Not, of course, that it has been all bad. Pedrinho, after an excellent championship year with North Texas, has been a welcome surprise this season, chipping in 2 goals and 3 assists as a backup playmaker/starting winger. Kaick, at 19 years of age, started earning minutes pretty quickly and may be beginning to hit his stride — though he was a signing directly from Gremio’s U19 side. Álvaro is another young signing who has had some decent performances with North Texas and now with Dallas.

Beyond that, for a long stretch of games, FC Dallas was mostly turning to underperforming veterans to try to carve out results. Guys like Bernard Kamungo and even Logan Farrington, who spent some formative minutes with NTSC, haven’t been as consistent as needed. Why not play the youth if the guys with more experience are going to struggle?

Suddenly, though, that North Texas to FC Dallas pipeline is looking stronger and stronger.

Josh Torquato bags a homegrown deal as he steps in at left wingback and plays well. Really well for a 17-year-old.

Sam Sarver transferred his scintillating form with the reserve team into an energetic cameo and earned a penalty kick late on Saturday, a quick rise from SuperDraft pick to potential first teamer.

And the fans ate it up. Because we love these kinds of stories. This is what FC Dallas has been about. Yes, we want stars and good players on our roster, but we love it when the youngsters work their way up, get their shot, and make the most of it. We love it when guys like Chris Richards are able to come home and wear the local colors. We believe it when Dan Hunt and company said this team was about building through the academy.

So, hey, in a very strange season that has had plenty of disappointment (so far), let’s take a moment to celebrate with Quill on two young guys who bring inspiration and energy, who are playing well above their years, and potentially helping the team write a different ending to the season.

Here’s to many more.

It’s hard to write the show notes, because we had so much to cover in this episode as we welcomed Chris Winters, who covers North Texas SC for 3rd Degree.

Here are a few highlights:

* How are we feeling about FC Dallas after a 4 point week? Is there hope?

* Has Quill found something in this formation?

* Will Musa break FC Dallas’ season goal scoring record?

* When will Sam Sarver be signed?

* How about them kids?

* What is the future of Lucho Acosta?

* How will North Texas fare without Sam Sarver?

* Jersey-gate with Collin. Shoutout to Dan Hunt!

* A dash of looking ahead at this weekend with games for both North Texas and FC Dallas

Thanks for liking, subscribing, sharing, and enjoying. We appreciate you!

For those fans hoping that a road trip might give the team a chance to flip their play around after three home losses, FC Dallas unfortunately couldn’t deliver, losing to Los Angeles FC 2-0.

Patrickson Delgado turned the ball over in the first half which LAFC quickly delivered into an opening goal via a young talent Nathan Ordaz. A foul on the box was called on Shaq Moore as he went shoulder to shoulder with Dennis Bouanga, an all too familiar situation for teams facing the LA. Bouanga slotted the PK home.

The big drama in this one was seeing Lucho Acosta lose his captaincy and left on the bench to start the game. Pedrinho got the start, but FC Dallas really didn’t get things going. Not that it was all bad - as Quill noted to media after the match, there definitely was some hard work by the team. For a stretch in the first half, they were doing good work staying organized and preventing Los Angeles from finding opportunities.

Maarten Paes also had a solid game with seven saves, showing vital leadership and keeping the team at least with some hope as minutes ticked by.

Ultimately, though, there were once again no answers for a team that is struggling with a lack of confidence and a clear identity. Even when Lucho came back on in the second half, the creative attacker struggled to influence the game.

I was able to send in a couple of questions - listen in to the audio above, shared by FC Dallas.

The big challenge for Eric Quill is to find ways to keep this team at least bought in and heads held high. It’s clear that the mounting run of results are only going to keep dragging the team down unless they can weather the storm and figure things out in real time. The season is slipping away.

AFTERBURN SOCCER is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey, friends, thanks for listening in to this nearly hour podcast about FC Dallas and North Texas SC.

We talk about some big stuff:

* Why is FC Dallas playing so poorly right now?

* Is Eric Quill on the hot seat?

* Are future signings on the way going to help FC Dallas?

* How is North Texas doing?

* And more…

Love your support!

Thanks for listening and subscribing to the Afterburn Soccer Show, a podcast focusing on FC Dallas and North Texas Soccer Club.

In this episode, we look back at an awful week with two home losses, red cards, and lots of misery. Was the offense improved? Yes! But we ask lots of questions about what is holding this team back, listen in to Eric Quill’s post-game comments, and try to shift ahead to a crucial home match against Minnesota on Friday.

Good news - North Texas SC is back in action this week.

Thanks as usual for your support.

You’ll hear from Bernard Kamungo and Eric Quill in this episode as we look ahead to a two game match week for FC Dallas, crucial in their hopes for postseason progress.

Plus, we touch upon North Texas’ difficult road trip but find positives nonetheless in this young team.

And a splash of Club World Cup talk.

Álvaro Augusto is an FC Dallas kind of signing, a kid who impressed the team as a young player when they trained during preseason in Portugal. As a 19-year-old defender, there was no expectation that he was anything but a project, someone with athleticism and talent to develop for the future.

With injuries and suspensions, though, FC Dallas turned to the youngster on Saturday on the road against Sporting Kansas City, a surprise start considering his limited minutes. Before this, Augusto had grabbed minutes as a late-game substitute for the senior team and six starts for North Texas. But that didn’t stop him from an emotional, spirited performance that gave the Burn their first win in a month.

I asked North Texas SC head coach John Gall, who has worked frequently with the youngster, about the performance and what it means.

Thank you for listening in to the Afterburn Soccer Show. We try to go live on Monday evenings and then post the audio the next day.

This week, after a decent break, we jump back into things, a little rusty perhaps, but maybe we wanted to be right where FC Dallas was coming off of a big break. Did they get the job done in Kansas City? Of course with a 4-2 win.

We talk about the key performances, especially the return of Sebastian Lletget, Lucho Acosta getting two goals, Musa scoring, and Augusto Alvaro making a big debut and showing off well. But is he starter material? Some say yes, some say no.

We hit North Texas, talk about upcoming opponents (a shoutout to Milan Iloski formerly of Orange County Soccer Club), and end with some yawns.

That’s life.

Afterburn Soccer Show Notes - June 2, 2025

Thanks for listening and subscribing!

Let’s start with where this team is in the standings after a Brutal May.

Seattle Away Loss, 1-0

PK shootout loss to the Red Bulls in New Jersey

FC Cincinnati draw, 3-3 on the road

Home Draw against Philly, 0-0

Red card to Lalas Abubakar - terrible decision

Quill on the rest of the season: “Stick with us.”

Herbert Endelay - torn ACL, recalled from loan

Osaze Urhoghide - leg injury

North Texas - back in action on Wednesday at St Louis, 2 points out of first place - looking so strong - Aaron Essel with the Ghanian men’s national team callup

Eric Quill did not mince or censor his words last night after a disappointing and emotional penalty kick shootout loss against the Red Bulls.

FC Dallas went ahead first on a beautiful Kamungo effort fed by Lucho Acosta and then rallied to go ahead again on a skillful bit of play as Kamungo turned and fed Lucho to make it to 2-1. The Red Bulls, though, had the star talent to turn to off the bench and found an equalizer late in regular time.

A red card given to Ramiro made life profoundly more difficult for Dallas deep in extra time. The team had to basically hold on for dear life, hoping for a penalty kick shootout to survive.

The PK shootout went pretty poorly though, with Lucho missing what should have been a routine shot. Paes found one save to give Dallas hope, but in the end, Pedrinho couldn’t deliver to keep his side in it. Tough, tough night.

Quill did more than hint that the refereeing was not good enough on the night. Wil he face a sanction or punishment? We’ll see.

Listen to his words yourself and see what you make of this team, their fight, and their future.