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.

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