Welcome back for another look at the FC Dallas and North Texas SC rosters as we rank all 46 players under a professional contract.
Like any power ranking, there’s no great scientific formula. We look at who is performing well, who’s getting chances, who’s being talked about by the media, and who fans are talking about. without any further ado.
Starting XI:
| 1 (-) | Andres Ricaurte High: 1 | Low: 21 | Leads the team in (per game) dribbles, fouls suffered, key passes, crosses. Tied-1st for shots outside the box. Third in tackles. The numbers back up an impressive eye test. – Dan |
| 2 (+1) | Reto Ziegler High: 2 | Low: 13 | Age is a factor as is his pace, but his intelligence, experience, and leadership keeps him near the top in value. He continues to play at such a high concept level. – Buzz |
| 3 (+3) | Bryan Reynolds High: 3 | Low: 20 | Looking solid defensively and has as many assists in 11 games as Reggie had in the last two calendar years. Possibly the most talked-about player on the team. – Dan |
| 4 (-2) | Matt Hedges High: 1 | Low: 7 | Slips slightly with the injury but remains the key defensive figure for FCD. – Buzz |
| 5 (-) | Thiago Santos High: 1 | Low: 5 | Santos couldn’t even get a full 90 minutes off, such is his importance to Luchi. – Dan |
| 6 (+1) | Michael Barrios High: 2 | Low: 7 | He remains FCD’s best winger and finally got a goal against the Crew. Still having a subpar season by his standards though. – Buzz |
| 7 (+1) | Ryan Hollingshead High: 6 | Low: 12 | Ryan is getting forward far more down the left than previously. He mentioned that he’s been made a focal point at set pieces and almost got the team on the board a few minutes in off a header in the SKC game. – Dan |
| 8 (+1) | Jimmy Maurer High: 3 | Low: 21 | Jimmy “Allstate” Maurer is a stable, calming influence in the back with 14 saves over the last three games. – Buzz |
| 9 (-5) | Franco Jara High: 4 | Low: 18 | That’s five games without a goal, wasting good chances, and with a fan base that didn’t like how Jara replaced Kobra to begin with. – Dan |
| 10 (+1) | Bryan Acosta High: 7 | Low: 15 | Playing his best – and most consistent – ball of the season. But please stop with the 40 yard field goals. – Buzz |
| 11 (+1) | Tanner Tessmann High: 6 | Low: 19 | Grown Ass Man 2.0 is getting good minutes, dropping 60-yard-bombs, and the club is eager to make him one of the regular media appearances. – Dan |
In The Mix:
| 12 (+3) | Bressan High: 9 | Low: 17 | He finally looked the part this season with the defense not dropping off when he plays/starts. But his salary relative to his backup status is a problem. – Buzz |
| 13 (-3) | Fafa Picault High: 8 | Low: 16 | We mentioned on the pod that Fafa seems to be running into team mates’ space, and picked a poor option on a wide shot that could have been a tap-in for Jara. Mosquera’s injury is keeping Picault in the lineup for now. – Dan |
| 14 (-) | Santiago Mosquera High: 14 | Low: 31 | Has flashes of great moments and about 10 minutes of good work combined with a whole lot of nothing the rest of the game. And he can’t stay healthy. – Buzz |
| 15 (+2) | Jesus Ferreira High: 10 | Low: 17 | Luchi keeps going to Jesus, using him in all three games since we last ranked. He’s just not a threat. – Dan |
| 16 (-) | Ricardo Pepi High: 9 | Low: 17 | Still has the 3rd highest xG (2.1) on the team and his actual G (2) is right on the mark. He remains a frequent early sub choice by Coach G as he learns the finer points of pro soccer. – Buzz |
| 17 (-4) | Johnny Nelson High: 13 | Low: 22 | Just a two minute appearance against SKC but it goes to show that Nelson is someone regarded as being able to sustain pressure and that Luchi has faith in his defensive play. – Dan |
| 18 (-) | Brandon Servania High: 14 | Low: 18 | He’s a little off his game mentally but adapted well as a right wing/mid in his last appearance. He has to be suffering a bit as he’s clearly fallen behind Tessmann. – Buzz |
| 19 (+2) | Thomas Roberts High: 19 | Low: 29 | Looking the part with North Texas and making FCD benches. – Dan |
| 20 (-1) | Callum Montgomery High: 12 | Low: 20 | Had a fantastic season at San Antonio FC and his early recall likely contributed to their 1st round exit. His much improved passing should see him get minutes and starts for FCD down the stretch at left center back. – Buzz |
Second Team:
| 21 (+1) | Phelipe Megiolaro High: 21 | Low: 22 | One of the harder parts of not being able to attend training is that we know absolutely nothing about how good Phelipe is. – Dan |
| 22 (+2) | Dante Sealy High: 20 | Low: 28 | Continues to get a small taste of late game minutes but still looks like he has little idea of team concepts and tactics. It’s all individual stuff. But his progression is right on target. He’s exactly where he needs to be minus some missing NTX starts. – Buzz |
| 23 (+2) | Arturo Rodriguez High: 22 | Low: 33 | North Texas is 4-1-2 since ARod’s return. He’s bagged a couple of goals and USL League One named him the team’s X-Factor. – Dan |
| 24 (-4) | Kyle Zobeck High: 15 | Low: 27 | Since his return from injury he hasn’t been on the bench ahead of Phelipe. That means he’s back to being 3rd choice. – Buzz |
| 25 (+1) | Nkosi Burgess High: 25 | Low: 33 | Scored a beautiful volley and was named to USL-1 team of the week. – Dan |
| 26 (+1) | Edwin Cerrillo High: 23 | Low: 37 | Aside from a couple of flare ups (bad cards) and a bad foul or two, he’s showing a terrific tool set with North Texas. The progression is great, he just needs more seasoning and wisdom. – Buzz |
| 27 (-4) | Ema Twumasi High: 20 | Low: 27 | Back with FCD in quarantine. Maybe Ema can edge his way in that unsettled winger discussion? – Dan |
| 28 (+1) | Nicky Hernandez High: 28 | Low: 33 | A lock choice starter for North Texas SC. What an addition he’s been. Not ready for MLS but he’s making his case as the best non-FCD player for NTX since signing. – Buzz |
| 29 (-1) | Ronaldo Damus High: 27 | Low: 38 | Two goals and an assist against Ft Lauderdale gave us a brief look at last season’s Ronaldo Damus. – Dan |
| 30 (+9) | Eddie Munjoma High: 30 | Low: 39 | He’s finally playing and looks the part. He’s putting himself atop the “who’s next” list for right back when Bryan Reynolds is sold next year. – Buzz |
| 31 (-) | Justin Che High: 31 | Low: 31 | The FCD Homegrown has played every minute of North Texas SC’s attempt to get back to the USL-1 final. – Dan |
| 32 (-1) | Carlos Avilez High: 31 | Low: 43 | He’s now the unquestioned lock #1 again for NTX and has regained his form. Making some spectacular athletic saves. Decision making and the feet need work but that will come with time (He’s only 21). – Buzz |
In Reserve:
| 33 (-3) | Gibran Rayo High: 30 | Low: 42 | Rayo has been quiet but started all four games since the last ranking. – Dan |
| 34 (+7) | Alex Bruce High: 30 | Low: 42 | He’s playing through an injury and clearly suffering for the team. But he puts in a ton of work and is a terrific defensive striker. Getting the starts as Damus deals with an injury too. – Buzz |
| 35 (-2) | Alisson High: 33 | Low: 43 | A start and three sub appearances. Cerrillo’s presence hurts his minutes. – Dan |
| 36 (-4) | Brecc Evans High: 30 | Low: 36 | The captain is still out injured and he may not be back this season. It’s not a good sign that the NTX defense got much better when he was replaced by Burgess. – Buzz |
| 37 (+3) | Derek Waldeck High: 37 | Low: 45 | Regular starter and he’s starting to register assists as his attacking game develops. – Dan |
| 38 (-4) | Imanol Almaguer High: 34 | Low: 44 | Has vanished from the 18s. Hurt or no? – Buzz |
| 39 (-4) | Francis Atuahene High: 18 | Low: 39 | Back from San Diego but what’s the next step? – Dan |
| 40 (-4) | Juan Manuel Alvarez High: 26 | Low: 44 | He’s hurt all the time and that has totally derailed the wonderful play that was on display in the spring. At 24, the window for him was small here and it’s likely closed. – Buzz |
| 41 (-3) | David Rodriguez High: 33 | Low: 41 | The younger Rodriguez is struggling to get any time at all right now. – Dan |
| 42 (-) | Luis Zamudio High: 32 | Low: 42 | Firmly second choice, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him. – Buzz |
| 43 (-) | Philip Ponder High: 43 | Low: 46 | Two brief sub appearances show Ponder is still in Eric Quill’s plans, even if it’s on the fringe. – Dan |
| 44 (-) | Pedrinho High: 44 | Low: 47 | I honestly forgot he was on the team. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t been waived. Perhaps they keep him around for an emergency or in case Munjoma is recalled? – Buzz |
| 45 (-8) | Paxton Pomykal High: 2 | Low: 45 | Pax lands near the bottom after his season-ending surgery. – Dan |
| 46 (-1) | Pablo Aranguiz High: 23 | Low: 48 | New phone, who dis? – Buzz |
Andres Ricaurte keeps the number one spot to no surprise, but our two winners are making moves with North Texas SC this week with near-double figure jumps.
Eddie Munjoma was one of the players waiting patiently for a chance in this COVID-hit season. He was finally loaned to North Texas on a longer term, bagging a goal and making USL League One Team of the Week. He shoots up nine spots.
Alex Bruce isn’t far behind as another playing making the league’s best XI for week 13. Two goals and an assist while battling through injury saw the Englishman up seven places.
On the other end, Franco Jara’s run of form is over as he snatches at chances with the burden of replacing a cult hero weighing on him. Jara drops five spots, with a seven-way tie behind him of players injured or just not seeing the field enough.