The following is a guest post by Zach Lowy.
FC Dallas continued their superb run of form on Saturday, beating Colorado Rapids 3-1 in Frisco and taking a huge step towards reaching the playoffs. It was a special match for every player on Dallas, who won their first match vs. Colorado since April 9, 2022, but perhaps none more so than Lalas Abubakar.
Born in Kumasi, Ghana, Abubakar decided to leave the University of Accra for the University of Dayton in 2014, where he impressed at the collegiate level and was soon drafted with the fifth overall pick of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew.
Abubakar made his mark in MLS and emerged as a regular contributor before falling down the pecking order under new manager Caleb Porter and making the move to Colorado Rapids in 2019. Abubakar played 153 times for the Rapids and became a vital cog in central defense, but he decided to depart Colorado and head to Dallas in December 2024, arriving on a two-year contract with a one-year club option.
“I’ve always had so much respect for Dallas because it’s a big club that has produced a lot of good homegrown players, and a lot of my ex-teammates from Colorado told me about how good of a club it is,” stated Abubakar in an RG interview. When the opportunity came for Dallas to sign me, I didn’t even think about any other club; right away, I wanted to come to Dallas. Everybody at the front office made things easier for me as a free agent, and after speaking to the new coach, Eric Quill, and the Sporting Director André Zanotta, I immediately wanted to be a part of the project and compete for trophies.”
Abubakar was forced to initially bide his time on the bench before eventually breaking into the starting XI in May and becoming an indispensable figure in the backline, playing 27 times in all competitions. He ranks fourth in their squad for interceptions per 90 (1.0), third for clearances per 90 (5.3) and third for blocks per 90 (0.9).
However, he hasn’t just made an impact on the pitch with his defensive quality, but also with his impressive leadership skills. Whether playing from the start or coming off the bench, Abubakar has stepped up and delivered with a promising debut campaign in Texas, showcasing a professional mentality and work rate, and a remarkable dedication to his craft.
After playing the full 90 in 10 straight matches, Abubakar dropped to the bench on September 13, coming on for the final quarter-hour of a 2-0 win vs. Austin, before replacing Kaick for the final quarter-hour of their win against Colorado. Abubakar will be looking to continue his impressive form across the home stretch of the campaign, which will see Dallas travel to Portland, play LA Galaxy home and away, before flying to Vancouver for their last regular season match. Dallas currently occupy the final playoff spot, sitting one point above Houston, two above San Jose, and two behind Colorado, with a game in hand on all three of those teams.
“Honestly, I came here to win, and if I keep pushing myself and my teammates, we’re going to get there, we’re going to become champions,” stated Abubakar. “Champions…that’s the word that Eric always uses, and that’s my favorite thing to hear whenever he’s talking, because that’s why I’m here. I love what the coaches and front office are preaching, and I feel like I’m in a really great environment. We’ve lost just one of our last nine games, and the goal right now is to push on, win our final games, and make the playoffs. If we can make the playoffs, it will be hard for anybody to stop us with the way that we’re playing. We’re going to keep pushing each other every day in order to become champions.”
At 30 years of age, Lalas Abubakar has racked up nearly 200 MLS appearances for three different clubs, but he hasn’t won a single trophy in his entire career. Can he change that with Dallas this year?
