Winning is fun; the owner likes to win, the head of soccer likes to win, coaches like to win, heck, even players and fans like to win. North Texas SC was celebrated and held up as a successful operation when it won the title in 2024.
But here’s the thing: North Texas SC doesn’t exist to win; it exists to develop players and support FC Dallas. The club itself refers to the junior team as its “professional development team.”
Yet in recent seasons, North Texas SC isn’t really developing players for FC Dallas. Sure, some players that are already signed go down and get some playing time; that’s fine, but those are players that are already on the fringe of the first team.
What I’m talking about is molding Academy players, homegrowns, hybrids, even young free agents into FC Dallas players. The pipeline program made FC Dallas special and competitive. Preparing their own youth for impactful, professional careers at FC Dallas, or elsewhere.
2019-2021 – When NTSC Worked
Eric Quill was North Texas SC coach from 2019 through 2021 (three seasons). Los Toritos played in the stronger USL-1 at the time.
Here are some of the players Quill developed at North Texas, all of whom played with NTSC while in the Academy or after signing with North Texas SC but before signing with FC Dallas. All of the names here have gone on to carve out a pro career above Division 3 (MLS Next Pro or USL-1), six of them signing with FC Dallas.
- Arturo Rodriguez – USL-C
- Ronaldo Damus – USL-C
- Ricardo Pepi – FCD
- Tanner Tessmann – FCD
- Johan Gomez – Europe, Chicago Fire
- Brecc Evans – USL-C
- Kevin Bonilla – USL-C
- David Rodriguez – Atlético San Luis, USL-C
- Beni Redžić – FCD
- Collin Smith – FCD
- Jonathan Gomez – Europe
- Matthew Corcoran – USL-C, Nashville MLS
- Justin Che – FCD
- Alejandro Urzua – FCD, Atlante FC
- Nico Carrera – Atlante FC
- Imanol Almaguer – USL-C
That’s not to mention youngsters like Bryan Reynolds (FCD, Europe), Edwin Cerrillo (FCD, LAG, Club America), Thomas Roberts (FCD, Europe, USL-C), Dante Sealy (Europe, FCD, Montreal, Colorado), Antonio Carrera (FCD, Tigres), and Brandon Servania (FCD, DC United), who got a bunch of NTSC development time after they were already signed by FCD. Some of them signed as teens before NTSC even existed,
Quill also found, signed, and developed Bernie Kamungo (FCD) and Nicky Hernandez (FCD, USL-C) in that time frame, both of whom signed with FC Dallas.
2022-2026 – Not Much Since
Since the departure of Eric Quill from NTSC, the hire of Nico Estevez as FCD head coach in December of 2021, and the implementation of the MLS U22 Initiative in late 2021 (perhaps as much a reason as anything), the development of players coming through North Texas SC has slowed down to a crawl.
In this 2022 to 2026 time frame, NTSC has had three coaches: Pa-Modou Kah, Javier Cano, and John Gall. Only Gall lasted more than one season. (Note: Michel Garbini was interim NTSC coach for the tail end of 2024 when Gall joined FCD Interim Coach Peter Luccin’s staff.)
Here’s a list of players who played with NTSC in the last five seasons before signing with FCD or another pro team above MLS Next Pro level and played more than a couple of games.
- Tarik Scott – FCD, USL-C
- Nolan Norris – FCD
- Julian Eyestone – Brentford (loan to Rotherham United)
- Michael Collodi – FCD
Three from the Academy, one open tryout, and one college player. Only two of them have gone on to meaningfully help FC Dallas: Nolan Norris and Michael Collodi, and Collodi spent five years in college before coming to NTSC.
It is perhaps noteworthy that Norris and Scott were the last two straight to Homegrown signings, skipping a hybrid deal phase, before Benji Flowers.
In that same five-season time frame, there have been 26 (by my count) other players from the FC Dallas Academy to sign with North Texas SC, and none of them have yet contributed to a professional team above the level of North Texas SC.
And by my count, since the beginning of 2022, there have been 17 additional Academy players to get minutes at North Texas SC and not signed a pro contract at all, not even with North Texas SC.
What’s Gone Wrong?
While it’s not the only thing, as there are many factors, but there is an emphasis on winning games that has permeated North Texas SC. The emphasis has not been on developing talent. (Check out our last podcast for a discussion of issues plaguing the Academy.)
When Gall wasn’t playing FCD players who need PT, he too often picked older, larger, physical, college-age players over younger kids from the Academy. The chances of a 23- or 24-year-old player who isn’t MLS level advancing to MLS level are small compared to a teenager who can handle this Next Pro level.
Allow me to try and demonstrate what I mean by looking at the top 10 NTSC players in minutes this season and provide some cases where alternative players should have played.
Hopefully this isn’t getting lost in the weeds.
| Player | Notes | Instead | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edu Nys (21 yo, AM) | A late-round pick made by Gall to help win games. Playing picks is mostly ok. Yes, NTSC MVP, but is he ever going to make MLS? An international to boot. | Sam Sedeh (HY 09), Benji Flowers (HG 11), Da’vian Kimbrough (10), Daniel Baran (HG 06), Jaidyn Contreras (HG 07), Steel Cook (AC 09), Andre Saucedo (AC 08). | It would have been better to change tactics to match FCD’s 3-4-3 and use some young wings. Or Academy 10s with Galls 4-2-3-1. |
| Slade Starnes (22 yo, CB) | FCD’s All-American college homegrown. This was fine; he needed the games. NTSC Captain. | ||
| Enzo Newman (20 yo, RB) | A former high draft pick, needed PT for ACL recovery. Fine. He was stuck in the “31st player slot” when he should have returned to FCD when ready. | Malachi Molina (HG 06) or Christian Wygant (AC 09). | Molina was loaned to Nashville, who played him in MLSNP. Did FCD give up on him to give Newman PT? Future pro (IMO) Wygant got just 59 minutes all year. |
| Eryk Dymora (23 yo, G) | Free agent college keeper from Duke/Monmouth. He performed well enough. | Niklas Herceg (draft pick) or Nico Montoya (07). Maybe Thomas Burchfield (09). | After Herceg stayed in school, the 19 yo Montoya should have gotten all the starts instead of 5. |
| Natty James (22 yo, W) | Free agent T&T winger from a USL-1. Again, this is a win at Next Pro signing. | Sam Sedeh (HY 09), Benji Flowers (HG 11), Da’vian Kimbrough (10), Daniel Baran (HG 06), Jaidyn Contreras (HG 07) | None of them played enough. |
| Álvaro Augusto (21 yo, CB) | FCD signing. On paper, it’s fine that he came down to get PT. But he doesn’t look good; his PT should have gone elsewhere. | Jonah Gibson (08), Wyatt Easterly (08), Ian Charles (07), Zach Molomo (08), Liam Vejrostek (AC 09) | Any of the rest would have been great, particularly the last 2. |
| Ricky Louis (19 yo, W) | Good. Playing the team’s Generation adidas player at NTSC is good. | ||
| Timothy Ospina (23 yo, DM) | When I mentioned Ospina as a good free agent pickup for NTSC, I meant as a fill-in or role player. Not a lock starter when healthy. | Isaiah Kaakoush (HY 08) or late-season Lucas Martins. | The fact that former US U17 standout Kaakoush has played just 556 minutes in 3 years (with an ACL tear in the middle) is a travesty. |
| Diego Garcia (19 yo, CM) | Garcia played above MLS Next Pro last year. He should have been loaned to a USL-C team once he was outside Quill’s rotation. | Diego Hernandez (Furman), Andre Saucedo (AC 08), Matt Razo (AC 08), Gio Alvarez (AC 08). | FCD produces a lot of 8s. Hernandez should have been a HG last year, and there were some 2008s worthy of a look that never got a chance. |
| Leandro Gonçalves (21 yo, LB/CB) | It’s mystifying that this player was signed or played. All he does is block the path of better talent. Gonçalves is better than the coach’s own kid. At least there’s that. | Josh Torquato, Liam Vejrostek (09), Zach Molomo (08). | You have two elite Academy prospects who are better than Gonçalves already, with more upside. Molomo getting just 96 minutes in three seasons is an even bigger joke than Kaakoush. |
We could go on and on.
All up and down North Texas SC, so many decisions over the last five seasons make no sense from a development perspective. They only make sense if you consider that the coaches in charge have a must-win-games priority.
Look, I get it. I don’t think I’m a cynic suggesting that coaches want to win games to further their career. It’s understandable. But it’s the wrong play for the club.
FCD has an amazing Academy, and the work at North Texas SC over the last five years has wasted a lot of its potential.
Don’t get me started on all these foreign signings that have produced exactly one player for FC Dallas: Pedrinho. A player who our sources tell us was promised a first-team contract before he came to Texas and was effectively stashed at NTSC for a year till roster room was made.
Fixing North Texas SC
The next North Texas SC coach needs to be of a development-first approach. One that puts the club before himself. Sure, coach to win in the moment, but more so, develop to help FC Dallas win. Make it about advancing academy players, improving homegrowns, and coaching up a couple draft picks.
Put the players and the club ahead of the coach. To steal a slogan, the coach needs a “me third” mentality.
In addition, the club itself and the first team need to be able to give kids opportunity. This might actually be the harder part. Quill’s priority is, and should be, winning. Given FCD’s position in the standings, it’s even fair to say it’s a win-now priority. But that’s going to slow down the development pipeline, something the ownership used to take immense pride in.
Understanding the Playing Field
There is, however, one big issue at play: the new stadium in Mansfield.
I concede that, given the expense of the stadium build and its location in a new market along with the owners’ desire to have that club turn a profit, I may lose this battle. It’s not my money or club, after all.
The Hunts may feel that at North Texas SC, winning is everything. Putting buts in seats and making money may be the goal.
I think that would be a shame.