SerpApi.Org
For FC Dallas, restarting the season after the World Cup is, as they say in show business, a tough act to follow.
After weeks surrounded by the brilliance of the world's biggest stars, the drama delivered by the most electrifying national teams and the energy of packed stadiums filled with fans from every corner of the globe, the contrast is undeniable and the challenge is real.
MLS paused its calendar for two months to make way for the World Cup, which ended Sunday with Spain lifting the trophy for the second time in its history.
Related: World Cup showed FIFA how ‘we do things bigger and better in Texas,' Dallas organizer says
When the league hit the pause button, FC Dallas was in the middle of an unusual stretch: nine straight matches on the road, a run almost unheard of in top‑flight soccer.
The club's away marathon has gone as follows: Before the break, FC Dallas played May 16 in San Jose, Calif., and May 23 in Commerce City, Colo. After the break, the team plays Wednesday in Portland, Ore., Saturday in San Diego and Aug. 1 in Los Angeles.
FC Dallas returns to North Texas on Aug. 5 for a Leagues Cup match in Mansfield against Querétaro of Liga MX - a game that is unrelated to the MLS regular season.
FC Dallas will resume MLS play with four consecutive road matches - in Austin, Salt Lake City, Vancouver and St. Louis.
The club won't play again at home at Toyota Stadium in Frisco until Sept. 5, when it hosts Kansas City.
‘Ready to fly'
For FCD head coach Eric Quill, the gauntlet isn't something to fear. It's something to embrace.
"I'm a personality type that says, ‘What a great challenge,'" Quill said. "I don't sit there and say, ‘Who would put this kind of schedule together?' I'm not wired like that. I like challenges in life."
Quill's optimism isn't blind. FC Dallas has been one of the league's strongest road teams this season, posting four wins and two losses away from home.
Only the San Jose Earthquakes have more road victories - six in eight matches - within the Western Conference.
"I think we're really good on the road, so it's not daunting," Quill said. "I'd probably have a different mindset if we weren't so good away from home, but we are. Life doesn't give you a lot of challenges, but when it does, you've got to accept them and be excited for them."
The World Cup break offered its own set of complications. The pause forced FC Dallas to rethink how to maintain rhythm, fitness and cohesion.
Related: Watershed moment or wasted chance? What USMNT's World Cup exit means for North Texas soccer
Quill described the stoppage as "almost like having two seasons in one."
FC Dallas came back from the World Cup break sitting fifth in the Western Conference, holding 25 points from a 7‑4‑4 record - a solid position considering the club had been grinding through one of the most demanding road stretches in MLS.
FCD coaching staff built a physical plan to keep players sharp, knowing the restart would demand immediate intensity.
"We have to come out ready to fly," said Quill.
No excuses
For midfielder Ramiro, the road stretch has been less philosophical and more practical. He acknowledges the oddity of the schedule but refuses to dwell on it.
"It's a bit strange, the way things work here," he said. "But for me, it's about trying to step on the field and play. It seems a bit strange, but that's how it is. And if that's how it is, we have to try to deal with it."
Ramiro's perspective reflects the team's broader mentality: accept the situation, adjust and keep competing. He said playing nine straight road games is unusual anywhere in the world, but not entirely unprecedented in MLS.
Other clubs - such as Montreal, which opened the season with six straight road games - also contend with extended stretches away from home.
"There are no excuses," Ramiro said.
Related: FC Dallas resets its identity as it opens a new MLS season, aiming to win 'lots of games'
Uruguayan midfielder Joaquín Valiente has also felt the weight of the schedule. For him, the World Cup break was both a pause and a reset.
"That depends on each player," Valiente said. "We can't lose sight of the fact that when we come back, we'll have a lot of competition ahead of us. It's important to maintain the level we've been showing."
Valiente is in his first season in MLS, and in a short time he has already realized what it takes to succeed in the league.
"It's a very good league, very competitive, with very talented players," he said. "It's a league that stands out for its physicality, with teams that have a very even competitive level."
Looking ahead
Valiente said the long pause inevitably disrupted some of the rhythm and chemistry the team had built during the first half of the season.
He said when collective training stops, "you lose a bit," but emphasized that individual preparation can soften the impact.
By staying sharp on their own, Valiente said, players can return in better shape and ease the transition back into full team training. The team even held a tune‑up match July 15 against Orlando in Mansfield.
Related: FC Dallas prepares for second half of 2026 season after facing French superstar Antoine Griezmann
Valiente expects FC Dallas to look much like it did before the break, maintaining the same on‑field habits and collective strengths.
Quill agrees. His expectations for the restart are clear: a strong push toward the playoffs.
"We want to be in a playoff spot where the margins are in your favor," he said. "We know from the first half of the season we can beat anybody. There's no question about who we are."
Now, with the World Cup behind them and MLS returning to center stage, FC Dallas faces a familiar challenge: proving that the resilience already forged on the road can carry them through the second half of the season.
Read this story on dallasnews.com
