6 things in 6 matches: What to watch from FC Dallas down the stretch

After FC Dallas' historic 1-all draw this past Saturday against St. Louis City, the playoff climb remains challenging. At 31 points the Burn sit four points back of the ninth spot, five of eighth, and eight of seventh. With a game in hand on three of the four teams ahead of them in the standings, there's still a chance even if it'll take maximum effort.

While supporters will lament a potential second straight season without playoffs (as they should) this six pack of games contains plenty of which to pay attention. If you're not sure why to watch the last six Saturdays of Toros action, allow me to inspire you.

Petar Musa chasing history

A large and complimentary discussion around Musa's tenure in Dallas is coming this off-season. That could be capped by Musa breaking the FC Dallas single season goal record, which sits at 18 currently. If Musa wants to do what Jason Kreis, Kenny Cooper, and Jesus Ferreira couldn't he needs five goals in six games.

While that number seems large, consider this: Out of the 30 goals scored by the Moose in his MLS career, he's scored eight against the opponents Dallas plays down the stretch. Specifically:

• Austin: 2
• Colorado: 3
• LA Galaxy: 1
• Portland: 2
• Vancouver: 0

Put another way: It's doable. Combine that with the fact that Dallas' offense has been Musa or bust as of late, and he'll have no shortage of chances to set the record. Even if he doesn't get the goals record there's a real chance of a 15 goal, 10 assist season which would put him in elite striker territory.

Watching Musa is always worth the price of admission, as he's a hidden gem within a league that only cares about teams bordering an ocean. Now he's closing in on club history, multiplying the excitement factor for every Musa minute.

Intrigue at goalkeeper

Not unlike quarterbacks in American football, the further down clubs go on their goalkeeper depth charts the more trouble they're generally in. Somehow that's not the case in Frisco, as they've stumbled onto a goldmine between the posts.

Maarten Paes' journey in Frisco has been fruitful, racking up three plus seasons of above average performances despite three different managers in his tenure. That success has led to an international career with Indonesia, who are on track to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Then a collision in training forced Michael Collodi into the starting job for the time being. The reigning MLS Next Pro keeper of the year and MLS Next Pro champion has six MLS starts with Dallas, allowing just four goals against 17 saves and a 2W-3D-1L record.

His aggression in net is matched only by his distribution ability, something lauded by his manager Eric Quill. It's allowed Dallas to be more aggressive on the backline, since Collodi can step up into the field. He's not as big or experienced as Paes, but don't tell him that. Collodi has risen to the best backup in MLS, and arguably could be a starter for the right club.

Disaster struck on Saturday against St. Louis when Collodi was red carded for what can only be described as a soft DOGSO (denial of a goal scoring opportunity) via a diving Joao Klauss. Collodi's departure meant 25 year old Jake Jackson would play 70 plus minutes on the road in his Dallas debut.

In his sixth MLS appearance, Jackson put on a clinic in shot stopping logging 12 saves, tied for the most in club history. His and Collodi's combined 14 is the most ever in a Dallas game. Per MLS' website St. Louis launched 41 shots in total, second most in a single MLS match. Other stat packs have it at 43, which ties the record. Regardless of how many Jackson answered the call, allowing Dallas to leave the Gateway City with a point.

Barring an overturn of Collodi's red card by the Disciplinary Committee, Jackson will get his first start against Austin at Toyota Stadium Saturday. A derby match plus a six pointer in the standings means it'll be pressure packed. The good news: going from 40+ shot St. Louis to offensively anemic Austin means a theoretically easier day between the pipes.

Whether it's Paes returning from injury, Collodi continuing to grow, or Jackson emerging as a viable option it remains a fact that Dallas' keeper situation is worth paying attention to regardless of whose name is on the team sheet each week.

Bernard Kamungo, left (wing) back of the future?

Calling this the surprise of the season might be an understatement, since nobody saw Kamungo's resurgence at this position coming. It's been four games since Quill slotted Kamungo at left wing back, and the results have been nothing short of remarkable. He's impressed so much that Quill called Kamungo the best wing back in MLS during a recent media availability.

While I'm not going that far, Kamungo's proficiency at the position under Quill is unexpected yet remarkable. Since moving to the position against Portland on August 9th, Kamungo has posted the following numbers:

• Tackles: 9
• Tackles won: 6
• Take ons: 16
• Progressive carries: 4
• Recoveries: 24
• Blocks: 6
• Progressive passes: 9

Although the numbers speak favorably, the real proof has been on film. Kamungo has rarely looked out of place against tough teams like LAFC, where he played 90 minutes against the likes of Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga. This is a far cry from the Kamungo who looked lost in 2024 preseason when former manager Nico Estèvez tried him at the position.

A lot of it comes down to how Kamungo's being coached by Quill, who is keeping it simple. He wants Kamungo to use his natural pace and abilities while teaching him to process where and how those skills should be deployed.

With no indication that Quill will move away from the 5-2-3 down the stretch, Kamungo seems a lineup lock. Watching his growth in a position that over a year ago is as encouraging as it is heartwarming for a guy like Kamungo who has become a huge success story.

Christian Cappis' continued homecoming

Cappis' arrival at FC Dallas always felt inevitable, but especially so once Quill became head coach. Calling Cappis "like a son" to him, Quill prioritized returning the Texas native from Europe to MLS. So far it's paid off, as he's shown all the qualities promised by his longtime coach.

Cappis is calm on the ball, with strong long ball accuracy and positioning paired with a good ability in possession. That last quality is important, since Dallas overall has struggled in ball possession in Quill's first year. If Cappis can fill that gap while improving the back to front connection passing wise, he'll be a valuable long term piece.

Whether it's the current 5-2-3 or Quill's preferred 4-2-3-1, there's two defensive midfield places up for grabs in the long term. Cappis has done a lot in his short Frisco tenure in service of securing one of those positions. Whether he can fully seize it before the end of 2025 is a big time factor in Dallas' roster building going forward.

The potential return of Paxton Pomykal

Speaking of the midfield and roster planning, let's talk about Paxton.

Dallas' talismanic midfielder returned to action this year with three matches and 86 minutes before being shut down after the US Open Cup loss to the Red Bulls. A bone bruise has been the given reason, and with no information to dispute that it's fair to assume that's accurate. Those can be troublesome, taking months from which to recover.

Paxton has been back at Toyota Soccer Center recently, doing running with the hopes of playing again in 2025. While there's been no guarantees, whispers have a September return not outside the realm of possibility.

For many reasons Paxton being back out there is crucial. He won't turn 26 until December, meaning his theoretical best years are ahead of him. It's not just on-field that Dallas has decisions to make regarding Paxton though.

Next season is the last guaranteed year on Paxton's deal, with a salary at or around $1.05 million. Dallas holds a single option year for 2027, but even so rubber is meeting road on Paxton's paperwork.

If Paxton can return to full time action with Dallas, his salary isn't a problem. When at his full powers he's one of MLS' best midfielders. If the injuries remain ever present, Dallas could make the decision to buy out Paxton's current deal while re-distributing the money to other players. It's not in any way pleasant to consider, and it's nobody's fault. That doesn't mean this isn't something Dallas will have to consider if Paxton's body continues to betray him.

If you want to hope for anything Dallas related as the season ends, send all your healing energy to Paxton's legs. In addition to getting a great player back on the field, it'd resolve one of Dallas' biggest contract headaches in a positive manner.

Send in the Homegrowns

Should the worst come to pass and Dallas faces elimination from postseason contention, there's one obvious response: play the kids.

That would mean minutes for players like Sam Sarver, Josh Torquato, Alvaro, Diego Garcia, and others. As the roster has gotten healthy, the Homegrown minutes have gone from regular flow to trickle. That's not an indictment, just the reality of a team playing its top end roster as they compete for playoffs.

When/if that becomes a non-factor, it's time to go full Football Manager and see what the future looks like. Every second of MLS experience you give your young players now are seconds you don't have to give them later. Preparing for the future is admirable, especially for a club steeped in youth development history.

Hopefully this one doesn't come to pass, because it means things have gone wrong. Finding a light in the darkness is what supporters should do however, and that light in this case is carried by the Toros of tomorrow. Let them loose, and see what sticks.