FC Dallas 2025 Postseason Grades: Goalkeepers and Defenders
FC Dallas’ 2025 season has come to a close after a spirited final game against Vancouver.
Let’s start the offseason content with the first round of grades for every member of the 2025 squad, kicking off with the keepers and defenders.
Goalkeepers
Michael Collodi // A
What a ride it was for the homegrown in his first season with the first team. Signed after a strong season at North Texas SC in 2024, Collodi initially projected to be the third keeper, behind fellow homegrown Antonio Carrera and projected starter Maarten Paes. But by the end of preseason, it became clear that Collodi had won the backup job. He got his first start deputizing for Paes during the international break in late March away to RSL and actually kept the first clean sheet of FCD’s season. He continued in the deputy role, starting against Houston at home and in the Open Cup (where he had a very unfortunate blunder against AV Alta), but was largely just a fixture on the bench.
But when he did play, what was noticeable was how differently he played the position compared to Paes. Very good with his feet and very aggressive in dealing with balls into his box, the games he played in, and the quality he showed certainly raised some questions about whether he might actually be a better fit for how Eric Quill wanted to play.
Collodi finally got his real shot following the 4-3 loss to NYCFC. Sometime during training the following week, Paes suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out of the lineup, and Collodi seized his opportunity with both hands. In the strong run to end the season, he started all but three games, and the only real blemish on his record was a red card away to St Louis that really was not his fault.
Collodi played so well that he kept Paes on the bench even after the Indonesian international was fully fit and available, and he’s created one of the biggest questions facing Dallas in the offseason – what’s the plan at goalkeeper in 2026?
Jacob Jackson // A
Jacob Jackson produced one of the most fun storylines of the year. He was acquired in a trade with San Diego that saw FCD’s 2026 third-round pick go the other way, the closest thing to a dump imaginable. Personally, I did not imagine that Jackson would ever touch the field for Dallas, and he would end up as a great trivia question years down the line for his obscurity.
Instead, he’ll end up as a trivia question for a very, very different reason. Paes’ aforementioned injury meant he would be making benches behind Collodi. Still, when Lalas Abubakar’s poor back pass was intercepted by St Louis’ Joao Klauss, forcing Collodi into a challenge that would see him sent off, Jackson was suddenly thrust into a major role.
And what a moment he created. With Dallas down to 10 for over 70 minutes, Jackson tied the club record for saves in a single game and helped Dallas to a massive 1-1 draw. With Collodi suspended for the next game against Austin, Jackson made his first start and kept a clean sheet of his own, along with picking up an assist, against Copa Tejas rivals Austin. He started again in the 3-1 win against Colorado and in the 2-2 draw in Portland. In Portland, he suffered a relatively minor injury —one that was enough to force him out and get Collodi back in —and that was basically the end for Jacob Jackson.
He is a free agent for 2026, and it may be difficult for Dallas to keep him around, though I’m sure they’d love to bring him back (as would I!). Whatever happens, it was one of the more impressive 4 game stretches the club has ever seen for a goalkeeper.
Maarten Paes // B
Strange season for the fan favorite goalkeeper. Paes started the season as the obvious starter, but didn’t play a single minute after late July. The underlying stats haven’t been great for Paes since midway through 2023, but he has consistently been a strong shot stopper and a tremendous locker room leader. He was named captain following the sale of Lucho Acosta, a well-deserved honor for one of Dallas’ longest tenured players.
But it has become hard to justify keeping him on the field, especially at his over $500k salary. His feet are not particularly good, and he does not do a great job of aggressively claiming or punching crosses into his box. It is impossible to say whether or not Dallas’ strong form at the end of the season would have happened with Paes in goal, it is entirely possible that it may have, he did play in the 2-2 draw against San Jose and the 3-0 win over St Louis that really kickstarted the strong finish, but the fact remains that in Dallas’ best part of the season, Paes was on the bench. It seems very likely that Dallas may shop him around both MLS and abroad this winter.
Fullbacks
Shaq Moore // B+
No one played more minutes for Dallas in 2025 than Shaq Moore, brought over in the offseason from Nashville SC. Moore spent time all over the backline, starting the season at right back, playing right wingback after the initial move to the back 5, and then ending up playing both left and right centerback in the back 3.
Moore struggled at times as a right back in the back 4. He was asked to do a ton to be fair to him, but on a few occasions, he was badly beaten by a man at the back post for a goal. He looked better as a right wingback, with less ground to cover side-to-side and more freedom given to run up and down the sideline, something he did tirelessly.
But, to the shock of almost everyone (including maybe himself), his best position was at left centerback. An adaptation done quite late in the season, it ended up being a major part of Dallas’ strong run down the stretch and may very well be a position Eric Quill continues to use him, at least at times, based on his comments about Shaq.
Regardless of position, it was a strong, albeit somewhat inconsistent, first season in Dallas for the former USMNT player. He’ll look to build on it in 2026, and it will be fascinating to see where he ends up playing next season.
Nolan Norris // A-
2025 always felt like an important year for Nolan Norris after his first two professional seasons never really kicked on, with just a smattering of minutes in each season. He started the season as Marco Farfan’s understudy at left back and got a solid run of starts replacing him while Farfan was out injured following compartment syndrome surgery. Norris was solid at left back, not spectacular, but always looked comfortable and like he belonged at the level.
Farfan’s return, coupled with Norris’ regular U20 call-ups, saw him shuffle out of the lineup in the mid-part of the season, with just a few appearances here and there, including some occasional time back in central midfield.
He didn’t see a ton of time near the end of the season in the strong finish, some of that owing to him missing a big chunk of time at the U20 World Cup, but he ultimately started Dallas’ final game of the season and played left centerback in the back 3. He showed extremely well against a strong team in Vancouver and was unfortunate that his missed penalty ultimately ended Dallas’ season.
2026 looks set to be a massive season for Norris, one where he might really break out. He’ll no longer be regularly missing time with youth national team call-ups, and he seems to have firmly earned Eric Quill’s trust. Can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store for him.
Josh Torquato // A-
If anyone, one year ago, would have picked Josh Torquato to even be a part of the first team at any point in 2025, they deserve some massive props. Torquato didn’t even play for North Texas SC in 2024, but due to a shortage of left backs in preseason (Nolan Norris wasn’t initially playing there), he ended up in preseason training and even made the trip to Portugal as an academy player.
Clearly, he made a strong impression in preseason and, ahead of the MLS Next Pro season, earned a North Texas contract. He played a lot of minutes there early in the season before. In FCD’s first foray into the back 5 away to San Jose in July, he was a shock starter at left wingback. For a 17-year-old (at that time) in his first-ever MLS appearance, Torquato didn’t look remotely out of place, and he held down the spot for the next few games until a bit of a rough outing against NYCFC saw him exit the team for a while.
Bernie Kamungo’s form at left wingback kept him out of the team until the very last game, when he was relied upon to help see out the win in Vancouver that saw Dallas end in 7th place in the west. He also came into the first game in Vancouver for his first taste of the playoffs. Overall, an incredible first season for a very young player and perhaps the best example of how Eric Quill has brought back a lot of what FC Dallas is “supposed” to be all about.
Enzo Newman // Incomplete
Dallas’ first-round draft pick last winter had a tremendous preseason, receiving rave reviews from the staff and plenty of hype from the social media team. He looked set to start the season largely playing with North Texas SC and make a handful of first-team appearances throughout the season. He did start the season with North Texas, looking solid in his first few games, but he sadly tore his ACL quite early on, ending his season prematurely and before he could debut for the first team. By all accounts, his rehab has gone well, and he looks to be back in limited training by season’s end—certainly one to watch for 2026.
Herbert Endeley // Incomplete
Poor Herbert Endeley has likely reached the end of his time with FCD. In three seasons, he has seen three different managers and even more systems and styles of play. He was initially next in line to be converted from a college winger to right back in 2023, playing in a few first-team games and a lot for North Texas. In Nico Estevez’s 3-4-3, he looked set for a breakout season in 2024 after showing really well in preseason, but was quickly shuffled back to North Texas, where he was a big part of the title-winning team in 2024.
2025 looked to be a fresh start, but he never seemed to find favor with Eric Quill and was sent on loan to Colorado Springs Switchbacks in USL. He seemed to be having a decent season, but, like Enzo Newman, tore his ACL as well, prematurely ending his season and likely spelling the end of his tenure at FCD. If he can recover well enough, he’ll almost certainly have a long career in USL if he wants it.
Centerbacks
Osaze Urhoghide // A
Incredible debut season for Dallas’ new stalwart defender. If it wasn’t for Petar Musa’s tremendous season up front, Osaze would easily be the player of the season. No forward in the league can match his physicality, and he has the pace to burn most attackers and at least keep pace with the fastest forwards in the league. It isn’t a coincidence that Dallas’ worst run of form of the season coincided with his time out injured. Keeping it short and sweet with Osaze – incredible player, can’t wait to see him on the field again in 2026.
Sebastien Ibeagha // B-
Ibby started the season as the starter alongside Osaze in the back 4, and the duo formed a solid enough partnership, though Dallas’ defense proved leaky throughout most of the first two-thirds of the season. Eric Quill clearly trusted Ibeagha, and he captained the team on a few occasions near the end of the season. But the more aggressive style of play also exposed Ibeagha at times. His inability to consistently play under pressure limited Dallas’ ability to build out of the back, and he struggled at times to deal with some of the higher-level attackers.
He had his best run in the back 3 playing as a right center back, where he helped form Dallas’ most solid backline of the season. He set new career highs in appearances and minutes played, but he is probably nearing the end of his time as an MLS-level starter (and many Dallas fans would tell you he’s already past that point). He has one more option year in his contract, but his over $700k salary seems a bit tough to swallow given the performances. His time in Dallas may be up.
Lalas Abubakar // C+
It’s been a bit of an up-and-down season for the man with the best hair in MLS. Abubakar started the season exclusively as a super sub, someone to come into games late and try to see out results. He finally got his first start away in Minnesota and was forced out at halftime with a knock. He did spend various parts of the season as a starter and, mostly, played quite well.
But, as has always been the case with Abubakar, he always has the potential for a howler. That came up the first time at home against Philadelphia, when he picked up two yellows in the first half and forced Dallas to play with 10 for most of the game (in which they gutted out a 0-0 draw). He also had a notable gaffe on decision day, where he mishandled a pass back to him and conceded a penalty to allow 10-man Vancouver back into the game.
Overall, Abubakar simply is not a regular starter in MLS anymore. He’s a very solid veteran depth piece, and his updated salary of around $450k makes his presence on the roster much more palatable.
Alvaro Augusto // B
Alvaro had perhaps the most fascinating path onto the Dallas roster. When Dallas traveled to Portugal for preseason, they were light on centerbacks after trading Nkosi Tafari to LAFC. At the time, only Ibeagha and Abubakar were rostered; Osaze Urhoghide had not yet been signed. Dallas brought academy player Ian Charles (now in college) with them and, ahead of their first internal friendly, asked local side Portimonense to send over some U23 players to fill out the ranks. One of them was Alvaro Augusto, who clearly impressed the coaching staff as they asked him to stick around camp. Before too long, the deal became official: Alvaro had gone from Portimonense’s U23 team to the FCD first team.
Alvaro mostly played for North Texas SC but was briefly thrust into the first-team conversation when Osaze went down with an injury. He made his debut in the 4-2 away win in Kansas City, where he really enamored the fanbase with his athleticism, energy, and the way he celebrated every defensive intervention. He started the next two games and was solid primarily, besides one very poor gaffe against San Jose, and showed a lot of promise for the future before finishing out the season largely with North Texas. It will be very interesting to see what Alvaro’s role in the team looks like in 2026.
What are your thoughts on the defenders and goalkeepers in 2025?
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Categorized:FC Dallas