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What Was Happening in the Soccer World the Last Time FC Dallas Reached the MLS Cup Final?
The year 2026 marks 30 long years since FC Dallas was a part of the inaugural MLS season.
They are one of just three original teams remaining, but in those three decades, the Bulls have never won the MLS Cup.
Eric Quill’s side has just kicked off their 2026 campaign, and the season has gotten off to a solid start. Croatian hotshot Petar Musa started the year as he means to go on, netting twice in a thrilling 3-2 victory on the road against Toronto FC on the opening weekend. A week later, Dallas was forced to settle for a goalless draw in their first home game of the season against ten-man Nashville. Even so, they remain unbeaten, and faint dreams of an MLS Cup challenge are beginning to gather some momentum.
With that being said, online betting sites remain unconvinced. They have made Dallas a lengthy +5000 outsider to win the MLS Cup this season, with the betting calculator below showing just how far they are behind the +450 favorites and reigning champions, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
All odds conversions displayed using this betting tool: https://thunderpick.io/betting-calculators/betting-odds-calculator
After the solid start through the first two games, however, the dreamers are dreaming once again at Toyota Stadium. But what was happening in the world of the beautiful game the last time the Bulls made it all the way?
Let’s take a look.
Dallas’ Cup Challenge
The year was 2010, and FC Dallas wasn’t truly considered Cup contenders. They had finished 11th overall the previous season (seventh in the Western Conference), and truth be told, they were some way behind the likes of David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy. However, in teenage star Brek Shea, there was a glimmer of hope.
The homegrown left winger made 19 appearances the previous season and became one of the hottest young talents in MLS. In 2010, he was about to take the league by storm. The 19-year-old netted five goals in all competitions, scoring crucial winners against San Jose, Real Salt Lake, and Chivas USA, helping propel his side into fourth place out West. His exploits, coupled with 22 combined goals from striker Jeff Cunningham and attacking midfielder David Ferreira, secured Dallas’ first playoff berth in three years.
Once the postseason got underway, the Bulls weren’t about to let their golden opportunity pass them by. They dispatched Real Salt Lake across two legs in the conference semifinals before beating the star-studded Galaxy in the Western Conference finals, goals from Ferreira, George John, and Marvin Chávez sealing a stunning 3-0 upset win.
In the final against the Colorado Rapids, it looked as though the Cup would finally make its way to the Big D for the first time when Ferreira netted a first-half opener. However, a second-half equalizer from Conor Casey ultimately forced extra time. There, John – the hero of the conference final against the Galaxy – bundled into his own net to hand the Rapids the win, breaking Bulls hearts once more.
In the 16 years since that first – and to date, only – Cup final appearance, Dallas have never truly come close to that elusive first MLS Cup. But what was happening in the rest of the soccer world that year?
Let’s take a look.
Go, Go, USA!
Midway through the 2010 season came the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and the USA was in a group branded as “Easy” by the English press, an anagram of the teams in England’s group that year: England, Algeria, Slovenia, Yanks. But it was the Stars and Stripes who went on to make the English eat their words.
The two met in their opener, with Clint Dempsey’s equalizer – goalkeeper Rob Green’s howler and all – canceling out Steven Gerrard’s opener and securing a 1-1 draw for the USA. In the Stars and Stripes’ second game, the US would show its fighting spirit, rallying from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw against Slovenia, setting up an all-or-nothing final game against Algeria.
With their future in the competition on the line, the contest looked set to end in a goalless draw that would have sent the US crashing out at the group stage. Then, deep into stoppage time, they broke away after an Algeria attack, Landon Donovan carrying the ball into the opposition penalty area. Dempsey’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi before Donovan lashed home the rebound, leading to commentator Ian Darke’s iconic cry of “Go, go, USA!”
The tournament would end in the round of 16 as Ghana managed late heroics of their own, netting an extra-time winner through striker Asamoah Gyan, but not before the US had embarked upon a tournament run to remember.
Jose Mourinho’s Inter Conquers Europe
The year 2010 will be forever remembered as Jose Mourinho’s year. The Special One led an unfancied, aging Inter Milan side to a famous treble, the first in the history of Italian football. The Nerazzurri wrapped up both Serie A and the Coppa Italia at a canter, but it was in the Champions League in particular where Mourinho’s men stole the show.
Inter met reigning champions Barcelona in the semifinals and were huge underdogs to progress. With the final being held in Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, the Blaugrana were highly motivated to progress and lift the trophy at the home of their greatest rivals. However, a 3-1 Inter victory in the first leg of the semifinals in the San Siro left them with work to do.
In the second leg, Mourinho’s side were in trouble early when midfielder Thiago Motta was controversially sent off following some blatant play-acting from Sergio Busquets. Still, however, they wouldn’t be over-roared in the cauldron-like Bernabeu. Despite wave after wave of home attacks, Inter would hold on, losing 1-0 on the night but progressing 3-2 on aggregate. They would then go on to beat Bayern Munich in the Bernabeu final, with a brace from Diego Milito completing the treble and securing Mourinho’s legacy as the Special One.
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