It’s not easy to decide on the top 6 FC Dallas Legends. There are some obvious inclusions for the top spots, but plenty of mental wrestling to do to decide on the others.
These lists always get people’s backs up. Fans are angry that certain players are left off, or are incredulous that others have been included. But the thing is, legend lists are subjective, at least partially.
For FC Dallas supporters, some names on this list are not even in question. Others will perhaps be frowned upon, especially considering I have not included Jesus Ferreira. I know, shoot me now. He was brilliant, but his window of influence was narrower than the people on this list, and he didn’t have the same relationship with the club. Other great players I tussled with including are the likes of Chris Gbandi, Clarence Goodson, and Michael Barrios.
The thing is, to me, a legend isn’t just someone who has a few great seasons or is around for a long time. They have to have a real connection with the club and the fans too. Everyone on this list meets all of the following criteria:
- Longevity and/or Commitment
- Impact on the Pitch
- Emotional Connection
So they have to play well, consistently and for a decent number of years, they need to show real commitment either through length of time at the club or through the heart they play with (ideally both), and they need to have an undeniable link to the club or connection with the fans. The following players hit those marks and then some.
So here are my top 6 FC Dallas legends.
6. Mauro Díaz: 2013-2018
Díaz was borderline for me, but he earns a place on this list for his contribution to the US Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield winning 2016 season, among other things.
As a player, Mauro Díaz was the kind of guy you turn on the TV for. He was an endlessly inventive and elegant playmaker, elusive to opposition defenders and the creative engine of the team during the club’s most exciting era. He made a big impact with his vision, close control, and ability to split defences with a single pass, and this is despite a string of injury problems.
He was one of those magical players who could be the difference between a win and a loss. He could turn a scrappy game into a real spectacle, and this was never more apparent than in 2016. As well as helping the team win the aforementioned trophies, Díaz cleaned up individually, winning Player of the Tournament in the USOC, and was named in the MLS Best XI and All Star team.
The fans connected with him too, nicknaming him ‘The Unicorn’, and no one wanted to see him go. He played 128 times for Dallas, scoring 28 goals and grabbing 40 assists. His last goal came in his last game, one that he didn’t have to and probably shouldn’t have played. He was set for a financially life-changing transfer to Dubai, and any injury could have scuppered it, but he wanted to turn out in front of the home fans one last time.
5. Kenny Cooper: 2006-2009 and 2013
Kenny Cooper had a relatively short career at FC Dallas compared to everyone else on this list. He spent four seasons in Texas before moving on, then came back for another in 2013.
However, being a local lad, and with a history of playing in England (his father is English), including a youth career at Manchester United, his arrival caught everyone’s attention. He instantly made an impression on the pitch, too.
A tall and athletic forward with a nose for goal, Kenny Cooper was capable of expert poaching as well as smashing home long range efforts. For a time he was on of the most dangerous forwards in MLS, enjoying a particularly strong season in 2008 when he won Comeback Player of the Year as well as a place in the MLS Best XI.
He scored 49 times in 130 games for Los Toros, amd it would have been more had it not been for a season ending injury early in 2007. Fans loved his intensity and his obvious affection for the club, so much so that he became their first official club ambassador when he retired.
4. Oscar Pareja: 1998-2005 (2005-2007 and 2008-2011 as Assistant Coach, and 2014-2018 as Head Coach)
No one can argue about Oscar Pareja’s inclusion on this list. He spent the best part of 20 years at Dallas Burn/FC Dallas in one role or another. He truly left a lasting legacy.
As a player he was a steady central midfielder with a great touch, a tireless engine, and a knack for calming things down in chaotic games. He became an instant fan favourite after joining in 1998, because although he didn’t make headlines, he had great vision, set the tempo of the game, and wasn’t afraid to stick in a tough tackle when he needed to.
He missed the club’s first US Open Cup victory, but was head coach when they won it for the second time, in the same year they also won the Supporters’ Shield. This means he is their most successful coach ever.
As a coach, he completely rebuilt the club culture. The team played dynamic, attacking football that was structured and great fun to watch. He was passionate during games and showed humility off the field, not to mention obviously displaying an emotional attachment to FC Dallas and the fans. His departure in 2018 felt like the end of an era.
Before taking the head coach role he had two stints as an assistant, leading the academy and shaping the club’s identity around youth development. So Pareja’s legacy lives on in some of the homegrown players still coming through.
3. Jason Kreis: 1996-2004
You could easily argue that Jason Kreis should be number one on this list. After all, he was an original back when the club was formed as Dallas Burn, the club’s first icon and he put them on the map.
A prolific goal scorer with a deadly instinct, he wasn’t the biggest or quickest, but a combination of smart positioning and a rocket of a right foot made him the club’s best ever striker. He holds the club record for most goals scored – 98 in all competitions – and no one has ever come anywhere close to matching it. To be honest, I’ll be amazed if anyone does.
You could call Kreis an MLS legend as much as an FC Dallas legend. In 1999 he became the first American to win the MLS Most Valuable Player award, having scored 18 goals and bagging 15 assists, and he was also the first player in MLS history to score 100 goals. He scored most of them for Dallas, but was at Real Salt Lake for the final few that pushed him over the line.
It’s not just the stats that make Jason Kreis a legend to Dallas fans though, it was also how he carried himself. He was fiercely competitive, very loyal, and always showed up for big games, often scoring crucial goals.
For older fans especially, Jason Kreis is synonymous with the Burn era, and the club would not be what it is today without his impact.
2. Matt Hedges: 2012-2022
It was easy to put this name on the list.
Matt Hedges is the name that comes up with Dallas fans talk about leadership and loyalty. He stuck with the club for 11 years, and was a key member of their most successful season ever in 2016, winning the US Open Cup and the Supporters’ Shield plus the MLS Defender of the Year on an individual level. He made multiple appearances in the MLS Best XI and All Star teams too.
He is the club’s all time record appearance holder with 349 games played, and he also knocked in 25 goals – not bad for a center back.
Hedges was an absolute rock at the back, tall, composed, and tactically sharp. He wasn’t flashy, but he didn’t need to be, and he rarely made mistakes. He could read the game exceptionally well and remained calm under pressure, often distributing the ball well in tense situations. Plus, his aerial dominance made him a nightmare for opposition forwards. No wonder they made him team captain.
During his time with Los Toros he saw many players come and go, but he remained a constant presence. For many supporters, he defined an era, symbolising everything the club was and wanted to be. If anyone deserves the title of an FC Dallas legend, it is Matt Hedges.
1. Bobby Rhine: 1999-2008 (RIP)
Poor Bobby Rhine. We suddenly and unexpectedly lost Bobby to a heart attack in 2011. He was only 35.
He was already a club legend, but his death elevated his status even more in a funny sort of way. The number 19 shirt that Bobby wore was retired until Paxton Pomykal gained his family’s permission to wear it again in his honor, and the supporters named their area of seating ‘The Rhine’, so he is ingrained as part of the club now.
Then again, he always was. Rhine was a one club man. He joined FC Dallas in 1999 and played for the Bulls until he retired in 2008. Even then he didn’t leave. He transitioned into broadcasting and community work, becoming the voice of FC Dallas in the commentary booth and a genuine ambassador for them and their values. He had a lifelong connection with the club and its supporters – he didn’t just play for Dallas, he was Dallas.
On the pitch he was a versatile player featuring across the defence and midfield for almost a decade. Never the flashiest, but usually the smartest, and he gave everything he had every single time. He wore the club crest with pride 229 times, and represented everything they stood for.
It’s a testament to who he was that his name is still mentioned so often today, more more than a decade after he died and even longer after he retired.