FC Dallas is getting set to kick off its 25th season in Major League Soccer. It's quite a milestone for a franchise and a league and the current players say they feel privileged to be a part of this special moment in time.
"It's a crazy feat," said defender Reggie Cannon. "It makes me feel like I have so much more to work for knowing that Lamar Hunt and all those guys sacrificed so much to help this league not fold and grow it into what it is today so I feel like I have a responsibility to grow it even more."
A championship would go a long way in growing FC Dallas' footprint in the MLS. The team showed its toughness in the first round of the MLS playoffs last season before losing to eventual league champ Seattle in extra time.
"I think that inspired us as a group that we can do big things in this club," said goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez. "I think with all the young talent we have, we have a great future ahead of us."
That sounds similar to how the Kansas City Chiefs felt heading into that other "football" season. The Hunt family's Super Bowl-winning NFL team perhaps inspiring the other pro sports franchise they sign paychecks for.
"The odds in the 3rd quarter were completely against (the Chiefs)," said FC Dallas head coach Luchi Gonzalez. "They maybe should have lost yet they still kept fighting each moment, each play, and pulled out results so that's a great model for us. That's a big inspiration for us."
Now we wait to see if the Chiefs' success carries over to Gonzalez and his team.
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FC Dallas opens its 2020 season at 5 p.m. Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.
