MLS Next U19: FC Dallas dominate Atlanta United to a 3-1 victory

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026-2027 MLS Next season is officially underway, and until June, the top boys' teams in the country will go against each other week in, week out, fighting for victories on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Soccer Texas continues to cover the league in the Lone Star State, providing the best coverage in the region, including match recaps, performance recaps, photo galleries, and social media posts that highlight local players' hard work and impressive talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Saturday, October 10, [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] and Atlanta United clashed in the U19 age group at Toyota Soccer Center, in Frisco. [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] did a better job of capitalizing on their chances and won 3-1, earning their first victory in the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The home team scored their first goal in the 34th minute of play. Goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='295563' first='David' last='Jaimes Martinez'] played a long pass out of the back, forward [player_tooltip player_id='148001' first='Jordyn' last='Eason'] redirected it to defender [player_tooltip player_id='286814' first='Luke' last='Martey'], who drove the ball forward and shot it. Atlanta's goalkeeper stopped it, but forward [player_tooltip player_id='148224' first='Trey' last='Glosson'] picked up the rebound and scored.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dallas found the back of the net again in the 50th minute, after Erik Vargas passed the ball to midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='341786' first='Kyle' last='Velazquez'], who fired an incredible shot from outside the box that went into the upper corner. The third goal happened in the 76th minute, when defender [player_tooltip player_id='148175' first='Zac' last='Fumtim'] sent the ball back into the box after a corner kick, and fellow defender [player_tooltip player_id='148179' first='Anderson' last='Grimm'] chested it down and fired a powerful left-footed shot. Atlanta got their only goal well into stoppage time, with Kai Jean Baptiste.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Game</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["286814"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acf8e42dbe63"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' playing system gave Martey a lot of freedom to push forward, and he took full advantage of it, consistently showing up in the attacking half. The right back used his pace and dribbling to make plays out wide and delivered good crosses into the box. Martey was involved in Dallas' first goal in a play in which he followed up on a long ball, timed his run extremely well, and was very direct when taking it into the box to finish. Despite his offensive-minded nature, the outside back also played excellent defense, staying in front of opponents when they attempted to make plays on his zone, clearing long balls in the air and using his pace to recover and close opponents down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["148179"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acf8e42dbe9e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Grimm played as a left back and had a very different role than Martey's, staying back to provide balance and leaving the attacking lane in front of him for midfielder Erik Vargas to explore. He was very important with his passing ability and ensured Dallas always had a clean buildup. Grimm also thrived defensively, using his size and positioning to make stops inside the box and challenge opponents out wide. He did very well in Dallas' third goal by remaining onside in the box after a corner kick, controlling a cross with his chest and finishing with power and precision. The defender also took a free kick in the first half that almost went in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["210661"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acf8e42dbec1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Awad's work rate and dynamism in the center of the field were pivotal for [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' strong performance. The center midfielder was everywhere, and his ability to cover ground helped his team control a critical area of the field. Awad also did very well when he stepped up to press higher, picking the right moments to do it and forcing Atlanta's players into playing long or turning the ball over - he almost won the ball inside the box after challenging their goalkeeper. The midfielder's passing was always very intelligent and accurate and helped set up attacking plays for Dallas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["295563"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acf8e42dbee0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Even though the scoreline may not indicate that, it was a busy match for Martinez, who used his physical and technical tools very well between the posts. Atlanta were very active offensively and fired as many as nine shots on target, forcing [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' goalkeeper to work in different moments throughout the match. Martinez was particularly impressive in the final minutes, when he stopped back-to-back close-range shots with his body. The goalkeeper also moved the ball well with his feet and initiated the team's first goal with an accurate long ball out of the back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["341786"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6acf8e42dbeff"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Velazquez was very active and consistent in the center of the field for Dallas and kept his energy level high throughout the full 90 minutes. The most defensive player in the team's midfield trio, he thrived at shielding their backline and did a good job of keeping opponents under pressure when they entered his zone. Velazquez also moved the ball well, supporting the team's buildup and shifting it from one side of the field to the other quickly and accurately. He scored Dallas' second goal with an incredible shot from outside the box.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->