While most Major League Soccer teams are going through their preseason camps in the United States, FC Dallas is one of the few that opted for something different in 2023 by going to Spain.
The club held its first full training session today at the Marbella Football Center. Head coach Nico Estevez praised the club’s mentality and focus after having a long flight just a couple of days before.
“I think it went well,” said Estevez in a video sent by the FC Dallas PR team. “I thought the players wanted to look sharp. I think they had a good night’s sleep. Obviously, from the trip, they are a little bit slow in some actions. I think their mentality was really good.”
While everyone in North Texas is dealing with cold and wintery conditions, the team can enjoy warm weather in Spain. Estevez explained that it was important for the club to find a place to train that had good weather and excellent facilities.
“We were trying to look for that combination,” said Estevez. “During this time, we didn’t want to be worried about the weather conditions.”
The club is getting ready to have their first preseason friendly of the camp on Friday when they take on Swedish side Malmo FF. They’ll also square off against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Feb. 6) and Hammarby Fotboll (Feb. 9) at the Marbella Football Center before returning to Texas on February 10. Having games against non-MLS sides was important to Estevez and his players. to help prepare them differently for the upcoming season.
“It’s nice,” said midfielder Paxton Pomykal. “They’re in their preseason mode as well. Sometimes I feel like when we play other MLS teams, it feels like both teams started two weeks ago. It’s not always the highest level, including ourselves, because we’re not game-fit ready. So these games should be a good contest.