For the first time since 2021, a goalkeeper not named Maarten Paes or Jimmy Maurer will guard the net for FC Dallas.
Twenty-three-year-old Michael Collodi is set to start the club's match against Real Salt Lake this Saturday, March 22 with first-choice Paes away on international duty with Indonesia (and Maurer now plying his trade for the Houston Dynamo). When he does, Collodi will become just the second Homegrown 'keeper to play for FC Dallas in a competitive game.
“It will mean the world,” Collodi said at the prospect. “Coming up through the Academy, it was always the dream to play with the first team and to finally make it here I want to make the most of it and get a result for the boys.”
Collodi is a Homegrown through and through. Born and raised in Plano, Texas, he played for the FCD Academy beginning in 2015 before departing for Columbia University. After four seasons in New York, Collodi moved home to sign for North Texas SC – FCD’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate. There, he enjoyed a standout season winning the 2024 NEXT Pro Cup, Goalkeeper of the Year and finishing runner-up in the Goalie Wars competition at the MLS All-Star game in Columbus, Ohio. His accomplishments earned him an FC Dallas contract soon after.
“I think the biggest part of playing with North Texas was just getting the experience in that first professional season and playing as many games as possible. And being able to grow in that environment as well, because it's very different going from a college season, which is three to four months to a 10-month long professional season. So there's a lot of lot of growing and development in there.”
“Michael grew a lot both as a goalkeeper and leader for the group,” said FCD goalkeeper coach Drew Keeshan. “He had many game-defining moments which ultimately ended with him being a big contributor in the team and winning a championship. He got rewarded for all that hard work by earning an opportunity with the first team.”
But his first team deal didn’t guarantee Collodi would see playing time, of course. While it was all but guaranteed Paes would miss a few games due to his international obligations, Collodi still had to compete with fellow Homegrown ‘keeper Antonio Carrera. Although two years his junior, Carrera was entering his fourth season with Dallas (having signed directly from the Academy) and has been playing pro games with North Texas since 2021. The second-choice spot behind Paes was anything but decided.
Collodi: “At the end of the day, we're on the same team, right? We're all training together. We're all doing the best we can to help everybody improve. And whatever happens, happens. We just go out and play to the best of our abilities, we can't control the decisions that the coaches make.
“I've known Antonio for a long time, since we were kids playing in the Academy together, so we have a great relationship. I've gotten to know Maarten very well, especially through this year and last year so I’m very close with both of them. We're a pretty tight-knit group.”
Once Collodi was named to FCD’s bench as the backup ‘keeper in the first few games, it was clear whose name would be called to start against RSL – which was scheduled during a FIFA international window when Paes would be unavailable.
Now that it’s here, coach Keeshan has been keeping a close eye on his pupil to see how he’d manage the biggest week of his young pro career.
“I did a lot of observing to see how he’s handling his week, watching his interaction with his teammates, et cetera,” said Keeshan, who’s served as Dallas’ GK coach since 2008. “Does he dwell on a mistake or move on from it. Just little things I already know about the player. I want to see him trust himself, know who he is, what he’s about as a goalkeeper. He doesn’t need to step on the field Saturday night and try to reinvent himself. The best version of Michael will be the one who shows trust in himself and his ability.”
Collodi echoed a similar sentiment: “I try not to change too much. I mean, going into other games as a #2 or #3 or whatever, you’ve still got to be ready for everything. So it's the same preparation. It's just a different outcome for this weekend and just being as ready for it as you can so it’s not a whole lot different.”
While Collodi is approaching this opportunity like any other game, he knows this particular one has been a long time coming.
“Growing up in the Academy, this has always been home. It's kind of what I've been looking forward to since I joined, so I’m happy to be able to make it happen. But I just can't be happy with it, from here I'm gonna keep pushing forward.”
