FRISCO - After a golf-filled week it’s back to the office and match week once again and that means it’s time to dive into the Monday Mailbag:
“Do you think this would be a good opportunity to test out Jacob Lissek with Jesse getting called up?” - Sean McMaster
This is a good opportunity, but not one for Jacob Lissek. This is an opportunity for Chris Seitz to once again showcase what he’s got. There’s a very interesting storyline here - one I’ll dive into a little later this week more - but the last time Jesse Gonzalez left for National Team duty (last Spring in Olympic qualifying), Seitz left Oscar Pareja no choice but to ride the hot hand and the veteran went on to lead Dallas to the Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield.
Seitz was the guy early in the year, but after a CCL exit staff turned to Gonzalez. Just another thread in the goalkeeper battle taking shape in Dallas.
“With no other competitions besides MLS, can Dallas make a run at the Supporters Shield?” - Juan Garcia
Theoretically, yes the ousting from Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play opens the door for a run at the Shield, and yes, given the recent sample of MLS form something that could be in the cards down the stretch of the year, but ultimately it’s not the focus.
Pareja will be focused on being near the top of the league standings and in good form for an MLS Cup Playoff run, but he’s not going to throw in the proverbial kitchen sink for the regular season crown. It’s a been there, done that mentality this season with the only focus on the one trophy it has yet to claim - MLS Cup. If a Shield happens to be in the cards, great, but it’s not going to be a sprint to catch Toronto or Chicago, both currently tearing up the regular season schedule at the midpoint.
“Just a random question. What national team is Victor Ulloa eligible to play for?” - Marcus Coleman
Given the news over the weekend that Jesse Gonzalez has been added to the U.S. roster for the remainder of the Gold Cup, it’s a great time to recognize that Victor Ulloa shares the same dual-nationality choice that his fellow Homegrown did.
Ulloa has represented the U.S. at the Youth level as recently as 2011 (yes, 2011) when he traveled to France with the U-20s, but does hold eligibility with the Mexican Federation as well by virtue of his birthplace, Chihuahua, Mexico. Could you imagine a U.S. defensive midfield tandem and goalkeeper comprised of three Dallas Homegrowns?