What to expect from FC Dallas' 2024 season

Why it matters: After a middle-of-the-pack regular season finish last year and an early exit from the playoffs, the team spent nearly $10 million to acquire 25-year-old Croatian forward Petar Musa — the most expensive signing in franchise history.

• Musa, who was on the radar of several prominent European clubs, will complement Jesús Ferreira, who's led FCD in scoring in each of the last two seasons.

The big picture: Head coach Nico Estévez told the Dallas Morning News that, entering his third year leading the team, he's made "tactical changes that will represent a leap in quality."

• Still, oddsmakers in Las Vegas are skeptical. The team has some of the longest championship odds in the league.

Flashback: Last season's playoff exit is still reverberating. Argentinian midfielder Alan Velasco — who topped the league's "22 Under 22" list last year — suffered an ACL tear in a playoff loss to Seattle.

• Velasco had surgery in November, but it's not clear if he'll return this season.

Between the lines: Dallas is one of the least-valuable franchises in the league, per Forbes' latest valuations — owing largely to the age of the team's stadium, which opened in 2005.

• Yes, but: Toyota Stadium is also home to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Of note: Getting into games will be a little different this year. The team has swapped out metal detectors in favor of AI screening technology.

The bottom line: North Texas is one of the most soccer-crazed regions in the country, as evidenced by the abundance of World Cup games coming to the area in 2026.

• So win or lose, fans will be out in force.