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FC Dallas U.S. Open Cup 2016: Where are they now?

By Matt Coles

KANSAS CITY, KS - JULY 11: FC Dallas midfielder Mauro Diaz (10) in the first half of the US Open Cup quarterfinal match between FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City on July 11, 2017 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, KS - JULY 11: FC Dallas midfielder Mauro Diaz (10) in the first half of the US Open Cup quarterfinal match between FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City on July 11, 2017 at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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VANCOUVER, BC – SEPTEMBER 23: Matt Hedges (24) of FC Dallas gets a header for a goal in front of Kei Kamara (23) of the Vancouver Whitecaps (left) and Russell Teibert (31) of the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on September 23, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Christopher Morris – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC – SEPTEMBER 23: Matt Hedges (24) of FC Dallas gets a header for a goal in front of Kei Kamara (23) of the Vancouver Whitecaps (left) and Russell Teibert (31) of the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on September 23, 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Christopher Morris – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) /

CB – Matt Hedges – FC Dallas

The second of those four players who still ply their trade at FC Dallas is Matt Hedges, who played alongside Zimmerman at the heart of the FCD defence in the 2016 U.S. Open Cup final. The American followed up his equalising goal in the semi-final against LA Galaxy by scoring FCD’s second, giving them the lead in the USOC final for the first time against the Revolution.

He has shown his quality throughout his career. Going back to his college days, where he played for the Butler Bulldogs, he was awarded the Horizon League Defender of the Year in both 2009 and 2010, before being named ACC Defender of the Year in 2011 after transferring to the University of North Carolina, where he also won the NCAA National Championship with the Tar Heels.

Whilst at college, Hedges also played for Reading United, before being drafted by FC Dallas with the 11th pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. Hedges is now captain of the Texan side and has become a mainstay of the defence, having played over 250 times for the club, making at least 25 regular season appearances every campaign since being drafted in 2012.

He was key in their double in 2016, as he scored in both the semi-final and the final of the USOC, as well as helping the team to lift the Supporters’ Shield at the end of the regular season. He made his international debut in 2015 and has gone on to play five times for the USMNT, including being part of the CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning squad in 2017.

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