FC Dallas: Franco Jara will know a positive project
Franco Jara has spoken very positively about the Luchi Gonzalez project at FC Dallas. Given his breadth of experience in football, he knows a good club.
FC Dallas’ high-profile signing is here. Striker Franco Jara was officially unveiled this week after being signed last offseason on a pre-contract agreement. The Argentinian will arrive as FC Dallas’ star centre-forward and goalscorer, the primary attacking player in a team with plenty of creative service behind him.
Jara has been prolific throughout his career. Across 169 games for Pachuca, he notched 83 goals. One in two at a higher level of competition bodes well for his scoring chances in MLS, especially considering the early success of another Liga MX marksman, Alan Pulido, this season.
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He also has experience across Europe. He played 47 matches for Benfica and 33 games for Granada, each in the first tier of Portuguese and Spanish football respectively. He has played in Greece, Argentina, and Mexico. He is an experienced centre-forward who has played for a variety of teams across a variety of continents and leagues. And now he arrives in Dallas to lead a young and exciting team.
And Jara is extremely positive about the project he will be joining. Speaking with reporters this week via mlssoccer.com, the 32-year-old revealed that he has spoken with head coach Luchi Gonzalez extensively as he prepared for his MLS move over the past six months:
"“When I signed I began to look at how FC Dallas operates. I see that Luchi likes to play. It’s a very intense team. As a player that motivates you. Possession of the ball and being vertical in attack. I hope to be at the heights that the team expects of me. About the soccer aspect, I was in contact with Luchi. It helped me a lot to have a personal chat [with him]. He told me how he would like me to play, what types of movements he wants from me as a forward. The most important thing is to try to transfer those chats to the field. Hopefully it’s not that hard for me to adapt to the team. Everything is a process, takes time. But I am focused on being the best I can soon.”"
If there is any player who knows what a good project is, it is Jara. He has won a Mexican league title, a CONCACAF Champions League, in which he was named the player of the tournament, two Greek league titles, a Portuguese league title and three domestic cups across his career. He has played for some of the most esteemed teams in world football and been very successful while doing so.
It should be hugely encouraging to FC Dallas and Gonzalez, then, that Jara is so positive for and encouraged about Dallas’ future. Gonzalez has worked hard in developing the young players at the club. He has established a strong core in the team, especially in central midfield and an excellent backline. Dallas simply lacked an elite, experienced centre-forward. But now, in Jara, they believe they have one.
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What this means for FC Dallas’ future remains to be seen. But Jara is openly positive about his prospects with the team. And given his experience in football, that is telling for Gonzalez and co.