FRISCO - It was a Homegrown showcase on Sunday morning as Paxton Pomykal scored the only two tallies FC Dallas' scrimmage against SMU, but it was also a chance for a couple Homegrown hopefuls to play against their former club.
Defenders Jordan Cano, Eddie Munjoma and Philip Ponder (pictured left to right) - all products of the FC Dallas Academy - saw significant minutes in the friendly. Another former Academy face, Toshiki Yasuda, is also on the roster at SMU, but did not play as he recovers from offseason surgery.
"That was beautiful to just see the boys on both sides," head coach Oscar Pareja said after the match. "The ones who are in the college path and seeing them grow and the Homegrowns on the first team, that mean's a lot for us."
Munjoma, a freshman, was a member of the last season's FC Dallas U-18 National Championship squad. Sunday, he found himself pitted against his former teammates Reggie Cannon and Pomykal.
"I'm happy we got to play them today," he said. "It's always nice coming home. I played here for five years, so it's always a good experience and seeing familiar faces over there was a good thing."
For all three, it was a prime opportunity to impress some of the first team staff that they hope will call them back to Frisco as a Homegrown signing one day.
"Every time you step on the field, you get an opportunity to try and hopefully [show that you can] play there one day," said Jordan Cano, who served as team captain during his three seasons in the Acadmey and is now heading into his senior season at SMU. "I keep that mentality every single time I step on their field, whether it's training with them in the summer or getting to play against them now. It's always a chance to showcase your talent and prove that you deserve to be here. At the end of the day, this is what I want to do - this is my dream and this is where I want to be."