FRISCO - FC Dallas has waived defender Marquinhos Pedroso, who now joins D.C. United. In making the move, Dallas has turned to their youth coming up behind Ryan Hollingshead at left back.
A midseason acquisition in 2018, Pedroso came in and immediately made an impact, starting in 13 of 14 matches down the stretch, including 10 straight from when he made his debut on July 28 in Kansas City. After the Brazilian underwent offseason surgery to repair a core muscle injury and had a delayed start to preseason as a result, the veteran Hollingshead won the starting job out of camp and the midfielder-turned-fullback has thrived under Luchi Gonzalez’s new system.
Pedroso remained a key veteran in the locker room to start 2019, especially with fellow Brazilian defender Bressan (who can also play left back) coming in. With the emergence of No. 10 Overall pick John Nelson over the first two months and unsigned Academy prospects in Kevin Bonilla (who started North Texas SC’s inaugural match in late March and came off the bench this past weekend), Julian Hinojosa and Jonathan Gomez, Dallas suddenly had a plethora of options to choose from.
When you consider the salary cap hit of Pedroso, signed as a TAM player last July, and the value of international roster spot, Dallas gains a lot more flexibility going forward than the first-round pick the team received from D.C. in a separate transaction.
On the field, Pedroso will get the chance to play immediate and meaningful minutes for an Eastern Conference contender, something he was seeing fewer options for with FCD, making just two appearances and missing the 18-man roster (often in favor of Nelson) in four of Dallas’ nine matches. With Joseph Mora and Chris McCann injured, Pedroso could play into the starting lineup in D.C. as soon as this weekend.
In the locker room and around the club as a whole, it is undoubtedly a loss as Pedroso quickly assimilated to the culture and could constantly be seen with a smile on his face roaming the halls of Toyota Stadium. To see the type of person Pedroso is, look no further than is one from Decision Day 2018 in Colorado:
