FRISCO -- Outwardly, FC Dallas' Thursday training session didn't appear any more frantic than a typical practice during last year's preseason. Talk to the players, though, and there's a real sense of urgency.
There has to be. FCD returns to action earlier than usual this year, facing Panamanian side Arabe Unido in a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series. The first of two legs is Feb. 23. MLS teams often have struggled to get past the quarterfinals, with Mexican and Central American teams entering the contests after two months of regular-season play, while MLS sides are still in preseason.