Dallas Trinity FC Standings: Why the Cotton Bowl Crowd is Getting Loud

Dallas Trinity FC Standings: Why the Cotton Bowl Crowd is Getting Loud

If you’ve driven past the Cotton Bowl lately, you might’ve noticed the vibe is shifting. It’s not just about the State Fair or the Red River Rivalry anymore. There is a new pulse in Fair Park, and it belongs to Dallas Trinity FC. Honestly, keeping up with the dallas trinity fc standings has become a bit of a local obsession for soccer fans who were craving a professional women’s team to call their own.

They are currently sitting in a fascinating spot.

As of mid-January 2026, Dallas is perched at 4th in the USL Super League table. They’ve played 13 matches, clawing their way to 20 points. It’s tight at the top. Like, really tight. They are technically leveled on points with Carolina Ascent FC, though the goal difference—which is a bit of a sore spot at -6—keeps them in that fourth-place slot for now.

But don't let the negative goal differential fool you. This team is finding its rhythm exactly when it matters most.

The Mid-Season Surge: How Dallas Trinity FC Standings Shifted

Early in the 2025-26 campaign, things were... shaky. There’s no other way to put it. A 6-1 blowout loss to Lexington SC back in September felt like a gut punch. You’d think a loss like that would break a first-year squad, but Chris Petrucelli’s group did the opposite. They tightened up.

Recently, the team went on a tear.

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They grabbed three straight wins in December, including a massive 1-0 statement victory over Carolina Ascent at the Cotton Bowl on December 13th. That win was basically the turning point that shoved them into a playoff position. Following that up with a gritty 1-1 draw against Lexington on December 20th showed they can actually hang with the league leaders.

Currently, the top of the table looks like this:

  • Sporting JAX: 25 points (14 games)
  • Lexington SC: 24 points (14 games)
  • Carolina Ascent FC: 20 points (14 games)
  • Dallas Trinity FC: 20 points (13 games)

Notice that "13 games" part? Dallas has a game in hand over everyone above them. If they win that extra match, they leapfrog into third and put serious heat on the top two. It's a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of season.

Players Making the Difference

You can't talk about the standings without talking about Rylee Foster. The goalkeeper has been a literal wall. She’s already racked up four clean sheets this season. When the offense is struggling to find the back of the net, Foster is usually the reason Dallas walks away with at least a point.

Then there’s Lexi Missimo.

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She finally found her first goal of the season in that crucial December win against Carolina. For a player who was so prolific at the University of Texas, seeing her find her professional footing in Dallas is huge for the team's ceiling. Allie Thornton also remains the primary threat up top, leading the team with 3 goals so far this season.

It’s not just the vets, though. Sealey Strawn, a local standout from Prosper, is proving that the "academy player" tag is just a label. She plays with a level of fearlessness that you usually only see in seasoned pros.

The Home Field Advantage (The Cotton Bowl Factor)

Dallas plays better at home. Period.
Their home record is 4-2-1, compared to a more modest 2-3-1 on the road. There is something about that massive, historic stadium that seems to shrink for opponents and expand for Trinity. The attendance has been hovering around 2,500 to 3,200 for league games, but they proved the market is there when over 22,000 people showed up for the friendly against Club América back in October.

What Most People Get Wrong About the USL Super League

A lot of casual fans think the USL Super League is just another "minor league." It’s not. It is a Division One sanctioned league, meaning it's on the same functional level as the NWSL. The quality of play is high, and the stakes in the dallas trinity fc standings are real because the top four teams head into a playoff to crown a national champion.

Dallas is currently the "last team in" for that playoff bracket.

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Being in 4th place is a dangerous game. Spokane Zephyr and Fort Lauderdale United are both breathing down their necks with 18 points each. One bad weekend could see Trinity tumble out of the post-season conversation entirely.

What to Watch For Next

The schedule for early 2026 is going to be the ultimate test of depth. With players like Tamara Bolt (on loan from Washington Spirit) and newcomers like Caroline Kelly integrating more into the system, the tactical flexibility is increasing.

If you're following the team, keep an eye on these specific factors:

  1. The Goal Differential: They need to start winning by more than one goal to fix that -6. If it comes down to a tiebreaker at the end of the season, this could be their undoing.
  2. Away Form: Winning at the Cotton Bowl is great, but they have to steal points in places like Brooklyn and Tampa Bay to secure a top-two seed.
  3. The Missimo-Thornton Connection: If these two start clicking consistently, Dallas becomes the most dangerous offense in the league.

Essentially, Dallas Trinity FC is no longer just "the new team in town." They are a legitimate contender. They’ve survived the growing pains of a late-2025 slump and emerged as a disciplined, defensive-minded squad that knows how to grind out results.

If you want to stay on top of the race, check the official USL Super League site or the Trinity FC "Stat Center" every Sunday morning. The table moves fast.

Actionable Next Steps for Fans:

  • Track the "Game in Hand": Watch the midweek schedule to see when Dallas plays their 14th game; a win there shifts the entire top-four dynamic.
  • Focus on Clean Sheets: Monitor Rylee Foster’s stats; as long as she keeps the shutouts coming, Dallas remains a lock for the playoffs.
  • Check the Tiebreakers: Remember that if points are equal, the league looks at total wins first, then goal difference.