Eric Quill is stepping out as a head coach for the first time in MLS and begins life at FC Dallas with a derby debut against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

Quill officially took charge of the club last November but will get his first taste of MLS as he looks to start on the front foot in a bid to improve on last season's 11th-place finish.

However, Quill is not daunted by having to face their Texas rivals first up, insisting he would not want his MLS career to start any other way.

"I don't think the jitters are here yet," said Quill.

"I think come Saturday, when we arrive at the stadium, that is typically when things will hit. But once the whistle blows, it's locked in and doing what I love to do the most.

"It's a rivalry, let's kick it. Let's kick it off with a bang, man!"

Meanwhile, Houston are coming off the back of a season in which they reached the playoffs, though they were knocked out in the first round after losing both games against the Seattle Sounders on penalties.

They finished fifth in the Western Conference last term, and head coach Ben Olsen is determined to hit the ground running to give themselves a platform to do the same once more in 2025.

"The first game of the season always brings a certain level of tension and excitement," Olsen said.

"The fact that it's a rival game against a team that has a new coach who's still trying to develop a new identity will provide a tough test for the team, but it's one we're looking forward to.

"Nobody's perfect for the first few months of the season, so the trick is to grab points before it's well-oiled because we're all works in progress right now."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Houston Dynamo – Nico Lodeiro

Nico Lodeiro signed for Dallas earlier this week and adds an abundance of experience to the side, having previously made 225 regular-season appearances as well as 31 in the postseason.

Across his time at Seattle Sounders and Orlando City, Lodeiro scored 50 goals and registered 102 assists. In fact, he is just the fifth player in MLS history to record six or more seasons with at least 10 assists.

FC Dallas – Luciano Acosta

Luciano Acosta, acquired by Dallas from FC Cincinnati in the offseason, recorded 93 goal contributions over the last three seasons (41 goals, 52 assists), more than any other player over a three-season span in MLS history (Sebastian Giovinco – 92 from 2015-17).

MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN

This will be the second time in MLS history that a Texas Derby has been played in a season opener. Dallas and Houston played a 1-1 draw to open the 2010 season.

The Dynamo set a club record with 54 points last season, surpassing the previous record of 53 set in 2012. Houston's 15 wins last season equaled the club record set in their MLS Cup-winning 2007 campaign.

Meanwhile, this will be just the third time that Dallas begins a season on the road. Dallas opened the 2007 season with a 2-2 draw at Real Salt Lake and began the 2017 campaign with a 2-1 win at the LA Galaxy.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Houston Dynamo – 58.5%

Draw – 21.6%

FC Dallas – 19.9%