GOD MODE ACHIEVED: Houston Dynamo 4:0 Minnesota United

 

What a game!  On short rest, playing a team they hadn't beaten in their last 8 matchups (going back to 2020), the Houston Dynamo exploded in an offensive display we haven't seen in quite some time.  Led by Corey Baird's epic performance (3 goals + 1 assist), the Dynamo completely dismantled the Minnesota backline in a multitude of ways in order to advance to the quarter-finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  For once, we were on the other side of the red card, and benefitted from another penalty.  Let's take a look at some interesting facts from last night's game.

Corey Baird:

• Bettered his goal total for his entire tenure in Houston during league play. (2 in 2,607 minutes played)
• Equaled his goal total for his entire Houston Dynamo tenure (3 in 2,834 minutes played).
• Had twice as many shots on target (4) as he's had in 900 MLS minutes played this year (2).
• Had a pen, a right-footed chipper, and a left-footed chipper on his three goals.  Of Bairds 24 Career Goals, 18 of them have come off his right foot, 4 left footed, and 2 off his head.  It was his first left-footed goal since 2021 (with LAFC). He hasn't had a headed goal since his rookie year.
• Produced the first Houston Dynamo Hat Trick since Cubo Torres on April 2nd, 2017.

Andrew Tarbell:

• Has yet to concede a goal during regulation on the season.  The only goal he's given up on the year was the one game he played for DynaDos: The first Pen attempt in the overtime shoot-out, he saved the next two to secure the win.

Valuable Experience:

• Talen Maples added to the list of young Dynamo players making their debut in the USOC.  Ben Olsen has done a good job weaving these guys in this year.  Raines, Murana, and Micael, have all filled in nicely and gotten valuable experience in the opening rounds.  Add to that Nelson Quinones getting a full 83 minutes, and Erik Sviatchenko making his Dynamo Debut and it was a very successful day for #ForeverOrange as a whole.
• On top of Corey Baird's performance, Ibrahim Aliyu opened his Dynamo account.  Aliyu made two perfectly timed runs to get in behind The Loons' back line, and the through balls were perfectly timed and weighted.  The first, on his goal:

Aliyu with his 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄!🔥#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/FKCjOoPpVa

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) May 24, 2023

• The second was on this assist: 

Corey Baird with his 3rd of the night!🔥🎯#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/auC1Z580GK

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) May 24, 2023

• Aliyu had a tremendous night.  In 28 minutes he managed 14 touches, was 9/10 on passing, had a goal and an assist, and his runs completely opened up the game. 
• Amine Bassi was also stellar evening.  Playing more centrally than usual over his 73 minutes on the pitch, Bassi was 48/50 (96%) on passing and had a whopping 5 key passes.  Had a bunch of nice weighted passes behind the defense to Nelson, Baird, and Aliyu.  It was his best game from a shot creation standpoint to date.

Clean Sheet Haven:

• The Dynamo have 8 clean sheets in 15 games across all competitions. They've already bettered the number of clean sheets from last year (7) and have the same number as 2021 (5) & 2020 (3) combined.

On a night like tonight, there's not much else to do but dance.

Dancin’ into the quarterfinals🤘#HoldItDown #USOC2023 pic.twitter.com/w7xBOe2nOD

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) May 24, 2023

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN CHING! Not that he reads my blog, but it'd be cool if he did.

Until Next Time!

Remember to always #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian

Completely U.G.L.Y. - Dynamo 1 - Earthquake 2

 

U

G

L

Y

You Aint got no alibi

You Uglyyyyyyyyy....what what what.......you uglyyyyyyyyyy.

This Dynamo team, 5 games in, still has soo many questions that are nowhere near being answered.  Is it a team good enough to sneak into the playoffs?  What is going on with Sebastian Ferreira?  What formation are they even playing?  Can you win in this league without a #10, or a DP striker?  What does Ivan Franco put in his hair to make is so stinking amazing?  One thing that is absolutely certain though: they are going to play ugly.  It's turning many of us into absolute hypocrites (calm down, I'm mostly talking about myself) who love to win ugly but hate to lose that way.  This team threatens their opponent's goal about as much as my 7 lb pomeranian threatens everyone who dares to walk past my house.  They're aware that she's there, but no one is scared of her.  "NOBODY'S SCARED OF YOU BELLA" Is one of my most uttered phrases during the day.  And nobody is scared of our attack either.  When you decide who will start in your forward positions based on who can defend the best, there aren't going to be many goals scored.  This is a clock management, don't make mistakes, and hope your opponent doesn't score type of team.  They made that switch when they decided to start 3 CBs and a #9 who can press the way you want.  When it works, it's ugly and you pull points.  When it doesn't work, it's just ugly.  Either way, Ben Olsen has this team well-organized in defense and playing hard defensively.  What's missing is absolutely anything in the final third other than drawing a penalty. It's easy to point at the #9, but in reality, it's all three of them up top doing nothing to generate goals through the first five games.  It's easy to put the blame on Coco and HH as well, but in reality, they are playing the ball to guys who do nothing with it. When the ball leaves the feet of our two star midfielders, it usually goes into an albatross of turnovers.  Ben Olsen needs to find the right combination of players that can actually find the back of the net DURING the run of play.

This was a tough, physical game from the start.

It was ugly literally from the start.  Cade Cowells beautiful run and low cross nearly broke the game open before the clock even struck 2:00, but from the start, both teams were set on muddying up the opposition.  From the get-go, there were shoulders, grabs, heel kicks, slide tackles, and some good ol'fashioned shin guard checks.

Just look at the highlights of the first 20 minutes, they are all either tragic or fouls.

• Carrasquilla's foul 3:56 into the game.  He just grabbed Moreno by the head for no real reason at all. 
• Hadebe's Handball
• San Jose's double takedown of Raines (8:43) just outside the box.
• Espinosa's run in the box 14:10 (Hadebe's near pen #2)
• Mensah's foul 16:55
• Espinosa's cross that ended up 200 feet from where he wanted it @ 18:10.  

The only exciting plays in the first 30 minutes of the half came from San Jose, and the only thing the Dynamo could do to hold possession was to pass the ball between the back three.  The Dynamo could barely get the ball across midfield with any idea what to do with it, and when they did break the midfield line they could never break down San Jose's press.  The Earthquakes press was giving our back line a ton of problems, and if it wasn't for some tremendous play by Artur to just muscle the ball away from Espinosa and Ebobise inside the box, San Jose  might have broken through several times.  It wasn't until the 25 minute mark that HH began sitting between the lines of press and getting the ball at his feet that the Dynamo began to break through.  But time and time again, despite some nice back heels and through balls, Luchi González's defense was always there.

This game was physical.  31 combined fouls, 5 combined yellows, 3 PKs, 2 of which were for bad tackles in the box. Akapo's shoulder to Schmitt was an example (31st minute), and his yellow for taunting was a sign of what it meant to San Jose.  The Dynamo lost possession 134 times, a season high.  Led by Corey Baird's 16 on only 41 touches, the Dynamo simply could not end possessions with shots.  Too often they tried to do to much, get too cute, be too patient, when simply they needed to play direct and take guys on.  In the first half Ben Olsen's side managed just 2 shots from the run of play (0 on target).  

While we weren't helped by the final decision of a penalty (and the lack of Coco getting one at the end of the first half), the game should never come down for that.  The Dynamo never owned the moment, the attack lacked purpose and passion.  The runs up top never got in behind, when we put together a nice combo play the person in space was always looking for something that wasn't there instead of just taking someone on and beating his man.  This attack actually took a step back last night, and that's almost impossible to do.  Olsen has to find a way to jumpstart this attack before next Saturday, or there is a chance that the Dynamo are going to be over their head before May. Let's take a look at a few of the keys from last night's game.

The Striker Position

Baird was pesky.  He drew the penalty and applied pressure to San Jose's back line at times.  Offensively however Baird was terrible.  I understand that Baird runs hard and defends from the front, but his runs almost never end up with him being onside and behind the defense.  Baird's hold-up play is spotty, and he rarely wins position on deep balls allowing him to hold possession.  Baird does occasionally occupy a CB on some of his runs, allowing Coco and HH to occupy the space in behind, but the biggest problem with Baird is what happens when the ball actually touches his feet.  Currently, he's a poacher who can't poach.  He doesn't create or generate anything offensively, his runs are currently all meaningless, and when he finds the ball in front of an open net he can't put one home.  Last night Sebas checked on and did absolutely nothing.  You could see him gesturing in frustration the second he checked on.  His pressing was terrible, his energy was bad, and his runs were nonexistant.  His hold-up play was OK and he did complete 4/5 passes, but never posed a threat at all and didn't change the game for the better when he checked on.  This position is a void on the offensive side of the ball, but it isn't the only void going forward.

Bassi, Franco, Quinones, and Raines and Schmitt.

This isn't a 4-3-3, and it's not a true 4-4-2.  While they are defending with 2 lines of four, the shift to a 3 man back line going forward is getting 6 guys in the box with regularity. It may be controversial to throw Bassi in here since he's scored 3 goals, however he hasn't done anything to generate a goal yet this year.  He didn't even draw the penalties (Biard, HH and Bartlow's header did), he simply scored them.  The formation switch has him tucking inside and playing centrally while Tate Schmitt gets down the wing.  Last night when Franco Escobar subbed on, they actually flipped the tactics and Bassi played more on the edge. Bassi only has 3 key passes on the year, and his Shot-Creating Actions/90 (2.02) is less than half of what we'd seen from him at Barnsley and Metz. (5.05 and 5.87).  On top of that, he's only taken 2 shots all year during open run.  He needs to be more assertive.  It's not that he's not being clinical, it's that he's not forcing action.  He needs to be one of the key offensive contributors in the attack and do something with the ball at his feet.

Raines looked lost for the most part on the wing last night.  Had one play early in the game where you saw the potential (when he got taken down, got up, ripped the ball away from a defender and kept going until the dragged him down just outside the box @ 8:43 in the game), but often had trouble just getting on the ball.  Cut inside once and missed HH on a perfect run to the outside, instead passing it directly to Michael Baldisimo.  He often had trouble simply getting the ball.  Franco looked no better upon checking on, giving the ball away roughly half (7/16) of the times he touched it.  Nelson Quinones has done nothing to show he can actually help this team in any way, and as much as I like Tate Schmitt his final play needs to be crisper.  His crosses are often just a tad misplaced, and his dribbles in the box often don't beat his man.  To be fair, there needs to be a better tip of the spear for any of these guys to succeed with the final ball.

Too much is being asked of the midfield.

HH, Coco, and Artur are doing their part.  While all three could be better, their job is to control the center of the field and play it up to guys who make plays.  Coco currently ranks 9th in the league in creating shots/90 (4.78), and HH is setting just behind him at 4.40.  Those actions are leading to actual shots or goals though, and that's not necessarily all their fault.  These two guys are box-box players, they aren't Thiago Almeda who stay forward, get forward, and use space around a striker to create for themselves.  They defend, get the ball at their feet, and progress it up to the forwards.  Because our forwards are struggling to do anything offensively, it's putting additional pressure on them to do create goals.  There's no doubt that HH and Coco can do more, but Bassi, Franco, Baird, Sebas, Quinones et all need to really step up.  

Next Up:

Until Then:

Thanks once again for reading.

Remember to always #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian.

Early Position Battles: Baird vs. Pasher

 

As we go into a two-week hiatus during the international break, and with a little time to reflect here on the first month of the season, I want to take a look at some of the positions of interest here with our Houston Dynamo.  Through the first four games, with a 1-2-1 record (5 points, all at home), with a new coach, new playing style, and a couple of new faces, there is a lot to debate and talk about.  While I'll be the first to admit that the idea of "Position Battles" this early in the season is completely fan-made and Paulo Nagamura has given 0 indications that there are actually ongoing position battles, I think there are a few positions that are worth examining. 

Of the early going position battles, probably the most intriguing among Dynamo Fandom is at RW.  With the attack struggling to create chances and score goals, forums and social media are full of asking one thing: why does Corey Baird start?  From online petitions to FREE PASH MONEY to tons of discussions on Twitter, Reddit, and Big Soccer, this is probably the position that #ForeverOrange faithful feel the strongest about.  Without considering newly acquired Thiaghuinho to the mix yet, here's a look at the two players in as non-biased way as I can muster.

Corey Baird

Baird	Appearances	Goals	Assists	Minutes
LW	29	9	7	2,302
RW	16	2	3	1,312
LM	3	1	1	254
RM	1	0	0	87
Totals	49	12	11	3,955
Career Totals	119	19	16	7,844

Coming into the season, Baird had played about half his career as a winger/outside midfielder.  Having been fairly up and down production during his career, Baird has been a fairly productive player from the Wing position, especially on the left flank.  While the numbers aren't tremendous, posting a total of 10 goals and 8 assists from basically a year's worth of play (32 appearances, 2500 minutes played) from the left side isn't anything to be ashamed of.  While that is spread out over 5 seasons, it's still plenty of experience at the position.  The most minutes Baird has ever played there in one season is 980 during his sophomore season.  Last year, before coming to the Dynamo, Baird played 512 of his 750 minutes on the wing, posting all 3 goals and both assists from those positions.  

Strengths

There was a time, not soo long ago, when Baird was clocked as MLS's fastest player.  Baird is a high work rate guy who dwarfs Pasher in terms of Defensive stats.  His 31 pressures in the attacking third ranks 22nd in the league and is only behind Sebastian Ferreira for the Dynamo lead.  Baird has actually outdone Fafa Picault (17) in terms of applying pressure from the top.  Baird ranks 3rd in Interceptions (5), has won 2 tackles, and his 22 balls recovered rank 6th on the team.  Baird isn't scared to mix it up and go after balls.  Between his recoveries, tackles, and interceptions, he's won back 30 possessions for the Dynamo in 316 minutes played.  Bairds pressure success rate (27%) ranks first on the team among starting forwards (only Thor ranks better on the team). He's done a good job holding down the wing and defending players with the ball at their feet (2/3 in Dribblers defended).  Baird makes also well-timed runs into open space and is usually available in possession. Baird has 129 touches through his first 316 minutes of play, which isn't bad considering he's not one of the primary options with Quintero, Fafa, and Sebas playing with him up top. Of his 129 touches, 65 are in the attacking third (4th on team), 10 are inside the opponents' penalty box (4th). He's helping the Dynamo move the ball down the field, as his 15 progressive carries rank 3rd on the team, and his 17 deep balls received rank only behind Fafa (22).  Baird has been a valuable part of helping with playing "Proactive" in the early part of the season, helping win the ball back high and looking to take advantage of defensive errors.  Also, Baird has done a good job switching wings with Fafa in the flow of the game, allowing Fafa to roam to the side he finds as a better matchup and rolling into position without hiccup or mistake.

Weaknesses

Basically, anything involving ball skill. Baird has yet to beat 1 player with the dribble this year (0/7).  His passing rate (77.3%) is among the worst on the team, but also best among the front 4.  Baird's lone assist this year was a mishit chopper that was accurate, but poorly hit.  Baird has only attempted 6 crosses, on the year, and the ones he has hit have been nowhere near the mark. He's also extremely one-footed, of the 95 passes he's attempted, 82 have been with his right foot.  His 1.71 Shot Creating actions per 90 rank 161st in MLS.  Baird has only managed 3 shots through the first 4 games, none of which have been on target.  His 0.85 Shots/90 are good for 185th in MLS.  Long story short, he's providing almost nothing on the wing going forward. 

Why he should start:

Because he fits the system concept of defending from the front and taking what the defense gives you through patient buildup and smart, well-timed runs.

Why he should sit:

Because he offers little in the way of chance creation or goal scoring.

Tyler Pasher

Pasher	Appearances	Goals	Assists	Minutes
LW	24	6	3	1,910
RW	6	3	1	379
LM	10	5	1	855
RM	1	0	0	60
Totals	41	14	5	3,204
Career Totals	172	36	16	11,736

Pasher came over last year after a couple of standout years playing for USL's Indy 11.  The Canadian-born Pasher has a heavy left foot.  Posting 23 goals and 6 assists over his last two years there, Pasher came off his best year as a pro earning 2nd Team All USL-Championship honors.  Pasher got off to a blazing start last year under Tab Ramos, posting 3 goals and 2 assists through his first 8 appearances in #ForeverOrange.  He was directly involved in 5 of the Dynamo's first 11 goals, before injuries and a couple of stints playing for Team Canada derailed his time on the field.  Mostly a Center Forward throughout his career, Baird has seen a lot of action on the wings as well.   Posting a total of 3200 over 39 appearances minutes on the wing, there's a good sample size to see what Pasher can do from this position, albeit most of the sample size comes from the Championship.  Pasher has had a tuff time seeing the field this year and had a very hard time seeing the field last year after returning from his last injury stint. Pasher hasn't made a start of any kind since September 3rd, 2021, during a 2-0 home loss to Portland where he left with a 48th-minute injury.  While he's been highly productive in the ratios, he's had trouble finding the field.

Strengths

Pasher plays direct.  He's not scared to take on defenders, he plays with pace, and if he cuts back inside to his left foot he's extremely dangerous.  Pasher can fire lasers and has done so a few times in his time here already.  His passing accuracy, the sheer number of passes he played (.39 passes per minute in a Dynamo uniform), his production (5 goals and 2 assists in 881 MLS minutes played), and his shooting efficiency (5 goals on 15 shots, 60% Shots On Target) is all among the MLS's best. His 60% SOT would rank 3rd in MLS over the last two years if he had enough shots to qualify.  Pasher times his runs well and does a good job cutting in behind and finding space.  He can finish with either foot, even though he prefers his left.  Pash Money creates chances. His 5.29 Shot Creating Actions/90 would currently rank 7th in MLS if he had enough minutes to qualify, and his 3.29 last year bettered both Baird (1.99) and Fafa (1.90) Pasher's attacking ability and movement are much needed up top for a team struggling to find goals. 

Tyler Pasher with the earlyyyy goal! 🔥@HoustonDynamo take the lead! #HOUvCIN pic.twitter.com/FzXtUG13iL

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 4, 2021

Weaknesses:

Defending.  Pasher isn't a defensive forward by any means.  While last year he was effective at applying pressure (91 pressures, 36% success rate) he only managed 13 tackles + interceptions in 881 minutes played.  He doesn't recover balls at a high rate (44 in 881 minutes, as compared to Baird's 23 in 362 minutes).  Pasher isn't a guy who is going to win you extra possessions through the course of a game.  

Why he should start:

Because he's the most creative winger we currently have on the roster.  Pasher is a direct player that helps the team create chances and score goals. 

Why he should sit:

Two reasons: (1) his defending isn't a scheme or mentality fit. (2) He's the only creative player we currently have coming off the bench.

Final Thoughts:

If we could put the two together, we'd have a really good winger.  But being that the two have have vastly different skill sets, and are oppositely strong food, I could actually see them working in tandem based on matchup.  I'd love to see Pasher start against teams like Colorado, Sporting K.C., etc that press hard in the midfield and open up the wings.  I could see Baird as a better fit against San Jose, NYCFC, and Austin FC which are really dominating possession this year.  I would like to see Pasher get a start here in the near future, but I don't think that there is a clear favorite between the two.  I think Paulo has to choose based on matchup/need of the moment.

Next Up:

Zeka vs. Dorsey

Thanks again for reading,

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian

One for the Road: One of Matt Jordan's final moves, and how it sums up Houston under him.

Summer Transfer Window: 2021

A tale of two players and two teams moving in different directions.  Two teams, both in need of a striker, two players changing teams and situations, with one scoring big and the other struggling through the year.  This move saw one team steadily advancing towards the playoff line, the other trying to climb out of the cellar.  Two strikers of almost the exact same age (25), size (5'10" - 163 vs 5'10" 170), there is little there to distinguish the two. One of the players is setting the league on fire on a weekly basis, the other has yet to make an impact.  One move at the Summer Transfer window transformed another team in the Western Conference's season and has catapulted them to playoff contention.  The move for your Houston Dynamo has had absolutely no impact, and one could easily argue was a "negative impact" move.  These misses are what have plagued the Dynamo for nearly a decade, and this move was a microcosm of what has been an Achilles heel here for quite some time. In one of his last moves, Matt Jordan missed a golden opportunity. Which two players am I talking about and what has their impact been?  Let's take a closer look. 

Corey Baird: 

On Friday, July 30th the Dynamo announced the signing of Corey Baird from LAFC for $750,000 in GAM allocated over two years.  The deal cost the Dynamo $68,000 this year, and another $681,000 next year.  Baird, a one-time MLS Rookie of the year had seen his career come to a crossroads.  Managing just 7 goals and 5 assists over his last 51 appearances (40 starts, over 3,600 minutes played) Baird had been moved to LAFC in January of 2021 for $500,000 in GAM spread over 2 years.   Posting 3 goals and 2 assists in his first 7 appearances, the speedy striker was having a fairly solid start to the season.  Baird had earned 750 minutes through the first part of the season, appearing in 13 games and making 9 starts before losing his spot making only 1 start over his last 8 games with the team after the arrival of Christian Arrango.   “We are thrilled to welcome Corey to the Houston Dynamo,” Dynamo senior vice president and general manager Matt Jordan said in a statement to MLS.com. “He can play a variety of positions in the attacking third while adding important league and national team experience to our group. When you look at his age, character, and skillset, he is the type of player and person we want to be a part of our club moving forward.”  Baird has been plagued by two things since arriving (1) Injuries (2) Lack of finishing. Baird never found his footing, suffering first a "Lower Body Injury" which kept him out for most of August, and then suffering a season-ending knee injury on October 3rd against Sporting K.C.

Baird often makes terrific runs and has the ability to get by opponents with the ball at his feet.  A good passer, Baird can find teammates on the move in dangerous positions as well.  Baird also has been putting the ball on target this year, with 13 of his 24 shots on target (54%: good for 8th in the league), and 5 of his 9 shots in #ForeverOrange.  Baird's problem, however, is getting the ball past the keeper.  His career mark of 0.39 Goals/Shot on Target is mediocre by professional standards, and he hasn't netted more than 5 goals in a season since 2019 (7 goals, 5 assists in his last 3,988 minutes before coming to Houston).  Baird had seen a steep decline in production since his Rookie of the Year campaign, netting 8 goals and 5 assists in 2018, 5 and 3 in 2019, 2 and 2 in 2020, and 3 and 2 this year, none as a Dynamo player.  Along with his lack of production, the Dynamo managed to go 1-4-2 in his 7 appearances, going scoreless in 4 of them.  Managing only 5 points in 7 games, with 0 goals and 0 assists from a guy you paid $750,000 for in the Summer Window hurts, especially for a team with playoff aspirations, especially with the team searching for production from the Striker position.  With Maxi Urruti also struggling through the entire summer, the job was there for Baird to take.  While the injuries derailed his time here, Baird never seemed like the #9 for this team.  He often was just missed on his runs, and of his 5 shots on target, 4 of them were direct to the keeper.  While Baird's guaranteed salary of $396,031 is about 1/2 what the team was paying Christian Ramirez, the move seems puzzling based on what we paid for a declining player.  Tab Ramos had worked with Baird for the U.S. U-20 team, and it's possible the Front Office thought Tab could pull something out of him.  The move backfired, and the Dynamo are still on the hook.  While this move could pull off long-term (Baird is still under contract until 2023), the 25-year-old needs a complete career overhaul in order for this to work. 

Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps)

White has been exactly what the White Caps needed, and they exactly what he needed.  Stuck in a logjam at NYRB, White was brought in for $400,000 in TAM (plus another $100,000 in performance incentives) on June 2nd, 2021. He had become the odd man out in a crowded Red Bulls front line, with Patryk Klimala, Fabio, and Caden Clark leading the attack.  White made an immediate impact, making a start and netting a 54th-minute goal in his first Whitecaps appearance.  Hitting the skids, White saw his production slip as he managed 0 goals and 1 assist over his next 10 appearances (8 starts, 650 minutes). White then caught absolute fire banging home 11 goals and dishing out 3 assists over his last 14 calls to action.  White is now the hottest striker in MLS and leads all American-born strikers in Goals scored.  Highlighted by a hat trick against San Jose on October 22nd, White's rise could come as a surprise.  If you look at his production over his complete body of work, however, it shouldn't. 

In just around 2,000 MLS minutes, White had posted 13 goals (7 appearances (27 starts).  White was by far the most productive and efficient NYRB attacker in the 2019 and 2020 campaigns, outpacing Daniel Royer, Kaku, and Tom Barlow in terms of Goals per Minute played, and he was their leading scorer (5 goals) in only 817 minutes played during 2020.  Hardly the first option, the scrappy White makes key runs and finds open space in front of the net with regularity, and manages to score the ball in a variety of ways.  Of his goals this year, 6 have come off his right foot, 2 off his left, and 4 off his head. He's scored 6 of his goals inside the 6 yard box, 6 inside the 18.  White is a dangerous player because he's smart and never gives up on a play.  Note his first goal against San Jose in the hat trick, White took the ball in front of a defender, one touched it perfectly to Ryan Gauld who fired a shot just to San Jose Keeper J.T. Marcinkowski's right.  Marcinkowski deflected it, and White was in the perfect position to tap it home for the goal.  

What's most frustrating about this move, is White cost far less ($400,000 - $750,000), has a much lower salary ($219,000), and has been much more productive.  The Whitecaps, after struggling initially after this move (going 0-3-2 in his first 5 appearances) and seeing a series of draws (5 straight from July 20- August 13), the Whitecaps have posted 9 wins in his last 14 appearances (9-2-3 over that span), 8 of those came with him in the starting lineup.  The Whitecaps jumped into playoff contention, and have a striker for the future.  This is a move that needs to be talked about here, when you look at what we paid/are paying for Maxi Urruti, what we paid/are paying for Corey Baird, these are complete misses from the most important position on the field.  What is mind-boggling about these moves, is White's came almost a month before Baird's, which should have set a market value for the position.  Having this kind of production from a non-DP level striker is the equivalent of having an NFL quarterback on a rookie contract.  Going forward, it's an enormous advantage.  Would it have vaulted the Dynamo into playoff contention this year?  Probably not, but it would have filled a much-needed hole going forward, and answered one roster question for next year.  In April, I wrote how Front Office creativity was a bigger problem than lack of funds.  This is an example of that.  Hopefully, Pat Onstat fixes this problem in a hurry.  I'm not part of that original fan-dom, I wasn't here when he played here and don't have that personal connection, but seeing the positive messages and a long-needed outpouring of hope and positivity from a struggling fanbase, I'm glad he's here.

Until Next Time,

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange,

Brian