Dynamo 2:1 San Jose - Reaction

Anyway, on to the game. The atmosphere before the game was pretty live, considering the limited capacity that was allowed.  The lines were full, the mood was good.  People were walking with a little bounce in their step on the way to their seats.  IT'S OPENING DAY.  New season, new players, new hopes...right?  Despite the dreary night and the rain coming down, the game started off with a bang and ended with three points.  We were clearly the better team for the majority of the game and it was a convincing 2-1 win.  

While Memo Rodriguez was named man of the match, Boniek Garcia's work as an impromptu center-back can't be overlooked.  Boniek was everywhere and shut down San Jose's attack from minute 1-90.  The pairing of he and Tim Parker was really intriguing, and they seemed to communicate and play off each other much better than what we saw from Sam Junqua in the preseason.  I don't think there's any question we're still looking for that second central defender, it'll probably be by committee. But Boniek definitely made a case to make the job his on Friday night and without question earned that captain's band on his arm.  His tackle at midfield at the 43:00 mark on Cade Cowell stopped a sure breakaway right before the half.  He sacrificed a yellow to stop a break after a terrible turnover by Adam Lundkvist.  It was a head's up, tuff, veteran play that stopped a chance before it was ever created.  I don't know how many balls he won or chased down at midfield, but he shot down a ton of long balls all game long.  Hist tackle inside the box at the 53:00 mark was beautiful. It was a leader's effort, and I loved seeing it from him.

The first half showed a combination of really nice combination play and defending.  We'll get to that,

but it also showed some warning flags for down the road.  Adam Lundqvist was shaky.  He was out of position often, he gave the ball away easily at times, and was just not as sharp as he normally is. Even though it's hard to complain about a guy that led us in tackles, his passing, ball handling, and decision-making were off.  Especially for someone as steady as Lundkvist normally is.  Maybe he had too much of our bad coffee (shout out to Soccer City Podcast) before the game. Marco Meric was solid in goal, but his distribution in the first half was terrible at times.  He has to make better/faster decisions and be more accurate downfield with the ball.  The defense in front of him kept him mostly clean, but the few times he needed to start the attack there wasn't an orange shirt in the area of his pass.  A couple of times the ball found nothing but the video board on the sideline. There's not a lot of large complaints here, there was more good than bad, but once again we failed to capitalize off far too many chances and our finishing has to get better.  We defended aggressively from the front, we built attacks, and our combo play was nice.  The weather wasn't all that helpful, and you could tell that the ball was playing quick on the grass.  Footing was tricky, and you saw several players on both sides slipping as they were trying to cut back. 

Houston was the more aggressive team from the start.  We came out pressing with purpose, and Pasher, Urruti, and Picault were creating problems in the attacking third from the getgo.  Corona, Memo, and Vera were really creating havoc in the midfield, and to put it plainly, simply outworked San Jose. At the 2:20 mark, Corona intercepted a pass and fired downfield to a racing Picault.  The ball just skipped out of Picaults reach to the goalkeeper J.T. Marcinkowski, but the warning shot began to show the tone of this game:  We were here to win. Only a minute later (after a nice combo by Mattias Vera off a throw-in) Fafa Picault raced paced two defenders and nearly found Tyler Pasher for a header on the back post.  It was only inches off, but the Dynamo were hyper-aggressive offensively and defensively in the opening minutes.  Even after a long pause due to Tommy Thompson's shoulder injury, the Dynamo were right back at it. La Naranja looked like a swarm of angry bees, and the second we went back to play, a Joe Corona steal led to a quick break, excellent hold-up play by Maxi Urruti, who found Memo on the run between two defenders with an excellent bender.  Memo's pass to a streaking Tyler Pasher just nipped a defender's heel and was picked up by Marcinkowski, but we were on the front foot and coming strong.

-8:30, another turnover and great movement finds Memo wide open just outside the box.  His shot just finds a defender's foot.

-9:40 - a streaking Picault has the ball just skip off his head to the keeper.

-10:00 - the Dynamo threaten again off good hold-up play from Urruti, a nice run from Pasher, and Memo is just turned away.

-10:30 - Boniek wins a header at midfield, that finds Corona, Corona hits Memo who punches a nice through ball to Tyler Pasher.  Pasher's cross hits a sliding Picault who puts the ball in the back of the net.  Pasher was offsides by a forearm, and the goal is taken away.

How San Jose survived this flurry of punches without conceding a goal was more luck than skill.  But they came away clean and began to fight back.  The Dynamo flurry was brought on by the aggression of Vera and Corona in the midfield, and the steady play of Parker and Garcia in the back.  They were winning every ball and turning them into quick offense.

At the 12:00 mark, San Jose threatened for the first time, as Javier Lopez's shot front 20 yards out was no problem for Marco Maric.  It was a soft jab after a flurry of counterpunches and stinging jabs that just missed the mark, but San Jose began to calm the game down.  The game started to turn a little sloppy, and a lot more physical. With heavy rainfall pouring down on BBVA, fouls became prevalent.  San Jose was having trouble dealing with the pressure and were seeking to split #ForeverOrange open with a deep ball down the middle. Their possession play was based mainly in the backline, as Vera and Corona were dominating the midfield. For the next 10 minutes of play, San Jose dominated possession, but created almost nothing.  At the 22 minute mark, a great run started by Fafa found quick-hitting action between Picault, Memo, and Vera.  Vera's left-footed chance was tipped just wide, but the Dynamo started to break through again.  The ensuing corner found Picault wide open at the back post.  After a good effort to control it, he rushed the shot and lasted it into The Surge.  On the ensuing goal kick, Boniek headed the ball to a waiting Urruti who then found Tyler Pasher cutting back to his heavy left foot.  Pasher blasted one but Florian Jungwirth was there to turn it away (and amazingly enough, Boniek won this ball back too.)

Finally, at the 38-minute mark, Memo Rodriguez cracked the game open. After some back and forth play, Boni stole a clearance at mid-field. He found Joe Corona with tons of space in between defenders who lobbed a perfect pass into Memo. Memo fought off Jungwirt for position, spun and outraced both the keeper and Oswaldo Alanís to the ball.  With Marcinkowski completely off his line, and hung out to dry like a pair of old work jeans, Memo sliced the ball past him beautifully for the game's first goal.  The build-up was nice and Corona's pass was perfectly laid, but Memo simply outworked everyone for that goal.  The Dynamo had finally notched ahead in a game they were clearly winning.  After a suspect Yellow on Mattias Vera, and another on the aforementioned Garcia, the Dynamo broke for half with a 1:0 lead.  Memo nearly made it 2:0 in added time, but after a tremendous run and a great pull back, his shot hit the woodwork and bounced back.

 

The second half had a different tone.  Houston was a little more content to sit back and allow San Jose to control possession.  Max Urruti finally widened the gap when Tyler Pasher found him right in the middle of the 18-yard box all by himself.  He slotted it nicely to the left side lower corner, and the Dynamo were now up 2:0 with just a little more than 30 minutes remaining on the clock. Tab's side dug in a little deeper, sat back a little more, and allowed San Jose to sit in their own half.  Minutes later Fafa sprung loose again on the counter and Marcinkowski just got a mit on it.  The ball ended up about 6" wide, but the Dynamo were knocking again.  Memo got another good chance right before the hour mark with a left-footed blast that missed by about a foot to the right.

With Chris Wondolowski now on, and Matias Almeyda bringing on fresh legs and throwing bodies forward, San Jose began to crack the Houston defense.  They weren't creating great chances, but they were testing and prodding.  Paul Marie scored an unbelievable goal from about 25 yards with a fantastic curler that found the right side.  It was a perfectly placed shot from deep and brought the game to one with 15 minutes remaining. 

It took until the 83-minute mark for San Jose to finally crack us open, and when they did they split us wide open.  Cristian Espinoza shot loose to track down a tremendous through-ball after a bad bounce on a Houston corner.  San Jose had numbers and position, as Darwin Ceren raced back to recover.  It was a 2v1 with Wondolowski racing down the left side. Espinoza's shot found Marco Meric's armpit, but the ball bounced right to Wondolowski about a foot from a wide-open net.  Wondolowski did that other thing he's famous for (Luckily for the Dynamo) and just completely blew the chance. 

It was the last bit of real excitement in the game.  Derrick Jones and Christian Ramirez came on shortly after, and the Dynamo held on to win a 2:1 nail bitter.  I feel like this is a game we wouldn't have won last year, but I'm also trying to be realistic about it.  We were clearly the best team on the pitch, but the goal-scoring chances translating to goals is still a problem.  The late-game defensive collapse once again almost bit us (and should have.  I still have no idea how Wondo missed that goal).  It feels good to win, but there's still serious concern to take away from this game.  Here's a look at a few individual players and some bright spots.  I'm not a "player rater" guy, so I'll just tell you what I saw.

Ariel Lassiter:  I was really critical of him last week, but he found Maxi right in front of the goal at the for a terrific chance right after coming on.  I'm not saying he was good.  He lost the ball twice in the box late in the game and gave the ball up too easily.  But he was better.  He helped create a couple of chances, but his defending and decision making still need to improve.

Tyler Pasher: It was a nice debut from Pasher.  I can see why Tab seems to like him soo much.  His work rate is really good, and he spearheads the defense.  He made some really nice passes in both the quick passing game and crossing as well, and he has good timing on his runs.  He's athletic enough to play at this level and should be a solid addition.  

Maxi Urruti: If he can play like this week in/week out we'll be alright.  His hold-up play was on point, he had several good chances, and he capitalized on his best one right in front of the goal.  He was putting a lot of pressure on the Quakes backline until he got a little banged up near the end of the first half.  He stayed down a couple of times grabbing his ankle, but lets hope he can stay healthy for the duration of the season.  He's a major upgrade over Christian Ramirez.

Vera and Corona: Simply put, dominated the midfield for the first 80 minutes of play.  They outworked, outfought, out everything'd San Jose for 88 of the 90 minutes, and they are a huge reason the Dynamo won.  They connected play really well, and just put in workman-like efforts.

Fafa Picault: Easily the most threatening player on the pitch.  He's lightning quick and caused a ton of problems.  San Jose couldn't match his speed or quickness and he's a major upgrade.

Tim Parker:  Tim Parker was just extremely solid.  He was always there, right were he needed to be.  He built from the back, he won every ball, and was soo good you almost didn't notice how good he was.

Marco Maric: While his distribution was really bad in the first half, his goalkeeping was outstanding. He was never out of position and it took a golazo to beat him.

Finally, of all the things I love about the game, the thing I loved the most was this:

It was great seeing you all out there last night.  Good night for a win.  Bang those drums, blow those horns, set off those flairs, and bounce like House of Pain.  We've earned it, and after last year, we definitely deserve it.

#HoldItDown and #StayForeverOrange.

Thanks for reading

Brian

For once in my life I hope I'm wrong: Approaching the season with pessimistic optimism.

 

Dude, what?  That doesn't even make sense.  Just wait......hear me out.  I want to be excited about this team.  I really do.  Despite my frustration with the front office, and my despise for many things this league does, I love this team.  I really want them to be good, I really want them to be better.   I'm pulling for Tab, and Matt Jordan, and the guys.  It's not for any reason other than.....they're part of the team.  They're Dynamo, so they're my guys.  I like the guys we added this offseason.  I hope we are better, more than that, I hope we are good. Not just "barely squeaked into the playoffs" good, but "solid playoff position and win a round or two" good.  That's what I'd like.......

BU-UT, there's these things called my eyes and my brain.  Do I like Pasher, Picault, Urruti, Jones and Corona?  Sure, they seem like decent guys to have in the locker room, and they play hard.  Do they help us get to the next level?  No.  Would they be OK with a dynamic #9?  They'd be great additions if we were putting them around 2018 Manotas, but that guy isn't here.  These guys are cogs, they aren't the wheel.  Urruti is a decent player.  He's going to drop 7-10 goals, he plays hard, and seems like a decent human.  It seems like he fits in well with the guys, and fits what Tab is trying to do. But he's not the guy we need. For one of the few times in my life, I hope I'm wrong, but I'm most likely not. 

It's mostly disappointing that we got a player of Tim Parker's caliber without using a DP slot to get him,

then left the other two slots vacant.  Having Parker as a non-DP basically should allow us to have 4 DP caliber-worthy players in #ForeverOrange and could have led to the quick turnaround we are looking for.  And before you guys start throwing the Tomas Martinez's out there as examples of how bad we are at picking DP's, remember Elis was a young DP. He was pretty good.  As much as I dislike things that have been done while Jordan was here (trading Quioto, selling Elis and Manotas for a bag of peanuts and some fertilizer) I don't necessarily blame him.  He offered Elis the biggest contract in Dynamo history, Elis turned him down.  That put our backs against the wall as he was bout to walk on a free. Quioto was a hothead who didn't really want to be here, and Manotas was the worst striker in MLS last year (and we still got a reported $4mil from him.)  and also about to walk for free.  Jordan brought in Quintero, and I'm convinced that Quintero, Elis and Monatas would have made a playoff push last year.

But, how does he go last year leaving a DP slot open, and this year leaving two open AFTER we just made $5 mil off Manotas and Elis?  Where's the James Harden money? This makes no sense.  What, are we saving it for a rainy day? While I'm trying to stay positive, I'm just as frustrated as many of you out there.  In this city, with this market, and the huge amount of soccer fans and players we have, the Dynamo should be bending over trying to field championship teams.  We all know the owners are absent and incompetent, which is why I somewhat cut Matt Jordan some slack.  We've all had a job with bad bosses who didn't care.  He can only do what they allow him to.  If we had unlimited funds and super aggressive owners, I'd be more critical of him.  I know those of you out there that disagree, and I respect it.  I just don't necessarily agree.

Welcome to the New Faces:

The list is long this year:

Joe Corona

Derek Jones

Ian Hoffman

Fafa Picault

Max Urruti

Tyler Pasher

Tim Parker

Ethan Bartlow

Kyle Morton

Juan Castillo

Welcome to the city of Houston.  We have the best restaurants and food in the U.S.  You have a starving and disgruntled fanbase.  There are those of us amongst us that will love you no matter what.  We just want your best.  We're here for you, and will even carry your bags to the airport for you.  We are as diverse as the city, ranging far in economic status and nationality.  It's part of being a Houstonian.  We love it as much as we love good Tacos and Southern Cooking.  We hope you help us build something special here, because we need it.  You have our support, and you'll need it.  

This City Deserves Better.

I was at Bayern vs. Real Madrid.  It was a beautiful experience.  Not just because of the product on the pitch, but also because of the 60,000 fans packed inside Reliant.  We need to recreate that at every home game.  I see you El Batalon and the Texian Army,  I see you The Surge, you're doing your part.  I see you season ticket holders.  It's not easy going out to BBVA every single Matchday just to wind up nauseous at the end of the year.  For us to have survived the combination of the Pandemic and the 2019/2020 Dynamo, we deserve medals.  Those of you reading this are the lifeblood of this organization because you care enough to read some Biology Teacher's thoughts.  You are the die-hards that are there even when nobody else is.  I see you, why don't they see you?

We have been pulled in eight million directions.  We need a star player, we need to develop local talent, we need a new GM, Tab's terrible.  We have been teased by the signings of Quintero and Parker, only to have nothing around them.  We have watched roster regression for years.  No matter the size of the signing, we need a squad of 15 quality players that can compete.  We have an aging roster, and we are going to depend on guys that are almost as old as I am.  I agree with two of the points above.  We need a star.  We need a goal scorer, AND we need to develop and harness young talent.  Young talent has developed here.  Elis and Monatas were both teenagers when we got them, and they developed into Dynamic talent here.  We need to publicize that.  We need to have a system where Christian Chappis is dying to come here, and not leave us for Frisco.  We don't need one thing to be better, we need the entire organization to be better.  We don't want a flash in the pan, we want a consistent dominant force.  We want it now.

Tomorrow night is just the beginning:

I'll most definitely overreact by whatever happens tomorrow night. If we win, I'll be on high hope island.  If we lose, I'll be on the "We aren't winning a single game" low.  I'm a fan, it's what we do.  I'm going to try and remain patient and see what this team does this year.  As I said, I'm hoping I'm wrong, and I hope for all of us.....I am. I hope to see you all there, and if you see me, come by and say hi.  

Thanks again for reading.

Brian

With the offseason over, what exactly did we learn?

Normally you would consider going 5-0-1 over the preseason and outscoring your opponents 10-4 over a 6 game span a pretty good stretch. Despite all of this, if Saturday's match against FC Dallas was any inclination about the upcoming season, The Dynamo are in trouble.  A step slow, a foot off, a half-second too late were common themes on Saturday, with few bright spots.  The final two games against Austin F.C. and F.C. Dallas left some to be desired.  

On another note, how great was it to hear El Batallon, the Surge, and the Texian Army all fired up for 90 minutes.  It's been too long since we've heard you guys own the North End of the Stadium, and it brought some chills down my spine just hearing you all walk into the park.  

Anyway, ON WITH IT.

The Good

Tim Parker 

He's the steal of the MLS offseason.  Not just for the Dynamo, but for the league. Let there be no doubt, Tim Parker is a tremendous defender.  He's the best defender we've had in some time, hands down. He has been in the right spot at the right time and is always on alert.  The big, strong CB with the athleticism to play with MLS's best is also competing on every single play.  His positioning, aggression, and timing have been great.  Being that the team didn't give up a goal until Saturday's matchup, it's hard to be too negative about the backline, but he was the lone bright spot in the back on Saturday afternoon.

Tyler Pasher

Don't get me wrong, Pasher hasn't been amazing.  But, he's had a solid showing so far.  He made several key runs on Saturday, although ended with nothing to show for it.  It's hard to see exactly how he fits in, other than a rotation player or a late-game sub at right-wing, but he looked good coming back inside to his left foot.  His blast in the first half was just too high and left, which was also the nearest thing the Dynamo had to a goal in the first 45 minutes of play.  He was attacking, holding up, and cutting inside when he needed to and made good decisions on the ball.  I don't know that he's a full-time MLS player right now, but he's shown enough to get minutes and could earn legitimate time at the right-wing.

Fafa Picault

Fafa scored a brace against Austin FC, and was generally on the front end of the attack over the last two games.  Although he couldn't really shake loose against Frisco, he was creating pressure both on the attack and by defending from the front.  Fafa is a professional, and a nice addition.  

The Bad

The System

I can't see how this group of players fits this system.  Vera, at times, was the only player capable of creating up the middle.  Vera isn't that type of player, and the offense was often stagnant because of it.  The full-backs were constantly pushing too high, especially on the backside, which opened them up to counterattacks.  Neither Lundkvist nor Zerek Valentine are the fleetest of foot, and the Dynamo are just one turnover in the mid-field (which happens far too often), from being in a one-on-one battle with only Marco Meric protecting the goal.  The good news is neither Darwin Quintero nor Memo Rodriguez were in the Starting 11, but the bad news is they don't have another goal creator on their team.  Fafa Picault could never get loose, Max Urruti was often covered up and couldn't find space as there was no other threat up the middle, and neither wing could penetrate anywhere near the middle of the field. Crosses were easily turned away, or there was no on the end of them.  Tab Ramos will need to find a way to get Darwin and Memo on the field together and yet still get the defensive cover he needs in order to have any sort of chance this year.

The Midfield

The midfield made some plays defensively, but constantly gave the ball back in bad positions and did little to create anything going forward.  This midfield is a hodge-podge of assembled parts, but the problem is there is no true stand out.  Mattias Vera is a nice player, but he needs someone in front of him who can make plays.  Honestly, I don't think these three will be playing together for bulk moments when the season starts, but they looked out of sorts and offered little to nothing going forward.  

The Ugly

Sam Junqua

Sam Junqua looked completely overmatched, and completely incapable of playing a central defender position.  The final goal of the game, Junqua completely misplayed a ball in the air with time and space to make a play.  Jesus Ferreira easily picked it up, turned Junqua soo badly he fell down twice, and easily beat Maric at the far side.  Junqua misplayed passes, he whiffed on headers, and pushed too high up and lost shape which once ended with him getting roasted for the second goal of the game by Ryan Hollingshead.  He looked out of position, and completely unreliable. He was in a position to make plays on both of the other goals, but made absolutely no attempt to make a play on the ball. The second goal of the game he watched a ball push about 6" to his right, and then watched Ryan Hollingshead beat the only defender who gave any effort (Tim Parker) and deposit it in the back of the net.  It was a nice pass by Andrés Ricaurte, but 4 Houston defenders watched it go through. 
Hopefully, Maynor Figueroa has enough left in the tank to fill this position, and Ethan Bartlow develops enough to earn minutes here. Is it too late to still make a run at Carlos Salcedo?

Ariel Lassiter

Not sure of a nice way to say this, because there's not one.  Ariel Lassiter was awful on Saturday.  It was one of the worst performances I've seen from a Dynamo wide player.....ever.  He seems to have a complete lack of awareness on the pitch, and couples that with a very low skill set.  He twice was in a 1 v 1 on the wing, and twice gave the ball away.  The first, a hard-charging run down the left flank that started with promise, turned into simply dribbling the ball directly into the defender, who took it away from him.  He had space, he was coming with pace, and he didn't even attempt to make a move to get past the defender.  The defender didn't even have to work to get the ball, Lassiter just gave it to him.  The second started as a nice run down the left flank and ended with a cross to absolutely no one.  I don't even know who he was trying to cross the ball to, as it simply found a central defender (who didn't have to move or rush to get the ball) who wasn't within 20 yards of an attacking player.  It was more of what we saw from him last year.  If we are ever in a position where we have to count on Lassiter for heavy minutes, we are in serious trouble.

The Verdict:

My stance hasn't changed.  This isn't a playoff-caliber team and will be in the lower tier of the league for most of the year.  There's not enough attack, and the defense is suspect.  They need another defender, and they have little depth despite all the offseason moves.  Despite the fact that I think this team will be better than last year's team, they don't have enough pieces to climb into a playoff position.  

On another note, can I ask why everyone is so sure that Tab Ramos will be gone after this season?  Does this front office actually care enough to fire him if we aren't competitive?  Is it even Tab's fault?  Asking Matt Jordan and Tab Ramos to win games with this current ownership group is like asking someone to make a gourmet meal only from the Clearance rack at Kroger's.  Sure, someone could do it, it'd be unusual, weird, and "trendy", but there wouldn't be Creme Brule at the end.  I get that we Dynamo fans are frustrated, but why would we hire a guy who has a reputation for developing young talent, stick him with a bunch of aging, mediocre players, and then put him on a short leash?  That makes no sense.  To do this right, it'll take 4-5 years for Tab to really have the time he needs to turn it around.  Can't we at least give him Wilmer Cabrera levels of patience? Just something to think about as we progress through this season.  

Thanks again for Reading.

Stay #ForeverOrange and #HoldItDown Houston.

Ten Americans in Europe that I'd love to see play for the Dynamo, but know it'll never happen

No, these aren't the biggest names in the world American Soccer.  I could sit here and name a bunch of guys we could never afford, and a bunch of guys who'd never come, but this isn't that type of list.This list includes guys that aren't highly priced or that Houston could get when they are out of contract, but I also know that it'll never happen (unless I'm playing FIFA 21).  I don't see some of them coming to MLS, I don't see any of these guys as players that the Dynamo would actually go for, and I'm also aware that MLS re-entry draft rules and Discovery Rights would make it nearly impossible.  But a guy can dream right? 

Please also note that this isn't my Dream 11, or a list of players from anywhere in the globe I'd love to see trampling the turf at BBVA, it's a specific list of a specific set of players. These guys are either young and on the up, or underutilized vets that could have enough left in the tank to help Tab Ramos' squad.  Many of them have played for Tab on the USMNT as youngsters and some are simply intriguing prospects, others would be welcome additions. So without further ado, the nominees go to:

1) Sebastien Soto 

Age - 20 - CF - Norwich - English League 2 - Current Market Value - $550k
Soto has had a tuff go getting to a first team in Europe.  Originally with Hannover '96 in the Bundesliga's second tier, he spent two years on Hannover's youth team despite scoring 17 goals in 24 games for Hannover's U-19 team. Soto moved to Norwich City in England's Championship this summer after his contract with Hannover ran out.  Unable to obtain a work permit, Sebastian went on a short term loan to Telstar in the Netherlands before he was recalled in January. 

Soto scores goals, plain and simple.  In 19 appearances for USMNT, he's scored 15 goals.  At Telstar, he had 7 goals in 12 games (8 starts).  "He's definitely a team-first type player and he's excellent around the box," Ramos told Goal last summer. "When he gets a chance, he puts it away. People just can't do that consistently. You have tons of great players who can't score goals and he can."  With the lack of a #9 of any significance here in Houston, he'd be an amazing fit. Being that Norwich city currently sits 7 points atop the table and look to move into the Premier league next year, it's doubtful Soto could be convinced to make the move, but he would be awesome here. He just signed a 3 year contract with Norwich City, but if the work permit is still on hold, why not put out a loan offer for him through this year?

2) Fabian Johnson

Age - 33 - LM/LB - Free Agent - Current Market Value=$1.1 mil.
Fabian Johnson would be a great addition here.  A solid vet who can still press and make plays.  He can legitimately play 6 positions (LB, RB, LM, RM, CM, CAM) and be an upgrade for us at all 6.  He's a free agent, and would be worth a DP slot.  He's aging, and there's injury concern with Fabian, but he could come here and have a DaMarcus Beasley type ending to his career.  There were rumors he was negotiating with several MLS teams last June, but his contract ran up and he's currently unsigned.  Surely we could use some of that James Harden money and go get him.

3) Timmy Chandler

Age -30- RM/RB - Eintracht Frankfurt - Bundesliga - Germany - Current Market Value=$1.65 mil
Timmy is one of my favorite players of all-time, and a big reason I latched on to Eintracht Frankfurt. The 30 year old has one year remaining on a deal that expires in 2022.  The former USMNT player would be a definite upgrade at RB, and still has plenty left in the tank. Currently a sub for Eintracht Frankfurt and having played only 96 minutes this year, Timmy can still get up and down the sideline, is a good defender, and is an extremely accurate passer both down the field and on crosses.  He's a fan favorite there, and would immediately command a new jersey sale purchased by me, about :37 seconds after he's announced.  He's played Wing Back in Eintracht's primary 3-4-1-2, Right Back and Right Mid in a both a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1, and he's still very good at applying pressure up the pitch and defending from the front.  He can turn defense into offense quickly and went on a brilliant run last year during the second half of the season scoring 6 goals over a five game stretch. Many fans in the U.S. are sour on him from his time on USMNT, but watching him for the last 6 years I have seen him turn in steady performances time and time again.  Being native to Frankfurt, it'd be hard to pry him away, but he doesn't command a big wage and would be a great addition to BBVA.  His contract is also up at the end of the year, so he could make a midseason move here for a playoff push.

4) Jonathan Amon 

Age - 22 - Left Wing - FC Nordsjælland - The Netherlands - Current Market Value=$440k
Jonathan Amon is FAST.  He's got top level speed, is a good ball handler, has a nice first touch and would reek havoc on MLS defenses.  Amon persistently blows by defenders and finds slivers of daylight to create goals.  He has good finishing accuracy going to his right, and will find open teammates in front of the net.  The South Carolina native's contract expires in 2022, and after missing last year with a knee injury he's working his way back into form (returning only a week ago).  He had a goal in his first game back (25 minutes as a substitute), and an assist in his appearance in the Danish Sydbank Pokalean (Sydbank Cup). He has DP level talent, and would be a difference maker with his speed, pressure, and passing.  He has a decent right foot when cutting back inside, but is not a big time goal scorer.  Would be an awesome addition here.

5) Christian Cappis 

Age -20 - Midfielder - Hobro IK - Danish Superliga - Denmark - Current Market Value=$330k
Just so we're clear, Chappis SHOULD BE a Dynamo already. He stiffed #ForeverOrange for FC Frisco, and then when MLS declared the Dynamo owned his discovery rights, he went on trial at Bayern Munich instead. Bayern apparently where interested but didn't have a roster spot so he ended up signing with Hobro IK in Denmark.  I don't know that Chappis would be a superstar, but he's a solid 6 and he's only 21 years old. The left footer would be a great compliment to Mattias Vera with his size (6'1") an defensive capabilities.  He played over 2,000 minutes on 24 starts last year for Hobro IF, and just got his first USMNT call up.  He just signed a 4 year deal with Brondby who sit at the top of the Superliga table, so the chances of him coming here anytime soon are nil. Although he somewhat burned us, I'd still love to see him in Tab Ramos's system.

6) Shaq Moore 

Age - 24 - RB - CD Tenerife - Segunda Division - Spain=Current Market Value - $660,000
Shaq Moore has over 10,000 minutes played as a professional.  His 4,235 minutes on  46 starts over the last two years for Tenerife have been marked with improvement every step of the way.  He's seen time in La Liga, he's started against Lionel Messi at The Bernabeu. He's currently behind a logjam at RB for the USMNT, but is a solid player with good speed and can definitely defend.  He's signed through 2024, but at that market value a transfer shouldn't be out of the question. Moore is young, he's explosive, he gets good reads on the ball, but his deep ball passing and crossing need improvement. Moore was a mainstay for Tab Ramos on the Under-20's, and in the 2015 CONACACAF U-20 Champion team Moore started and played the full 90 in 5 of the 6 games, and started 18 out of 20 games overall in that campaign.  His familiarity with Tab, his athleticism, I'd love to see this happen.

7) Luca de la Torre

Age - 22 - CM - Heracles Almelo (Loan From Fulham) - Eredivisie - Current Market Value - $770k

Luca has had a bear of a time breaking through to the first team at Fulham, managing on 64 minutes in the Championship over his 3 years with the club. One loan to Heracles Almelo, he's finally getting valuable playing time (24 starts, 1700+ minutes played). Posting a goal and two assists, he's really solidified himself on a team that sits square in the middle of the table. The thing that is jumping off the page at people is his ability to take the ball away from people (26 tackles won, 24 interceptions in 24 games), and his 22 fouls drawn. His 86.8% passing leads the team and is currently among the upper echelon of Eredivisie passers (21st overall, only 4 midfielders have a higher percentage). de la Torre was a force on Tab Ramos's U-20 side in the last U-20 World Cup, and it might jump start him to make the full time move here to play for Tab on the club side. His contract runs up next summer, so trying to get him on the end of his contract or on a loan deal until his contract runs out would be ideal.

8) Richy Ledezma 

Age - 20 - CM/CAM - PSV Eindhoven - Eredivisie - Current Market Value - $935k
Ramos believes that Ledezma is one of the best players from a U-20 group that included Josh Sargent, Tim Weah, Chris Richards, and others. Ledezma is a playmaking attacking midfielder who has loads of potential. He had just broken through PSV's first team in November 2020, making 3 appearances over 5 weeks when he tore his ACL 17 minutes into PSV's Europa League match against Omonia Nicosia during the group stage last December. His first Europa League minutes, and his first Europa league start, Ledezma was just finding some traction after a broken foot sidelined him in 2019 before he even made it to the Netherlands. Another person who has intimate knowledge of playing for Ramos, and another signed through 2022, I'd love to see him take over the reigns for Darwin Quintero when Darwin is ready to retire. His long term goal is to play at a Champions League level club in Europe, but I would love to see him in Darwin's role here in Houston.

9) Andrija Novakovich 

Age - 24 - CF - Frosinone Calcio - Italy - Current Market Value - $1.87 mil.
Novakovic is finally realizing potential that he saw as a member of the USMNT U-20's.  His time at Reeding FC was seen with loan deals for 3 straight years, and despite scoring 19 goals in 35 games at Telstar in the Netherland's second flight, he found his way on another loan and eventually to his current home of Frosinone in Italy's second tier.  He wanted to go to Italy, stating that the defense there would help take him to the next level.  He's been really good this year, banging home 7 goals in 1500+ minutes as Frosinone sits in the mid-table of Serie B.  He's big (6'3") is good around the box, and does a good job holding up play and finding teammates.  Also signed through 2022, he should be a player on our radar as we continue to search for a viable #9.

10) Isaiah Young

Age - 22 RW/LW/CF - Rot-Weiss Essen - Regionalliga West (Germany) Current Market Value=$165k
Young is an explosive athlete and an interesting prospect. He's never played higher than the second division, which he did in 2019/2020 for Belgium's Union SG. He only played just over 500 minutes the entire year there, but has had a re-emergence of sorts this year and is playing well for German 4th Division side Rot-Weiss Essen. That might not post wow-factor, but he put in good performances in the DFB Pokal against Fortuna Dusseldorf (2nd Division), Bayer Leverkusen (1st Division), and Holstein Kiel (Second Division). Young was in the starting 11 in all three games, and was a constant threat on the pitch and Rot Weiss Essen took down two much bigger clubs before finally succumbing to Kiel. He started off his career with a bang, scoring 3 goals in his first 8 starts for Werder Bremen' U-19 side in the U-19 Bundesliga, but his production has really fallen off over the last several years and he just hasn't been able to make the Jump. He had 2 goals and 7 assists in 1700+ Minutes in 17/18 for Werder Bremen's II side, and so far this year has a goal and 3 assists in just over 1000 minutes played. While his athleticism is intriguing, his work rate and skill level both need some improvement. He'd be a project and most likely wouldn't make an immediate impact in the squad, but the former stalwart on the US U-19's could be a low risk - high reward type investment.

Others worth noting:

Mason Judge - 18 - CB - Eintracht Frankfurt - Bundesliga - Current Market Value=Unranked.

Joe Scally - 18 - RB - Borussia Mönchengladbach - Bundesliga -Current Market Value=$2.2 mil

Alex Mendez - 20 - CM/CAM - Ajax - Eredivisie - Current Market Value=$550k

Julian Green - 25 - CM/CAM - SpVGG Greuther Furth - 2. Bundesliga - Current Market Value=$1.1 mil

*Editor's note, I could name about 20 more kids in the Bundesliga I'm excited about, but this is where I'll end my list.*

Thoughts?  Anyone you'd like to see on this list?  Feel free to comment below.

Thanks for reading,

Brian

Lack of FO creativity, player development, bigger problem than lack of funds.

 

WE NEED A BIG NAME PLAYER.  It's shouted on #Dyano Twitter on a persistent basis.  It's about the only thing out there that you read more often than #BrenerOut.  You see it on Big Soccer, it's blasted all over Reddit.  But....what does that mean exactly?  Does that mean that the Forever Orange faithful will only be satisfied if Lionel Messi finds his way to Houston? Does someone like Mo Salah or Luis Suarez have to come to play their final years at BBVA? We undoubtedly need and deserve higher levels of talent than what have graced the pitch just south of Hwy 59, but do we have to land a guy with a large name and reputation to make us happy?

Three years ago, Mauro Manotas was one of the leading scorers in MLS.  In fact, our front three where outstanding.  The trio of Manotas, Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis where electric, and one of the better goal scoring trios in the league.  Elis was arguably as talented a wing player and as dynamic a player in MLS as there was.  Quioto was a total headache, but was an explosive compliment on the other side of the field who was extremely dangerous and capable. We had DaMarcus Beasley, one of the most respected players in the history of American Soccer, and a guy that was highly accomplished (and yes.....I know he was on the downside of his career).  Why were they never considered big name players?  Why weren't they all over town?  Why wasn't the battle cry in 2017 "WE NEED DEFENDERS!  WE NEED GRUNTS!"?  That's what we needed.  We all know by now that ownership here will never open up the wallet enough to bring a Zlatan, or a David Beckham to the comfy confines of Houston, but do they need to?  

I'm a huge fan of the Bundesliga.  And while I am well aware that money wins in  that league, I also see highly competitive teams that have done it in different ways.  There are teams that are competitive in Champions League, Europa League, and the Bundesliga without huge payrolls or big name stars. Teams that compete every single week with Europe's best reside in Leverkusen, Leipzig, Sinsheim (Hoffenheim), Monchengladbach, Wolfsburg, and (my personal favorite) Frankfurt.  While money most definitely wins league championships in all of Europe's leagues, it doesn't necessarily define competitiveness.  Bundesliga teams have found creative ways to find young talent, combine them with solid veterans, and develop everyone to a higher level.  If you aren't developing talent in the Bundesliga, you will find yourself in a spot like Hamburg and Hannover.  Relegated, no chance of coming up, stuck in purgatory.  If you get it just right, you become Union Berlin, a team that won promotion for the first time last year and now sits square in the middle of the table.  While some of you may scoff at the idea of being a mid-table team, may I remind you where we've been for the last half decade.  Teams in Germany, France, Austria, and the Netherlands have found crafty ways to upgrade talent on limited budgets.  They don't all do it the same way, and they don't all do it with productive academies.  There's more than one way to build a roster, and there's more than one way to have a big name player.

The shortest route for this team would to simply go get two players to fill the voids at Designated Player.  Will they even attempt to do that this year?  The short answer is....."probably not".  The long answer still ends with no.  Despite the flirtations with Carlos Salcedo (which I believe was more about P.R. than actual interest), there aren't two more DP's coming this offseason. But, let's look at a few cheap ways the Dynamo could upgrade talent and fill those roster spots in the future.  

Short Term Loan Deal with an option to buy.

As seen with Orlando City's Jonathan Suarez, Seattle's Joao Paulo, and the Galaxy's Cristian Pavon (just to name a few), you can bring in a designated player without paying a sizeable transfer fee.  You can fill a DP slot without waiting for a guy to come on a free transfer. A short term loan could be one way that we see Carlos Salcedo brandishing that new emblem this spring while paying only a fraction of the transfer fee it would take for him to make the permanent move.  Without knowing his salary (Liga MX doesn't publish those), it would be hard to see how this deal would really work. While I think Salcedo would make Houston an immediate playoff team and the pairing of Salcedo and Tim Parker would be without question the best CB duo in the league, it would still take another acquisition up top to make them a legitimate contender for a trophy. I'm a die-hard Eintracht Frankfurt fan.  I spend every Saturday morning eating breakfast tacos and watching Eintracht Play.  And from 2017-2019 I got a real good look at what Salcedo can do.  El Titan would be the big name we are looking for, even though he's on the back side of the formation.  He alone would make us a threat for the MLS Cup.  He's big, he's tuff, he's a really good athlete, and he isn't afraid of anybody (including Robert Lewandowski).We've seen him perform on the international stage, and the work he put in for El-Tri helped them shut down Germany, South Korea, and get out of the group in the 2018 World Cup.  He's playing really well for Tigres UNAM right now, and helped them trade punches with Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup. But, it's a pipe dream and I'm blabbing on about one of my favorite players ever........I digress.

As an Eintracht fan, I've been spoiled by creative ways to get really good players on the cheap.  The front office in Frankfurt has worked amazingly cheap deals for quality players over the last 10 years, guys that they then went on to sign to long term deals on a very friendly transfer fee.  Some of the guys they've worked these deals for (Omar Mascarell) performed so well the other teams wouldn't let Eintracht make the purchase option.  I can give tons of examples of this happening elsewhere in the world as well, but more importantly MLS teams are beginning utilize this tool better and better. Somewhere there is a club in Liga Mx, Europe, or South America that has underutilized and undervalued talent ready for the poaching.  Targeting that talent and getting it on deals friendly to the club is something that few MLS teams have the ability to do.  These players can be young players just coming up, or sometimes vets sitting the bench at bigger clubs that have lost their starting position.  Sometimes, it's a vet brought in for depth on a team that failed to qualify for League Competitions (Champions League, Europa League, CONCACAF Champions League, etc). These are admittedly more difficult to find in North and South America as roster sizes are not as big and overall talent is not as deep, but surely you can find quality vets riding the pine on a team that loaded up and then didn't qualify somewhere in Liga MX or further south. While in MLS, the talent pool and roster turnover don't really make this a possibility, outside of MLS there are huge possibilities.  Really to make this work, you have to have a tremendous scouting department.  It seems like we had our niche (I'm a Biology teacher, I love this word) in Honduras, but there are loads more leagues and lots more talent to be had.

Loan deals can come in a variety of ways for a variety of reasons.  (1) Teams looking to unload a vet, because they just transferred in an upgrade at that position.  You get that player off the books, you can usually get them pretty cheap, and their backup could be your starter.  (2) A young player who is outperforming their U-21 team, but can't break through on the first team.  If you have a reputation for getting talent to the next level, teams will loan you these guys to get them playing time.  If you negotiate the loan right, you find a starter who is young and cheap.  If you work the deal right and think outside the box, you can snatch them up for a great deal.  MLS transfer rules somewhat prohibit you from working these deals as ideally as you can in other leagues but there are smart enough businessmen to get really creative with these deals and get them done.  In 2016, Fredi Bobic from Eintracht Frankfurt wanted 20 year old Ante Rebic badly.  He convinced Fiorentina to loan Rebic for a sum of $2mil.  He added a buy on clause for another $2mil, and promised that if Eintracht ever sold Rebic on he'd split the profit with Fiorentina 50/50.  It was a genius move by a cash strapped club.  That same year, he went after a young striker who had become a problem child at Benefica by the name of Luka Jovic.  Bobic convinced Benefica to loan Luka for two years for a sum of $200,000.  Luka exploded at the end of that loan deal and led Eintracht to back to back Europa League competitions (a competition which they hadn't qualified for in 2 decades) and helped them win the DFB Pokal. Eintracht had an option to make the deal permanent for $5mil, which the exercised right before they sold him for $65 mil to Real Madrid.  Frankfurt isn't the only team out there doing this.  Dortmund (Jadon Sancho), Leverkusen (Leon Bailey) and others have gotten dynamic young talent on loan and helped it explode.  And while those guys are never coming to MLS, there are equivalent MLS level players out there and available.  We just have to find them.  Once we find them, we need to know what to do with them.  Currently, the Dynamo have one such loan player on their roster:  Ariel Lassiter. While Lassiter performed well in his debut, he was mostly a disappointment.  The Dynamo can better take advantage of this tool, and with the right moves desperately improve their club at a manageable price.  

One other option.....

The Dynamo need to form a partnership with a European side.  While they have done a tremendous job scouting Honduras, they need to have a two way street with a bigger club.  While FC Dallas has already benefited from this type of partnership, these partnerships need to become two way streets.  With Tab Ramos at the helm accompanied by both his acumen and reputation for developing young players, the Dynamo aggressively need to explore options for bringing young players in on loan who are struggling to break through with their clubs.  The major portion of these agreements is that the lending club has to trust that you'll be able to take their player to the next level.  If they don't, forget it.  If they see you can, you've got a chance. If you can build that trust and reputation, you can find real bargains in this area and find some young, budding stars.  Loan deals are especially valuable if a team has a logjam of veterans at a position where they are trying to develop their next star.  Sometimes, you can even pick up one of the veterans on the cheap.  There are plenty of big time clubs on the planet that could use this type of partnership, especially when teams are hurting for the funds to finance developmental squads and academies.  Frankfurt dropped their U-23's several years back, and has made a habit of loaning these players out to clubs in order to get them valuable playing time.  If the Dynamo could set up a partnership with a mid-table club or above from any of the top 5 leagues in Europe, they could come away with a steal.

To date, these partnerships in MLS have all been one-way streets.  FC Dallas has sent Bayern Munich some of it's best young talent (Chris Richards, Tim Booth), and Bayern have promised to send talent in return.  Although, with Bayern Munich II winning the 3. Liga last year, and showing strong again this season, it's doubtful we'd see anyone like Jann-Fiete Arp and Malik Tillman in MLS.  However, just because it hasn't been done yet, doesn't mean it can't.  Usually, MLS teams have their sites set too high.  FC Dallas' agreement with Bayern is great for MLS players wanting to get their shot in Europe, however with the developmental setups these teams already have, and the willingness for 2nd and 3rd division teams in Germany to take loan players on, it's highly unlikely any of their players will ever make it down this way.  But, that doesn't mean there isn't a team in France, or Spain, or Portugal that would be willing to send guys over.  An agreement with a big name is only going to help the Dynamo financially (potentially), but an agreement with a team like FC Utrecht in the Netherlands could be a great one.

The Academy will take time....

The real way to build a lasting winner here in Houston is to get the academy producing.  That's not going to happen overnight.  This isn't a guarantee that the Academy will win trophies, but it's another layer that needs to be added to this roster.  No talent in professional sports is cheaper than young, home grown talent.  It's true in hockey, it's true in baseball, it's somewhat true in the NFL and NBA, and it's definitely true in MLS.  The trick is utilizing it properly.  It's not just about producing stars and goal scorers, it's about producing a vision.  Do your midfielders hold down the midfield, attack the ball, and spray it to open guys?  Do your defenders defend, and play the ball deep?  Do you get usable parts from it?  FC Dallas has had the most profitable Academy, which I could care less about.  They can have the transfer fees and no trophies.  I'd rather build a club which is useful for the Dynamo on the pitch.  

To date, Memo Rodriguez is the only notable product of the Houston Academy.  I guess you could throw Tyler Deric's name out there, but Memo is hands down the only productive academy member Houston has ever produced.  I know the theories about this abundance of talent that is just being ignored and overlooked, and that's partly true, but don't we think in a city this size there would be.......more?  You'd think we'd have stumbled across a few kids here or there wouldn't we?  How in the name of Texas have we not found more than one guy the 15 years of Academy here in Houston?  I absolutely believe that Tab Ramos can fix it, it just isn't going to happen within the next 5 years.  He needs to tear down and rebuild the entire Academy here, and there's no way that it will start producing anytime soon.  I see the people scoffing at why there aren't more kids playing this year.  You want to know why?  Because none of them are good enough, and probably don't even have the long term potential to get to the MLS level.  If they did, he'd play them.

There are lots of teams, both in the US and abroad, that can't produce academy talent.  It's a nature of the beast.  If every team could do it, they would.  They'd all love to have cheap young talent at the ready, players who grew up dreaming of playing for their hometown team and will stay loyal and cheap until their playing career is over.  But it's just not realistic. There are surely many of you who will vehemently argue with me about the talent pool here in Houston, 

but.......we aren't exactly a hot bed.  (Kind of) Stu Holden, maybe you count Brek Shea too, Ima Baba, and Christian Cappis. That's the extent of the big time talent that's come to MLS from Houston since 1996. Cappis would have been nice here, and without knowing all the detail of his backstory, it appears he just didn't want to play for the Dynamo.  The Katy native chose to try his hand in Europe, trialing with Bayern Munich before ending up in Denmark.  He's been a mainstay at Brondby IF and could have been great here, but.......anyway. 

Houston (for some reason) can't get these guys here.  That doesn't mean that it won't or can't happened.  It just hasn't happened.  How do we get it there? Scouting.  Player development.  That's the long and short of it.  Go find the best players in our MLS territory, sign them and develop them.  The cost of that can also be hefty, but at some point you have to invest in this team.  If you can't produce young talent from your Academy, find another way to bring it in.

Final Thoughts:

There are many ways this front office has failed this team.  Finding a big name is one of them, but failing to put a quality team together is really the issue.  There weren't any big name players on our back to back MLS cup teams.  They were a great squad.  Seattle doesn't have any big-time players, they are what we should be trying to be.  There are creative ways to get there, Matt Jordan and company just need to get creative......because Salata just isn't enough.

Thanks again for reading.

Brian

Those new Kits have me like...........

 

No analysis or long read post here.  I was really scared that we'd get some whacked out, crazy design.  The new kit is clean, simple, nice. The stripes at the top are a nice touch, and the stars look nice on that new crest.  The new crest actually looks pretty good on this.  I know a lot of people out there are upset by the "rebrand" (B.T.W., adding FC to the end of Houston Dynamo is the weakest attempt at rebranding in the history of MLS.  It's not like we dropped the name "Burn"), but this makes me feel better about it.  I was 1/2 joking we were going to get some crazy 1990's Rockets jerseys (the blue ones, with the stripes and the rocket) but this is classic and simple. 

I would love to see this with the black shorts, that would look mean. That combo would be a nightmare in Houston Summer inside the oven of BBVA, especially on weekend day games when the sun pounds that field. I'm mostly happy to see Darwin back, regardless of what the jersey looks like.  

I'm equally as happy they stuck with the color #ForeverOrange.  Can't wait to see if they changed the secondary kit, and would love to see a third, all white version. What are your thoughts?  Feel free to leave a comment in the comment box.

Thanks for reading.  Stay #ForeverOrange

In a league where goal scorers are king, where do the Dynamo find goals to compete?

 

It's no secret.  Everyone who follows this league knows it.  If you want to turn your franchise around quickly, just drop some cash on a goal scorer.  Carlos Vela, Josef Martinez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Bradley Wright-Phillips, David Villa, Jozy Altidore......goals win games.  If you don't have one guy who can do it, just keep throwing people forward until you get one.  In today's MLS, goals are at an all-time premium.  From 2015 to 2019, only 3 teams have allowed under 1 goal per game during the regular season.  While all three (2015 Colorado Rapids, 2017 Sporting KC, and 2018 NY Red Bulls) made the playoffs, only 1 won their conference regular season title.  None won the supporters shield, none of them won MLS Cup. The best defensive teams of the last 10 years (2012 Sporting KC, and 2017 Sporting KC) were both bounced by average Dynamo teams in the first round.  In 2015 Colorado made it to the Conference Finals before getting sent home by Seattle.

The 2018 NY Red Bulls are the only team to win their conference and NOT lead it in goals scored since 2013.  In MLS, you don't win by packing it in and getting clean sheets, you win by putting it in the back of the net.  Scoring 50 goals in a season is a good watermark on your playoff chances.  From 2011-2019, the number of 50+ goal scoring teams increased every year.  The percentage of those teams making the playoffs has grown along with it.  From 41.6% in 2015, to 83.3% in 2019.  This has been accentuated by the increasing number of 60, 70, and now 80 goal scoring teams.  And while a lockdown defensive team made the MLS Cup final last year, this is becoming a rarer and rarer case.

But, you don't have to have an attacker that scores 30 goals to make the playoffs in MLS.  You just need a team capable of getting 50.  Yes, MLS cup and Supporters Shield trophies should be the goal for this front office, just putting a playoff caliber squad together needs to be the immediate focus.  For years now, Dynamo fans have called for a big name player.  While that's a direction to go, I think we can all learn from Zlatan and the L.A. Galaxy it's not necessarily THE way to go.  The Galaxy where never a serious contender for the league with him, they didn't even make the playoffs his first year in Los Angeles. While he made them better, the second he left they fell off the table and where one of the worst teams in the league.  

Last year's Dynamo team was on pace to be a type of offense that contended for a playoff position.  Averaging 1.64 goals through the first 10 games of the season, including their abysmal performance in the MLS is Back tournament.  The team had just found traction in Tab Ramos' fluid, high pressing and quick hitter offense when the news came that Alberth Elis was moving to Portugal.  And even though Web Tilton helped him put his bags on the plane, no one should have been happy about his departure. Over the 5 games before the transfer was announced, the Dynamo had picked up 10 points and outscored KC (twice), Dallas, Minnesota, and Colorado 12-4, all playoff teams.  The offense had absolutely no punch after he left.  Manotas was a no-show almost the entirety of the season, and Memo Rodriguez isn't the type of threat to open things up for those two in the middle.  Ariel Lassiter?  While Lassiter had an excellent debut against Minnesota, scoring 2 goals and connecting on 14/15 passes in 36 minutes of play, he failed to make an impact anywhere close to that over the rest of the season.  Nico Hansen played well just enough to not get a contract offer, from anyone.Tab was soo desperate Sam Junqua was used up top as well as Nico Lemoine. The Dynamo managed just one win in the 12 games after Elis left, picking up only 7 points.  The offense only managed 12 goals in 12 games, and with the midfield pusing higher and higher up trying to create turnovers, they got burned in the back.  They were outscored 23-12 over the last 12 games of the season, and looked punchless. Their one win of that span took 9 amazing saves by Marko Maric.  But this is a new year, with new faces.  While we can complain about the Dynamo front office all we'd like, they did make a few moves this offseason which could help address these needs. 

But, can this team get to 50 goals.  That's the question.  Can this team, as currently constructed, find the 50 goals needed to make the playoffs?  With the addition of Tim Parker in the offseason, and some help in the defensive midfield, this should be a drastically improved defense.  Can the offense find it's footing and get the timely goals they need to win games?  They have plenty of new faces in the lineup this year.  Let's take a look at what's come in, and maybe a few surprise faces from last year.

(1) Fafa Picault

Fafa brings one thing to the table that the Dynamo sorely lack: Speed.   Picault has legitimate pace on the outside and is a threat in both the press and in the counterattack.  Depending on which wing he plays, and how Tab Ramos lines up, Fafa should be a solid addition to the Dynamo roster.  Fafa has explosive straight line speed, speed that few MLS backs can compete with.  This should pair well with Tab's high pressing, counterattacking play.  Fafa has shown the ability to score, given that he was a double digit goal scorer (10) as recently as 2018.  Last year, despite the drop in playing time and losing his starting job in Dallas, Fafa's per 90 minute averages where consistent with his best years in Philadelphia.  At the age of 30, Fafa should bring a stabilizing, veteran presence to the front line.  Matched with Darwin Quintero's passing ability all Fafa should have to do is run, and stay onside.  He should open things up for the middle with his runs and finishing ability.

Fafa won't necesserily be valued for his ability to score goals, as his ability to help generate goals.  Can he win the ball in the attacking third and help create a quick strike?  Can his runs open up the middle for Quintero and the strikers?  Can he make the right pass in the final third to help create a goal?   While he will be needed to finish when the chance presents itself, Picault will be needed to help the offense flow.  Fafa could potentially be the most important pickup of the Dynamo this offseason.

Maximiliano Urruti

Urruti quietly had one of his most efficient seasons of his career last year.  His Shot on Target % and goals per shot were by far the highest of his career.  His goals/90 minutes was his highest since 2014, and his distance per shot was the closest of his career.  While his minutes and role where drastically reduced, he really flourished in Thierry Henry's system.  Urruti has always been an effective goal scorer, although never a big time one. Urruti is a smart player, who finds soft spots in front of the net and capitalizes on a big right foot.  

Maximiliano is a crafty vet, who at 29 years old has seen his production and minutes slip over the last two years.  Several questions remain about how he fits in Tab Ramos's scheme.  Can he create pressure up top?  Will he be able to capitalize on the counter attack?  With Darwin Quintero, Fafa, and Memo giving him support, there should be pockets for him to find.  If he can hold up to the rigors of playing at the pace Tab wants to play, he could see a revitalization to his 2017 form, when he scored 12 goals for FC Dallas.  The spot is his for the taking, as his primary competition is Christian Ramirez.  Unless something unforeseen happens he should be the go-to guy in 2021.

Christian Ramirez

Can I just say that I like Christian Ramirez?  He's such a good dude.  Taking the time to raise funds for the people here in Houston that suffered from the Winter Storm, and then the Lion King shirt with Memo, donating those profits to charity, he's just a solid human being.  He's also a solid striker, but not a highly efficient one.  Since his days terrorizing the NASL as part of Minnesota, he has never been able to come anywhere close to that production on an MLS level.  And while it's true that he's never been given anywhere near the opportunity he had in Minnesota before the jump to MLS, he is never shown to be anything more than a solid backup striker.  While his shooting accuracy is ranked in the upper echelon of the league, his ability to actually get it past the keeper isn't.  

Ramirez had a Shot On Target% last year of 53.8%, which ranked 16th in MLS.  Down only slightly from the year before (56.5%) when he ranked 6th. Ramirez ranks among the most accurate shooters league wide who's advanced stats and per 90 averages rank favorably with NYCFC's Héber.  However, his goal/shot on target percentage of .29 ranks him 137th.  Ramirez does a good job finding space and putting the ball on target, but he's not very adept at creating for himself or for others and lacks the clinicalness to put it past the keeper.  Ramirez is not a primary goal scorer, but can he be a primary contributor? He has the ability and makeup to be a 10-12 goal scorer-a-season type player in MLS, but whether he will ever be given the opportunity to do so remains to be seen.  

With Ramirez, you know what you get.  He's not a player with tremendous upside or unlocked potential.  He's solid, but limited.  Lots of questions still remain on how exactly he'll be used this season.  How does Tab manage his minutes with Urruti?  Is he given the chance to compete for the starting job? Do Urruti and Ramirez rotate based on matchups?  Do they play alongside each other with Quintero shifting to the outside in a 4-4-2 look?  I picture Tab switching up all of these scenarios, especially early in the season.  

Tyler Pasher

Pasher is in intriguing player.  Scoring 21 goals over 47 Regular Season appearances with the Indy-11, the Canadian born forward has a big left foot and a knack for making big plays.  Pasher's goal scoring has dramatically improved since moving to Indy after a stint with Swope Park Rangers (including 1 appearance with Sporting KC in 2018) in the USL.  Highlighted by last year's 10 goals (5th in USL) in only 1,208 minutes (15 aps/13 starts), Pasher has scored big goals when it counts. In 2019 he scored in each of the first two rounds of the playoffs to help Indy reach the conference finals before eventually succumbing to Louisville FC.  Pasher is dangerous off the break, has a nice first touch, and has developed a lethal scoring strike with his left.  He can finish nicely on the run as well as bang one up high from outside the box in traffic.  He has shown flashes and the ability to create on his own, and take multiple defenders off the dribble.

Pasher has been highly decorated over the last two years, bein included on the USL's Team of the Week 7 times in 2019, and 8 times last year.  Pasher was named Second Team - All - USL a year ago.  If he can make the jump, he could be a very nice addition to this Dynamo squad either on the left wing, or as a center-forward type player.

Final Thoughts

While this will not be a team with a 20+ goal scorer, there could be plenty of goals in it.   Darwin, Picault, and Urruti are all capable of scoring 10-12 goals in a season, and have proven it.  And while Darwin is capable of a +20 goal and assist season yet again, he needs others around him to help create space.  The Dynamo should look more balanced in attack than last year with the guys mentioned above.  An emergence from a player such as Mateo Bajamich or Ariel Lassiter could also happen.  Bajamich played will in his return to the Argentinian league this fall.  While on loan back to Instituto AC, he scored 2 goals over 7 games in the promotion playoffs. At only 21 years old, Bajamich could emerge as a viable option either on the right wing or at the #9.  

This is Darwin Quintero's team.  The attack will be as successful as he makes it.  The Dynamo didn't add a big time goal scorer this offseason, but they didn't need to.  They added a bunch of "if's", but if those if's come through they could make the jump to playoff contender.  

Thanks for reading.

Brian