Sunday, March 13, 2022

Houston Dynamo - Vancouver White Caps.

 

Pregame Talk:

There was some buzz pregame when starting 11's were introduced.  Fans have been waiting to see Coco Carrasquilla and Darwin Quintero in the starting lineup, and after two scoreless games Paulo Nagamura made the switch.  And while there was buzz around this, Pat Onstad also dropped a bomb during the pregame show.  When asked by Glen Davis about the GAM brought in by the trading of Derrick Jones:  "Yeah, we're looking to spend that right away. We have somebody lined up, hopefully in the next week or so.....we'll be able to announce.....in an attacking position. We need to get some more players in here I think to help the group. But what we are excited about is the group we do have. I think they work really hard defensively.  We gave up 59 goals last year, so far we've only given up one.  So that's good but on the other side, you know, we haven't scored yet. So hopefully we can go bang in a few against Vancouver."  It's an exciting time to be a Dynamo fan, this group is being aggressive as far as getting new guys in here.  No idea who Pat is talking about, but hopefully it's a 10 or a right-winger to help with the attack."  

While this statement perked up my ears, what happened on the pitch over the opening 30 minutes perked up my eyes.  Coco and Quintero didn't disappoint and did more for the attack in the first five minutes than the midfield has done all season. Coco's ability to break lines with lights out passing and Quintero's ability to....well....be Darwin freaking Quintero was a much-needed sight for La Naranja and Paulo Nagamura.  The game started off fast, the Dynamo came out aggressive early, and even though they fell behind 1-0 managed to battle back and take control of the game.  In a game that featured a lot of firsts, the 3 points were much needed, and hopefully there's more to come.



The first 30 Minutes:

From the opening possession of the game, the Dynamo held firm on the back two lines forcing Vancouver to play over the top.  Setting up in a 4-3-3 that played more like a 4-2-3-1, with Quintero really pushing high and playing in space behind Vancouver's midfield, the Dynamo were looking to play long balls through the lines to Quintero, Baird, and Fafa.  It returned immediate dividends. On their first possession, building from the back, Griffen Dorsey fired one down the right touchline to Sebastian Ferreira who one-touched it to a trailing Corey Baird. Baird fired it to Darwin about 30 yards from goal in the middle of the field.  After some quick combos from Quintero and Sebas, Quintero tried to play a through ball that just missed a streaking Sebas, but found Corey Baird trailing behind.  Baird fired in a near-perfect cross that just missed Fafa's head at the back post.  Quintero chased the loose ball down and fired a right-footed bender that goalkeeper Thomas Hasel just managed to get a hand on and knock over the net.  It was 1:30 into the game, but the Dynamo had let their intentions be known. 
Not only were the Dynamo pushing the ball with tempo and purpose, but they were also defending and pressing much higher than in the previous two games.  The first ten minutes saw the Dynamo look increasingly threatening, and the White Caps were barely able to get the ball across midfield.

5:00 - Quintero tries to play Fafa through, the pass is just a hair too long.
5:30 - Sebas puts pressure on Hasel, who hits one directly to Baird.  Baird heads it to Quintero, Quintero plays it to Vera, who hits one just over the crossbar.
6:30 - Dorsey dribbles through the entire Vancouver team, fires in a cross that gets deflected by Dajome, and ends up in the lap of Hasel. High pressing wins them a Throw-in deep in the final third. 
7:55 - Sebas finally gets the ball in a dangerous position with space, fires a shot that's deflected, and earns a corner.
9:30 - High pressing forces Vancouver to play the ball long from deep in their own third, Parker heads it to Coco who earns a foul. 
11:00 - Pressure once again forces a bad pass from Vancouver, Parker plays it to Baird who earns a foul.

That's when disaster struck. In really their first possession in some time that went into the attacking third, off a throw-in and after some quick combo play, Ryan Gaud laid a perfectly weighted pass to Cristián Dajome who was streaking down the sideline after throwing the ball in.  Dajome hit a pinpoint cross on the first touch, Lucas Cavellini found his way behind Daniel Steres and blasted it past Steve Clark.  Steres got too wide of the posts, Parker didn't get over in time, and Cavallini found the space and side-footed it to the near post.  It was the only threat Vancouver had had in the opening 15 minutes, and they found a way to capitalize on it.  
Although Vancouver broke through, it really didn't seem to phase the Dynamo or alter their plan.  They just went right back to it.

17:30 - Ball played up to Fafa, Fafa takes on Tristan Blackmon and wins a corner.
18:00 - Quintero fires in a corner that just misses Fafa, Coco chases down the ball and fires in a dangerous cross, but a goal kick is given.
18:30 - Fafa steals the goal kick, races past everyone and fires a cross to Sebas that Hasal manages to steal away.
20:00 - Dynamo take the ball away again in the attacking third, and after some excellent quick touch combo plays, Darwin corrals the ball and fires a shot that is deflected out of bounds earning a corner.
20:30 - Dynamo short play the corner, Coco fires in another cross that just misses Sebas' head, earns another corner.
21:42 - Dynamo take away a clearance at midfield, play it up to Coco who earns another foul.  After the foul, Darwin fires a great ball into the box, which is knocked away by Hasel.  Coco takes the rebound and fires a blast that is deflected, which Baird chases down and fires one wide.
25:00 - High pressure sees Quintero take the ball away from Leonard Owusu.  Quintero takes the ball and lobs a dangerous pass to a racing Fafa, ball ends up in Hasel's lap.
29:46 - After building from the back and switching field a couple of times, the ball finds Darwin Quintero on the right flank who chips a lob to Sebas, but Hasel goes up and gets it in front of him.
30:49 - The high press gets Vancouver again, as Baird forces a bad pass by Florian Jungwirth. Coco tracks the ball down and one-touches it to Sebas.  Sebas has Fafa wide open on the left flank, but tries to do too much with it had has the ball taken away.

The first 30 minutes were dominated by the Dynamo, they were by far the better team in every way except the scoreline.  Most of it was spent in Vancouver's half of the field with the Dynamo looking extremely threatening on the end of almost every possession.  It was an exciting, but frustrating start.  Things would turn however, over the next 15 minutes.

The Next 15 minutes:

After Vera won a foul at the edge of the attacking third at the 31:00 minute mark, the Dynamo quickly found Coco who carried the ball left.  He found Fafa ducking inside about 30 yards out, and cut back inside to his right.  Fafa laid it back to him, and Coco lobbed an unbelievable pass over the top to Baird who had found his way behind Vancouver's back three.  While their entire backline lobbied for an offsides call, Baird tracked it down and just managed to hit Darwin right in front of the net to level the score.  It was a really good play by Baird, but the Dynamo were helped out by Vancouver just giving up on the play.  Vancouver, however, started to find cracks in the Dynamo defense.  Lundkvists huge block on Cavellini in the 34th minute was one of several huge plays by Dynamo defenders on the night and helped save 2 points.  Moments after, Baird found Quintero just outside the box who fired a left-footer on target, but Hasel just manages to knock it away.  The last 15 minutes of the first half was much more even, and a lot slower paced.  The Dynamo got into the dressing room tied 1:1, but had really been the most dangerous team without question. 

The Next 15 Minutes:

The second half started much like the first half ended.  The opening 5 minutes was fairly slow-paced, back and forth and even.  When Lundkvist gobbled up a poor touch from Ryan Gauld in the 49th minute and fired it upfield to Coco, that turned quickly.  Coco took one good touch, and fired a laser to Sebas 30 yards downfield and just outside the box.  Sebas had two defenders on him and tried to cut back to his right with Florian Jungwirth charging hard. It's hard to tell if Sebas took a bad touch, fumbled under the pressure, or meant to pass the ball, but the ball wound up right at the feet of Darwin Quintero who scored a golazo from about 20 yards out.  The blast found the top right corner, clean past a diving Hasel.  

The next ten minutes was more back-and-forth action, as each team was really working the high press and spreading the field. Quintero just missed Sebas a couple of times.  And while both teams managed 1 more shot over this span (Dajome's 56th-minute scooter through a pack of players that went wide, and Vera's 60th-minute blast off a corner clearance that was blocked), neither team really managed anything of danger.

The Final 30 Minutes:

Minutes 70-90 belonged to Vancouver.  After Vanni Sartini subbed on Marcus Godinho and Deiber Caicedo in the 66th minute, the tide seemed to turn. From minutes 70-90, Vancouver managed 10 shots on goal, although only one was really close.  6 of those shots came in a 70th-minute flurry off back-to-back corners after Steres headed a Dajome cross out of bounds.  The first flurry saw a header hit the crossbar, and then Dorsey made a tremendous play going up and blocking Lucas Cavallini's header with his head from just inches away. Vancouver found the ball twice more, for two more shots inside the box that were both blocked by a wall of Dynamo defenders.  The second flurry had Caicedo miss-hit the corner (which was blocked by Parker) and Tristan Blackmon track that down and mishit one that Clark gobbled up.  Time and time again the White Caps threatened, and time and time again Dynamo defenders stepped in front of shots.  At the 75th minute, Paulo subbed on Memo, Thor, and Ceren for Quintero, Ferreira, and Carrasquilla, and the game settled back down a bit.  Thor had a great chance off an 82nd-minute set-piece that he just mis-hit into the ground, but it still managed to make Hasel dive to get the bouncer off the post. The Dynamo managed one more barrage of blasts in the 90th minute which saw Memo blast a free-kick off the crossbar that just missed the top left corner, which a defender tried to clear but it hit Darwin Ceren and deflected back in play.  The ball found it's way back to Thorinside the box, and he turned fired a left-footer that was saved by Hasal. 

Notables:

Coco Carrasquilla

Had an unbelievable night.  10 recoveries, 3 interceptions, 17 pressures, 236 Yards of progressive distance, 51/51 in targets received, 2 fouls drawn, 71 touches, 54/60 on passing, including 11/14 on deep balls, 1 key pass, and 4 through balls, and 6 passes completed into the attacking third.  He generated 5 shots and was part of both goals. He was all over the field and was instrumental in many of their chances and buildup play.  He and Quintero played off each other all night, and he got the ball to Baird, Fafa, and Sebas in areas where they could do something with it.  Was really nice to see this, and wish he would have been healthy from the get-go.

Darwin Quintero

Did what Darwin does.  63 touches (45 in the attacking third, and 5 inside the penalty box), his two goals don't tell the entire impact he had on the game.  He was breaking lines with the ball at his feet (4/5 in taking on defenders, 104 yards in progressive distance), he was dicing Vancouver up with passes (13 progressive passes completed, 2 key passes, and was trying to force-feed Sebas all night while still dominating the game), and he was actively defending in the attacking third (10 pressures in the attacking third, 5 recoveries.)  I know Darwin can't play 90 minutes a night 34 games a year, but here's to hoping he is making starts and playing 70+ minutes more often than not over the rest of the year.

Griffen Dorsey

Dorsey made a case for himself last night.  Defensively (9 recoveries, 2 tackles, 1 recovery, 2 blocks and an unbelievable goal-line clearance, 100% defending 1v1), Offensively (54/60 passing including 10/13 on deep balls, 4 passes into the attacking third, and 3 through balls completed) and in possession (173 yards covered with the ball at his feet, 43/43 in receiving targets), Dorsey played like a guy fighting for his job and didn't disappoint.  With Zeka still waiting to make his first start, Dorsey made a strong case to keep the job for now.

Sebas

The Dynamo were trying to force-feed Ferreira the ball last night, and the results were mostly disappointing. Not because he didn't score a goal, but because many times he was trying to do too much with it.  He got the ball taken away from him several times inside the box, he took too many touches often and missed open teammates.  He did (accidentally) notch the assist on Darwin's second goal, but he needs to relax and let the game come to him more.  He did manage 3 shots, but all were blocked.   

Corey Baird

It wasn't always pretty, but he got the job done.  Baird did a good job leading the defense, posting 2 tackles in the attacking third, both of which led to chances. He notched an assist on Quintero's goal and linked up with Quintero several times which led to a shot on goal. It wasn't always pretty, he gave the ball away too many times, but it was the most productive performance for Baird in a Dynamo uniform. 

Minor Notes:

  • Teenage Hadebe looked terrible in the minutes he got down the stretch. He mistimed a header badly right before blocking the second shot.
  • Adam Lundkvist also had a very quiet but highly productive night. Lundy had a big block in the first half and turned several Vancouver mistakes into counterattacks.  
  • I love the supporters' sections totally firing up the Orange Smoke.  We need more of it.  PNC should be covered in Orange Fog when tipoff hits. I want 360° of Orange hell when our starting 11 walks on the field.
  • The Dynamo now rank 1st in MLS in passing success rate (85.3%, slightly ahead of LAG) after ranking last for most of last season.
  • The Dynamo held 58.7% possession last night and now rank 11th in MLS with 54% on the season.
  • On the night of firsts: First Win, First Goal, Nagamura's first win as an MLS manager, First start for Quintero, First Start for Carrasquilla, the first appearance for Hadebe on the year, and first goal or assist for both Baird and Sebas in a Dynamo uniform. There's probably more, but those are just off the top of my head.

Next Up

Saturday, March 19th @ 7:30
PNC Stadium


Thanks again for reading, feel free to drop a comment.
Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange
Brian

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Sunday, March 6, 2022

With lots of "New's", season is off to an old, familiar start.

 

Haven't we been down this road before?  Although the style is a little different, the lineup and the results are the same.  Through the first two games of the year, there has been little to be excited about.....well, on the pitch anyway.  Despite all the exciting signs that this Dynamo regime will be different, the early goings point to what many (including myself in my season preview) have been saying: this team isn't very good.  Despite all the focus behind the biggest signing in Dynamo history, only to be bettered by a move taking place this summer, there's just not enough on this roster to compete.  Despite the commitment to "being proactive", and all the talk of all of those who have come, are coming, and may come, there's still too much of last year on this team.  Through two games, we have yet to earn a win, we have yet to score a goal, and we continued the (mostly) 10-year trend of being terrible on the road. In this post, we'll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly through the first two games.  

The Best of All:

The news of Hector Herrera becoming official is tremendous news for many reasons.  It shows commitment by this regime, it shows that high-level players are willing to come here, and it shows that this organization actually has a plan.  For the first time in a long time, there are real rumors of high-level players coming here.  Herrera isn't the only one.  Ferriera coming here was huge, as well as a goalkeeper like Steve Clark.  I'm anxiously waiting to see what Zeka can bring to the table and if he can be one of the pieces we've been missing for a while.  From everything I've read and seen, he's a high energy back with skill.  Adding him to either side is an upgrade, at this point, it's just a decision of who sits and who you want to pair him with.  (Writer's note:  I'm also fairly hesitant that he's the next Jose Bizama, and I'm sort of sitting and waiting for this to play out)  The rumors of guys like Thiaguinho (Thiago Fernandes) and even Diego Lainez, no matter how far-fetched, are awesome.  Pat Onstad, Asher Mendelsohn, and Ted Segal have lit a fire under this franchise, and I'm hoping this is more than kindling with no logs.  The fanbase is starting to notice, the city is beginning to get excited, and I hope this turns into an "out of control natural disaster" sized fire that continues to burn.  The formation of the Dynamo Dos, the hiring of a technical director, and giving the Dash their own president, all speak of a professional organization willing to do what it takes to succeed.  Now let's get it going.

The Good:

Goals Against

The defense will actually make appearances in all three categories, but the fact that the Dynamo have only given up 1 goal in the first two games is definitely an early positive.  They've done that mostly by playing with a deep midfield, holding possession, and adding a goalkeeper who can make difficult saves. Through the first two games, they have only allowed 7 Shots on Target, which is good for a tie for 12th MLS and a slight uptick per 90 over last year's production (4.5/90 in 2021).  They've seen a slight improvement in shots against (13.09 in 2021; 11.5 in 2022), and they've been able to hold possession better (46.8% in 2021; 51.8% in 2022) which is giving their opponents fewer opportunities with the ball. Steve Clark has also been extremely solid in the net, saving 85.7% of the shots in front of him.   While there is some concern for the defense going forward when we look at the numbers (more on that later), holding two of the better teams in the Western Conference to 1 goal is also an encouraging sign.

Mattias Vera

I don't think I've made it a secret, I love watching this guy play.  Vera has been a solid workhorse for the Dynamo here in the early going, playing every minute of both games while leading the team in Tackles, Tackles + Interceptions, is second in balls recovered (16) and is being his usual, highly efficient self in the passing game.  He's been a bright spot in the midst of a very disappointing run by the midfield.

Steve Clark

Clark has been nothing more than what you expect from an experienced veteran with a pedigree for winning.  Clark has saved 85.7% of the shots he's faced, and it took a pretty good rocket off an unfortunate deflection to beat him.  While Clark's net protection has been really good, his distribution has been spectacular.  Clark is completing 85.1% of his passes, including 55% of his balls launched downfield (for comparison, Maric was 30.1% and Nelson was 30.8% last year).  His passes are normally on the money to the right people in transition.  Clark has been a solid addition to the back end of this defense.

The Bad

The Midfield



While it hasn't been all bad from the midfield, the problem still remains that we simply can't get the ball out of the midfield.  The starting lineup of Memo Rodriguez, Darwin Ceren, and Mattias Vera leaves no creativity, or the ability to take on a defender and beat them with the ball at their feet.  Both Real Salt Lake and Sporting K.C. took a page from every team we played last year's playbook and pressured the midfield heavy.  The Dynamo currently rank 24th in successful dribbles (43%) which is actually worse than last year (20th, 55%).  While the passing percentage has seen a massive improvement over last year (77.8%: 24th in MLS; 2021, 83.4%: tied for 2nd in 2022), the tendency is to always take the easy release back to Steres or Parker instead of aggressively looking upfield.  The midfield isn't connecting up to the forwards hardly at all.  Daniel Steres currently has almost the same number of touches (172) as Fafa Picault (70), Corey Baird (49), and Sebastián Ferreira (54) combined (173).  The Dynamo rank dead last in touches inside the opponents' penalty box (20) and 24th in progressive passes (44). The attack is noticeably better when Coco and Quintero are subbed on, but for the better part of the first two games the midfield has mired down any attacking chances with poor touches, backward passing, and the inability to play direct consistently. 


The Use of DP's:

Why one of our DP's has started both games and played 170 minutes, another (Quintero) has been our most dangerous playing going forward but seen only 46 minutes, the third has yet to make an appearance.  Over the last two years, it seems like one of the worst things a Dynamo player can be labeled is Designated.  Daniel Steres has been.....OK, but Teenage Hadebe needs to be in the lineup.


The Ugly:

The attack:


Apparently, being "proactive" is synonymous with "boring" and "punchless". 15 shots (24th), 5 on target (tied for 23rd), 0.8 XG (last) and 0 goals (last) through 2 games.  Sebastián Ferreira has managed 1 shot in the first 180+ minutes of action.  The Dynamo rank dead last in Shot Creating Actions per 90 (9.00) and the only real chances at goals in the early going have come through Darwin Quintero.  His shot off the crossbar in Week 1, and his chipper that he hit wide left against Sporting K.C. are the only serious threats to the goal to date.  Fafa has had trouble getting behind the defense or finding the ball in space, and Corey Baird has offered virtually nothing.  Tyler Pasher's ratios are better, but it seems like Tyler Pasher doesn't figure into Paulo Nagamura's plans.  Quintero and Pasher rank 1-2 on the team in shot-creating actions per game, and key passes per game, two categories in which the Dynamo sit bottom of the league.  The adding of Hector Herrera isn't going to fix this, and Paulo has to find a way to unlock this attack and get something going forward.   All of the numbers are roughly half of what last year's anemic attack managed to muster.   One note that Paulo should have taken from Tab, is that without Quintero, Pasher, and Fafa on the field, this team can't generate shots.  Vera, Memo, and Darwin Ceren aren't the kind of midfielders that can break lines and create chances for themselves or their teammates. This midfield has completed one pass this year between defenders into open space, and that one came from Zarek Valentine.  Zarek isn't the kind of full-back that can get the ball down the sideline and cross it into the box. We need to get Zeca on the field ASAP and figure out how to get more minutes out of 34-year-old Quintero.  As far as Pasher, if he isn't the option then we need to find another option for RW.  Baird has had trouble finding space, he's had trouble finding the ball, and he's done nothing with the touches he's gotten.  He's managed 1 shot (off-target), 1 cross (incomplete), and is creating 0.58 shot-creating actions/90.  His receiving % (passes to/times received pass) of 61% ranks 2nd worst on the team among regulars, right behind Ferreira.  Sebas has had absolutely no service, and often times is finding himself dropping deep in the middle third to get the ball, with no options to pass to.  He's managed only 25 touches in the attacking third, which is behind Fafa (27), Coco, (29), Zarek (29), and Memo (33).  The fact that Zarek, (who didn't come on until half-time of the 1st game) and Coco (who hasn't made it in the first half of a game yet) have more touches in the attacking third than our striker who was the biggest transfer deal in the history of our franchise shows you how bad this midfield has been at creating space for him and giving him service.  He's often found 1 vs 3 or 1 vs 4, and commands both CB's on most occasions.  Because there is a total lack of counter opportunities right now, Fafa and Baird haven't been able to take advantage of open space, and our midfield has done nothing to take on defenders and draw them from him.   Houston has to be better in the final third, if we are going to slow play and wait for opportunities, we need guys who can create and take on defenders in this area. 

Card Count:

Through 2 games, the Dynamo have racked up a league-leading 7 yellows.  While no one is in danger of suspension yet, Mattias Vera already has 2.   

Other Notes

While I don't have any general feeling about it yet, it's nice to see Thor out there the first two games.  While he has yet to do anything of significance, I think that it shows dedication towards developing these guys, and it's nice to see a draft pick get time.  I wish we were in a position where we weren't worried about throwing young kids out there every game, but at 20 years old with his size and athleticism, we have to give him every opportunity to develop.  Saying that, playing him in every game also makes this more of a rebuilding year than I'd like.  

This is most likely going to be tuff sledding, even after Hector Herrera gets here in July, so let's dig in, buckle up, and try to enjoy the ride.  It might take more pre-game time at Pitch 21, but I'm here for it.

Thanks again for reading.

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian







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Friday, March 4, 2022

Dynamo Content for Us all - Podcasts, Blogs, and Socials




 Podcasts.

Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis



City of Soccer Podcast



Generation Orange Media

Houston Dyna Pod

@Night77K
 @asherhdfc @DynamoDashYouth @FeelMyDynamo @dynamo_memes, @Dynalytics_  @BayouCitySoccer

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Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Houston Dynamo Season Preview: 2022-2023

Major League Soccer Season Preview (2021/2022) – Houston Dynamo

Basics: 

Full Name: Houston Dynamo F.C.
Nicknames: Orange Crush, El Naranja (The Orange)
Founded: December 15, 2005
Majority Owner: Ted Segal
General Manager: Pat Onstad
Stadium – P.N.C. Stadium


Year Built: 2012
Capacity: 22,039
Attendance: 207.732 (12,220 per match; 18th in MLS) 
Trophies: MLS Cup - 2006,2007 MLS Cup (Runners Up) - 2011, 2012; U.S. Open Cup - 2018, North American Super-Liga (Runners Up) - 2008

Kits: 









Coach: Paulo Nagamura

MLS Position: 13th in Western Conference (25th Overall)

U.S. Open Cup Result: Cancelled

Playoff Result: Did not qualify.

CONCACAF Champions League Result: Did not qualify.

Additions: Steve Clark, Sebastián Ferreira, Zeca, Brooklyn Raines, Thor Úlfarsson, Daniel Steres, Arturo Ordóñez, Paulo Lima
Losses: Jose Bizama, Kyle Morton, Joe Corona, Ariel Lassiter, Maxi Urruti, Marko Maric, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Erik McCue, Boniek Garcia, Mateo Bajamich, Maynor Figueroa,

2020/2021 Overview: 

In a season that started off with some promise, then quickly went in the tank, there was little to cheer for.  Starting off the season going 3-2-2 with wins over San Jose (2-1, Week 1), Sporting K.C. (1-0, Week 5), and Vancouver (2-1, Week 7), things turned disastrous fairly quickly for Tab Ramos and the entire organization.  Going winless from May 29th - Sept. 3rd (0-8-8), the team dropped from 4th to last and ended the season with 4 straight losses.  While the results on the field left the dwindling fanbase with little to be excited about, major shakeups have brought hope that changes are about to take place.  Ted Segal bought a majority ownership stake of the Dynamo and Dash for $400 million, Matt Jordan was fired and replaced by Pat Onstad, and Tab Ramos' contract was not renewed. 
  

This Winter was a season of major changes:

One of the things that should perk all of our ears up is how the Dynamo made some major structural changes organizationally this winter.  Not only did we change out the GM, but the dividing up of duties with the hiring of a Technical Director, and hiring the Dash their own club President will help lessen the load of GM Pat Onstad.  The most exciting change to me, however, is the formation of the MLS Next-Pro unit, fully staffed, and on-site.  Having your 2nd team line up in the same building, on the same training fields, every single day as your 1st team should solve most of the developmental issues we've seen here over the last decade.  Hopefully, this fully functional and clear pathway from Academy to 1st team should interest more Houston area prospects into joining the Dynamo, and hopefully, we don't lose the Christian Cappis' of the world to F.C. Frisco and Europe in the future.  Another encouraging development this summer is the success of Alberth Elis in France's League 1.  Seeing a player who came here as a 20-year-old, was sold on, and is now succeeding in one of Europe's bigger leagues should be welcoming to young players wanting to come here and develop.  Finding a way to add young players with a high ceiling to some real DP-level talent and a couple of key veterans is one way to begin to turn this roster and this organization around.



2021/2022 Position Outlook:

Goalkeeper:


Steve Clark, Michael Nelson

In one of his first moves as GM, Pat Onstad went out and got himself a keeper.  Last years' combo of Maric (22 starts), Michael Nelson (11 starts), and Nelson (1 start) ranked in the bottom third in the league in Save % (67.3%, 8th worst in MLS), Goals Against (54, tied for 5th worst in MLS), and didn't save a Penalty Kick against the entire year (0-4).  Clark is an experienced vet who is (at least on paper) an obvious upgrade over last year's crew.  Clark's 78% save percentage was good for second in the league despite seeing 110 Shots on Target against in 24 games.  Clark ranked 10th in MLS in number of saves, despite only starting 24 games.   Clark is a winner (36 wins over the last three years), has been part of playoff teams in every MLS season except 1 (2017 D.C. United) and has been a playoff goalkeeper every year as a starter.  While Houston doesn't have the quality of defenders in the back 6 that Portland does, Clark is a quality addition and a step in the right direction towards getting the Dynamo back in playoff contention.


Central Defense:


Tim Parker, Teenage Hadebe, Daniel Steres, Ethan Bartlow, Derrick Jones, Sam Junqua

While the additions of Teenage Hadebe and Tim Paker built a solid backline, the proof didn't show up in results.  Houston's 54 goals against (51 conceded, 3 own goals) was tied for 5th worst in the league. While we did see an uptick in Goals against from 2020 (1.79-1.59) and Shot Creating Actions Against/90 (23.09 - 20.59).  The arrival of Hadebe in June didn't make much of an impact in terms of wins/losses, but all you have to do is watch the guy play.  He's a top-level MLS defender with range and deep ball passing ability.  He goes after the ball with tenacity and  His 4.3 Clearances/90 and his 1.8 interceptions/90 led the team.  Parker wore the captain's armband for much of the year and helped settle a tumultuous backline from the year before.  Both Parker (75.9%) and Hadebe (70.6%) won over 70% of their aerial duels. Bigger expectations are placed on these two, and although they started off great (3 clean sheets in their first 3 games together) and improved XGa (1.68-1.18 through October 20th), the expectation was that these two would help carry the Dynamo into one of the best defenses in the league.  While stopping the ball from going in the net is the responsibility of more than two people, these two have to be better.  I find it interesting that Hadebe gets a lot of blame, and there are people out there saying he's not very good, but Parker gets (for the most part) a pass.  Just compare the two's productivity/90 minutes.  It heavily favors Hadebe in virtually every category.


The two need to stay healthy because behind them there are extremely limited options.  Daniel Steres is a declining MLS player, who has shown little in the offseason to give confidence he could improve the squad, Sam Junqua made strides towards being a solid MLS level player last year, but still makes bad reads on balls and reacts late to runs at times.  Junqua actually led the team in taking on opposing attackers (60% in tackles vs. Dribblers) and his 43 blocks were 2nd on the team, but he also got lost off the ball at times and it led to goals.  Bartlow, last year's 1st round pick in the MLS Super Draft comes with some pedigree of success, and Jones has the size and range to be a quality defender, but neither has played a single MLS minute at the position.  

Full Backs:


Adam Lundkvist, Sam Junqua, Zarek Valentin, Griffen Dorsey, Zeca

Adam Lundkvist is a solid player.  He defends well, has a high work rate, is good with the ball at his feet, and is the team's best crosser from outside the box.  To date, the team is still searching for the compliment on the other side of the field.  We all know Valentin's limitations and that a new RB is needed.  Dorsey has been the answer for most of the pre-season, and you have seen both Austin F.C. and Dallas go directly after him.  Newly acquired José Carlos Cracco Neto (Zeca) will take over one of these spots, the only thing left to figure out is which one. The 5'7" right-footer has played both sides at all stops during his career, including Santos in the Brazillian Serie-A.  At 27 years old and a veteran of both the Brazillian league and national team play, he brings along with him over 10,000 minutes played at high levels of competition.  

Junqua made strides defensively last year and is a solid player going forward, but he lacks the ability to execute in the final third and makes horrendous mistakes off the ball at times, leading to goals.  He has seen almost no time in the pre-season, and I imagine with the arrival of Zeca he and Zarek will be odd-men looking out.  Many are waiting impatiently to see what Zeca brings to the table for the Dynamo. If he can get the ball forward and connect to the players up top, make plays into the box, and defend, we have a piece to add to this group.  If he turns out to be Bizama, who never really fit and never really got a chance, then we are back to square 1 and this is Griffen Dorsey's job to lose.  This group needs to take it to the next level for this team to have any chance of making a jump, both defensively and in the attack.  



Central Midfield: 


Matias Vera, Darwin Ceren, Darrick Jones, Ian Hoffman, Juan Castilla, Coco Carrasquilla, Memo Rodriguez, Marcelo Palomino, Daniel Rios, Darwin Quintero,

The most important part of this team, and the one paid the least attention to in the offseason, the Dynamo will go as far as this group can carry them.  Currently, its a group that doesn't really fit together, doesn't fit any particular style of play and was the downfall (for the most part) of last season.  The problem with this group, as a group, is that they don't do anything particularly well.  They don't protect the backline very well, they don't move the ball downfield very well, they don't break lines with passes very well, they aren't very creative, and they don't play the possession game very well.  Their one-touch passing is sub-par, and their first touch is poor.  Looking at them individually there are guys that can be solid pieces, but together they just don't work.  Mattias Vera is a solid 6, he plays hard,  chases down balls, and is an extremely accurate passer.  Partnered with the right guy in a double pivot formation, he'd be a solid piece.  In a single pivot formation, Vera lacks the range and size to protect the backline.   
This group has a knack for giving the ball away in terrible positions, leading to quick counter-attacking chances by the other team.  As a group, they aren't the fleetest of foot and will lose footraces to most MLS attackers.  The biggest overhaul going forward needs to be in the midfield.  Memo Rodriguez was highly disappointing last year.  After starting for much of the first half of the season, he did little to show he could be a productive everyday midfielder at the MLS level.  While I still believe that Memo can be an important guy on the team, he's not THE guy on the team.  Tab hedged his bets on this belief, and it really came back to bite him.  Coco Carrasquilla shows some flashes but lacks consistency on both sides of the ball.  Too much of the attack has been placed at Darwin Quintero creating for everyone, and the aging #10 wasn't up to the task for much of the year last year.  Darwin was sometimes spectacular for the last 10 games of the season, but for much of the year couldn't find teammates in space or find the back of the net.  For a team that desperately needed goals, he couldn't find them often enough.  

Look for the younger contingent (Castilla, Rios, Hoffman) to spend some time developing with Dynamo II.  I believe we may see some Palomino in the lineup this year.  Palomino had a solid first year as a pro with Charlotte in the USL last year, posting 6 goals and 1 assist in 2,100 minutes played.  He probably needs another full year at that level to truly develop into a productive attacking midfielder, but may get his chance to develop with the first team this year.

Forwards: 


Sebastian Ferreira, Thor Úlfarsson, Fafa Picault, Tyler Pasher, Corey Baird, Griffen Dorsey

Last year before the year even started I asked where the goals would come from.  The Dynamo had their worst goal output in the Franchise's history and were last in MLS with 36 goals scored.  In answer, the front office stepped up and landed the largest transfer in Dynamo history with Sebastian Ferreira, then drafted one of the most productive goal-scorers in the NCAA in Thor Úlfarsson.  Fafa Picault showed he could still be a productive everyday winger last year, with his 11 goals and 4 assists.  Tyler Pasher jumped off to a fabulous start, before losing almost a month playing for the Canadian National Team and injuries cost him more of the season upon return.  Pasher was never the same after his hot start to the first 10 games of the season.  Corey Baird was landed for a large sum of TAM and GAM before also being lost for the end of the season, without scoring a single goal or producing a single assist.  Baird has seen the lion's share of time at RW in the preseason and notched his first goal of the year with a header vs. FC Dallas in the final preseason matchup. Baird is a high-energy player who makes good runs but has shown a declining ability to put the ball in the net over the last few years.  

Sebas can do one thing we sorely lacked last year: finish.  He finds good space in front of the net and can put the ball past the keeper in a variety of ways.  He's shown scoring ability in Liga Mx, and in Paraguay's Primera Division, and should be a major upgrade over Maxi Urruti from a year ago.  My biggest question: Who gives Sebas the service he needs?   Between Fafa and Baird, the ability to stretch the defense and open wholes for Sebas and Quintero should be there.  But can they get him the ball with precision and timing so he can finish off chances?  Of the wing players, I think Tyler Pasher has the best ability to play with Sebas, but he's been mostly off the bench this preseason. 


Head Coach:

Paulo was hired to do two things: (1) Help the Dynamo install a developmental system and mindset at PNC (2) Install a "proactive" approach to play. Pat, Paulo, and Ascher have all referenced this style of approach in press conferences. What does this mean? Attack when the opportunity presents itself, possess when the opportunity exists, and counter when you can.  My question about the hiring is this:  How patient is this fanbase, and (more importantly) the new owner and GM going to be?  We have a young, inexperienced coach and a collection of players who are mismatched to the style we want.  I'm intrigued to see how the team responds to him and to see exactly how he's going to put this collection of players together.  In the preseason, he seems fixed on a 4-3-3 formation, but we've seen multiple variations of it.  Against Austin and Dallas, it was more of a deep-lying 4-3-3 with two of the three midfielders (or at times all three) playing super deep in their defending third.  The plan seemed obvious to play out of the back, build up through quick combo play and timed runs.  It was a disaster on that cold night at PNC, as we couldn't connect more than two or three passes together at a time and couldn't find Quintero in space in the attacking third, and Sebas couldn't find any service inside the penalty box at all.  We saw almost this same style play out last year, as Tab instituted a 4-3-3 with Vera, Jones, and Memo early in the season.  The problems were similar vs. Frisco in the last tune-up game, and the questions remain as to whether Nagamura will continue to try to develop this system, whether the Dynamo can succeed playing this way this year, or will Nagumura try to change tactics in order build some wins.


Paulo Nagamura

Synopsis: 

Pat Onstad and others have all talked about a "Proactive" approach to soccer inside PNC, and I found it interesting the number of articles I dug up from the glory days referencing this exact same mantra. In the early goings of the preseason, it's looked ugly against MLS-level opponents.  While the record isn't terrible, the games against Austin F.C., Toronto F.C.,  and F.C. Frisco were tuff to watch.  The ball movement hasn't been crisp, the off-ball movement hasn't been timed well, and the first touch and possession game has been really poor.

While being "proactive" can be the focus and mindset, the Dynamo don't have the midfield to do it.  I'm not even sure they have the wings to do it, although I think this style of play fits Fafa if we can get the ball to him on the run the way Bayern gets the ball to Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry in space.  While Lundqvist somewhat fits this style, Zarek Valentine can't go forward well enough, and Griffen Dorsey doesn't defend well enough.  Even if Zeca is the answer they are looking for, the midfield is still a problem. They simply don't have the personnel that fits this style of play.  Last year's team was one of the worst passing teams in MLS, one of the worst possession teams in MLS, and it wasn't simply because of Coaching decisions and style of play.  It was because of the personnel on the field.   The midfield (at least at the time of this writing) hasn't seen a new addition this offseason. This year is going to be an installation year, and one where you should see the team progress as the year goes along.  Hopefully, a change in the style of play will lead to a better product on the field, but I don't see it leading to a better place in the standings, at least not for this year.

Prediction:

If the Dynamo truly try to install a "proactive" approach with this squad, it's going to be a long season.  The squad simply doesn't fulfill this style and doesn't have the horses to do it.  We don't have the midfield to do it, outside backs to do it, and our wingers lack the ball skills and passing ability to be successful.  The midfield is slow, lacks touch, and doesn't connect well up top.  Quintero's creativity isn't going to carry us to a playoff birth and despite the addition of Clark and Sebas, this team isn't equipped to initiate this style of play or contend in the West.  Look for the Dynamo to finish 11th in the West this season.
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