With a game at San Jose on tap tonight, midfielder Alex is finding his role.
In the decade since Brian Ching, Pat Onstad, Brad Davis and the rest of the old San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston in 2006, almost every new Dynamo player has struggled adjusting to the heat and humidity of the Bayou City.
In time, the Dynamo have learned to use the oppressive conditions to their advantage. They even remind opponents of the heat with a thermometer in the visiting locker room and a banner in the BBVA Compass Stadium tunnel declaring, “Our heat, Our heart, Our home.”
A vote for heat, humidity
As one who has been unfazed by this, Brazilian midfielder Alex is a rare exception.
“Houston is great,” said the São Paulo native, who was acquired from the Chicago Fire on April 13. “The climate is perfect. It’s very similar to Brazil. It’s different than Chicago’s cold weather. I feel at home here.”
June and July are the months when the heat and humidity begin taking a toll on players here. Coincidentally, Alex finally started earning minutes on the pitch late last month with the
Dynamo.
Alex, whose given name is Alexandre Monteiro De Lima, started 24 games and appeared in 28 last season with the Fire. But before he was traded to the Dynamo, he had played only eight minutes this year. He spent the next two months on the Dynamo bench.
Alex, 26, made his Dynamo debut with 15 minutes off the bench against Portland on June 20. He played six minutes in a 2-0 loss to FC Dallas on June 26.
Coach Owen Coyle gave him 37 minutes off the bench last Friday, and he capitalized
with his first Dynamo goal in a 1-1 tie against his former Fire teammates. The goal was Alex’s fourth in Major League Soccer and first since Sept. 14, 2013.
“It’s good for the confidence to get the minutes I’m getting from the coach to be able to show what I can do,” he said.
The 5-8, 155-pound midfielder likely will get more opportunities to prove his versatility and worth in the next few weeks while starters Giles Barnes, Jermaine Taylor, Luis Garrido and Boniek Garcia are away with their respective national teams for the Gold Cup. Midfielder Rob Lovejoy, one of the Dynamo’s top backups this year, also is out with an injury.
Coyle acknowledges that Alex is one of the players making a case to start Friday night when the Dynamo visit the Earthquakes.
Alex took advantage of the U.S. Open Cup to show his fitness and ability. These next few weeks might help him truly feel at home with the Dynamo.
Olabiyi signed
“One thing that’s good about this group — and we’ve proven it, especially in the Open Cup — is we have good depth,” Dynamo general manager Matt Jordan said.
The Dynamo added to that depth Thursday, signing Nigerian midfielder Rasheed Olabiyi, 24, who has played for his country’s Under-17, U-20 and U-23 national teams.
“He’s been training with us and has integrated well within our group,” Jordan said. “We look forward to seeing him contribute to the success of the team as we begin the second half of our season.”