Dynamo kick off season tonight
Winning and the Dynamo used to be synonymous.
Houston soccer fans in 2006 did not have to wait to experience their first MLS Cup championship. And then, as if to prove that title was not a fluke, the Dynamo won it all again in 2007.
Two years in Houston. Two league trophies.
Over the next six seasons the Dynamo advanced at least to the conference semifinals five times and played for the MLS Cup championship twice more.
But as the 2017 season kicks off Saturday night, those memories seem distant. The Dynamo have not made the playoffs since 2013 and last season finished last in the Western Conference. They won a league-worst seven games.
Not long after the worst season in franchise history, the Dynamo hired Wilmer Cabrera to be their coach. After seeing him lead their USL affiliate Rio Grande Valley FC to a runner-up finish in its first season, the Dynamo front office had seen all it needed to see. Management knew he was the man to lead the team back to the top.
“This is step one to bringing things back to where we used to be,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti said at the time. “We know we’re a championship-caliber club and organization. We understand why we’ve gone through some hard times. We are ready to start rectifying those situations.”
If the team’s performance in the preseason is any indication of what’s to come, Houston soccer fans might not have to wait much longer to watch a contending team.
The Dynamo went 3-0-1 at the Desert Diamond
Cup, beating near fullstrength MLS teams New England, New York City FC and Colorado.
Those results do not carry over to the regular season, but at least the team is building the foundation for what could be a winning culture.
“It’s important to feel that we are building a team that wins and that knows how to win,” Cabrera said. “When you learn how to win and you get used to winning, then you start doing everything the same way. It’s the same if you get used to losing a lot, is like you are always losing.”
The inordinate amount of losing that occurred in 2016 was enough for the front office to nearly overhaul the roster at the top. General manager Matt Jordan emphasized the team needed to be faster, younger and dynamic.
It appears some big offseason acquisitions are going to do the trick.
Hondurans Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto will supply speed on the wings, transforming the attack — especially the counterattack — into one of the most dynamic in MLS.
Torres returns
They will be aided by Erick Torres, the once down-and-out designated player who appears back to his old self after a loan at the end of last year. If he does not produce early, Cabrera can call on Mauro Manotas, who electrified the league over the last third of 2016 and led the team with six goals.
Jordan fortified the midfield with the acquisition of Colombian Juan David Cabezas. He is expected to cause havoc all over the middle of the field.
The defense is almost entirely new with the additions of veteran L.A. Galaxy players A.J. DeLaGarza and Leonardo, and the signing of Panamanian Adolfo Machado. The Dynamo got a boost on the back line when DaMarcus Beasley signed a one-year deal.
They are all in Houston to be molded by Cabrera, who has experience at all coaching levels in the United States. His approach is no-nonsense and strong in tactics. Torres, who played for Cabrera at Chivas USA in 2013, said Cabrera also rarely has plans to sit back.
“He is someone that when he is playing at home he wants to go and win the games, he wants to look good,” Torres said. “If he gets scored on three times, he will go and score four or five. If he gets scored six times he’ll score eight. That’s just who he is.”
One match at a time
Although hopes are high, Cabrera said he is not discussing the team’s chances to win a title in nine months. His nononsense approach means he is instructing the team to worry about Saturday’s season opener.
After that, they’ll plan for game No. 2 against Columbus Crew SC.
Canetti, who has been with the organization from day one, said it is time to leave those losing seasons in the past. He wants the Dynamo to be synonymous with winning again.
“We’ve gone through our down period,” he said. “We’ve made a few mistakes. We’re not afraid to admit that. This is the time. The time is now. We need to see progress and see things heading in the right direction.”