When Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark left the Houston Dynamo for the challenge of European soccer after the 2009 MLS season, the Dynamo figured to feel the losses and take a step back from being the perennial title contender they were when they won consecutive MLS Cup titles.
Little did we know the Dynamo would take several steps back, but injuries and ineffective play led to a forgettable season and a clear sign it was time for Houston to rebuild.
The reconstruction job began early, with the acquisition of winger Colin Clark late last season. The Dynamo took efficiency to a new level, snagging Jamaican defender Jermaine Taylor and fullback Hunter Freeman in the international market and walking away from the 2011 MLS Draft the big winners after landing highly-regarded duo of Kofi Sarkodie and Will Bruin.
The Dynamo also received a boost from Major League Soccer, when expansion forced the league to shift around its conferences and move Houston out of the stacked Western Conference to the much weaker East. Now, instead of fighting to try and survive in the top-heavy West, Houston suddenly looks like a good bet to challenge for one of the three automatic playoff berths in the East.
Whether or not Houston does rebound will depend largely on how goalkeeper Tally Hall does replacing veteran standout Pat Onstad, who retired in the off-season. Hall’s professional resume consists of five matches he played last year, inexperience that could prove costly playing behind a reconstructed back-line that could take some time to find a rhythm. The defense should be much better in 2011, with Taylor, Freeman and Sarkodie expected to join veteran Bobby Boswell in a defense that will be much quicker and more athletic than in 2010.
Offensively, the Dynamo will be leaning on veteran striker Brian Ching to be healthy, but a revamped stable of forwards should offer some better options to partner him with and get him some rest. Bruin is already looking like a draft-day steal, while off-season acquisition Jason Garey should also be in the mix for minutes.
Brad Davis returns as the creative force in central midfield after transition from his long-time role on the left wing. With Lovel Palmer anchoring the midfield, Davis should have the freedom to create, while the eventual return of Clark could provide invaluable service for Ching and Bruin, a pair of forwards who can dominate in the air.
What will be interesting to see, is if the Dynamo take another plunge into the Designated Player market. Houston’s first foray into big spending produced a dud in Luis Landin, but with a new stadium on the way, and with a roster that very well could make a run in the Eastern Conference, the Dynamo will have to seriously consider taking the plunge again, with central midfield and even potentially goalkeeper being areas where the team could use a big-money upgrade.
Even if the Dynamo doesn’t spend on a Designated Player, the team has improved enough to return to being a force, and with Kinnear at the helm, Houston joins D.C. United as the best bets to return to the playoffs after missing out in 2011. With an exciting rookie class, and some other solid off-season acquisitions, the Dynamo should be the second or third best team in the East, and just might put pressure on New York for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
HOUSTON DYNAMO
KEY LOSSES: Pat Onstad, Luis Landin, Ryan Cochrane
NEW ARRIVALS: Jermaine Taylor, Hunter Freeman, Jason Garey, Kofi Sarkodie, Will Bruin
BIGGEST QUESTION: Can Tally Hall get the job done? When Pat Onstad retired after a championship-winning run as Houston’s starting goalkeeper, the immediate question was whether the Dynamo would go sign a forward. Houston stayed in house and turned to Hall, who has won the starting job.
X-FACTOR: Jermaine Taylor. The Dynamo’s biggest weakness in 2010 was its defense, something head coach Dom Kinnear is hoping to address with the addition of imposing Jamaican defender Taylor, who’s arrival will also allow the Dynamo to keep Geoff Cameron in midfield. Another potential X-Factor could be winger Colin Clark, who was acquired last year and is coming off ACL surgery. If he can fully recover, he’d give the Dynamo attack a very dangerous flank option.
OUTLOOK: As tough as 2010 was, the Dynamo still had some pieces in place to be a good team, with Brian Ching and Cameron joining Bobby Boswell and returning players Lovel Palmer and Clark. With a draft class promising to be special and the arrival of Taylor, the Dynamo are poised to make the most of a move to the Eastern Conference. The Dynamo should be back in the playoffs, and should actually be considered as the darkhorse candidate to reach the MLS Cup Final.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team.
