As the Dynamo entered the offseason late last October, general manager Matt Jordan and head coach Owen Coyle identified several specific areas they wanted to address to improve the squad before next season. Now, midway through preseason and just 16 days from the 2016 season opener on March 6 against New England at BBVA Compass Stadium, it’s clear the technical staff is pleased with the offseason plan and the new look of the roster.
The offseason priorities for the roster were clear: get younger and more athletic, add more depth throughout the team, add more pace and power in the wide areas, and add more creativity in the final third of the field. Jordan, Coyle and the rest of the technical team worked to address those goals through various transactions.
“It was important that we shuffled the deck with the roster heading into 2016,” Jordan said. “We were one of the teams in the league that made the most offseason transactions and we like the way the team is shaping up.”
Here is a chronological review of the offseason and a look at how the 2016 Dynamo roster was shaped.
December 1 – Dynamo announce new contracts for Giles Barnes, Will Bruin and Tyler Deric
“This was a very unique offseason with so many players coming out of contract,” said Jordan. “With a new general manager and new head coach in place at the start of last year, the majority of the team was in place. Each situation is different but traditionally situations work themselves out as the process unfolds. With Barnes (27), Bruin (26), and Deric (27), they are all in the prime of the their careers. All three players had opportunities to play abroad, but they chose to stay here and be a part of what we are working towards. Re-signing these players helped us stay young and hungry to succeed.”
December 6 – Dynamo acquire midfielders Cristian Maidana and Andrew Wenger from the Philadelphia Union
“Cristian and Andrew are two players that we identified and had been tracking very closely throughout the course of last season,” Jordan said. “We were in discussions with Philadelphia at different points of last season about each player, but it never came together because there are a lot of moving parts to a trade.”
Maidana is a true playmaker, addressing the “creativity in the final third” objective. The 29-year-old led MLS with 26 assists over the last two seasons, including 15 last campaign. The left-footed Argentine also finished with 79 chances created in 2015, second most in MLS according to OPTA. The Montreal Impact selected Wenger with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2012 draft, with Jordan part of the Montreal technical staff. The former MAC Hermann Trophy winner at Duke University helps provide the “pace and power” coveted on the wings as well as athleticism.
“When that discussion heated up in the offseason, we felt it was a good deal for us and the timing was right. It was important to get it done right at the beginning of the trade window opening to send a message,” said Jordan. “We wanted more dynamic pace on the wings and obviously Andrew brings a lot of pace, power and athleticism. Cristian brings a different element to our team in the final third, to really unlock teams with the final pass.”
For every Diego Valeri (Portland), Federico Higuain (Columbus) and Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake) in MLS, there are examples of other foreign playmakers that have struggled to adjust to the North American league. For the Dynamo, acquiring a player like Maidana with a track record of productivity in MLS was a preferred option than the risk-reward proposition of adding a playmaker from outside the league.
“We debated that for a long time,” Jordan said. “I was in South America for two weeks (last summer), and I went to four countries and watched over 20 games. There were two players in particular that we really liked. But looking at all the factors, including the salary cap element, we felt the right decision for this team was to get a player who had already adapted to the league. MLS is a very unique league. Getting used to the travel and different conditions and styles of play is a challenge.”
December 16 – Dynamo announce new contracts for Ricardo Clark, Boniek García and Sheanon Williams
The club brings back three important veterans, including two FIFA World Cup veterans—Clark and García—and a trio that has combined for 521 career MLS appearances. Clark, the Dynamo Most Valuable Player and Players’ Player of the Year in 2015, was a member of the first free agency class in MLS history, but elected to return for his ninth season with the Dynamo eight days after the free agency window opened on Dec. 8.
“What we like about Rico is that he is a consummate professional and a model teammate,” said Jordan. “When I look at Rico I think of one word: intangibles.”
García, 31, has 105 career appearances for the Honduras national team and remains a key part of that squad, appearing in two World Cup Qualifying matches in November.
“We were pleased to bring García back to the team,” said Jordan “He’s like a Swiss Army knife. He can play wide midfield, central midfield, right back and on occasion has even played as a second striker. Boniek was Re-Entry Draft eligible but he came back willing to restructure his deal because he wanted to be here in Houston and part of what we’re working towards.”
Williams leads all MLS defenders age 25 and under with 155 regular-season appearances since his MLS debut in 2010. Acquired by the Dynamo in a trade with the Philadelphia Union on July 23, Williams appeared in all 14 remaining games (12 starts) and added two assists.
December 23 – Dynamo sign defender Bradley Bourgeois as Homegrown Player
A move to improve depth at right back and center back and to add another young player to the roster, the Dynamo sign the Cypress, Texas, native two days before Christmas. The Dynamo Academy product enjoyed a strong career at Tulsa University, winning the team's Defender of the Year three times as well as American Athletic Conference Defender of the Year in 2015. The 21-year-old has played right back this preseason and has adjusted well while learning a new position.
January 7 – Dynamo trade Brad Davis to Sporting Kansas City
The technical staff sends Davis, the longest-tenured player with the same club in MLS, closer to his Midwest roots in a trade with Sporting Kansas City, ending his 10-year run with the Dynamo. Houston loses a franchise legend but gains salary cap flexibility and the goodwill of compromising with a veteran player.
“Brad was a good servant to the club, but at this stage of his career he wanted to be closer to home,” Jordan said. “We appreciate everything he gave to the club but we also had to make sure the trade was advantageous for us. Gaining a roster spot and salary cap flexibility was an important domino that allowed other moves to happen.”
January 11 – Dynamo sign defender Jalil Anibaba
Three days before the draft, the Dynamo add a veteran defender who played every minute of the 2013 season and provides flexibility at center back and outside back.
“It was an opportunity to sign a player who has played over 130 games in the league,” Jordan said. “We like his athleticism and the fact that he’s been on three playoff teams (Chicago 2013; Seattle 2014; Sporting Kansas City 2015). He’s also a competitor, which we really like.”
January 26 – Dynamo sign defender Sebastien Ibeagha
The former Dynamo Academy defender was Atlantic Coast Conference Defender of the Year in 2012, highlighting a four-year career at Duke University. He rebuffed offers to sign with the Dynamo in 2013, signing with AC Horsens in Denmark, where he spent two years, with loan spells to FC Fredericia and Fram Reykjavik (Iceland). After impressing the Dynamo staff during a November training camp, he signed with his hometown club.
“Signing Sebastien was a lengthy process,” Jordan said. “He showed the willingness and ambition to come in and train in our postseason camp last November, which was important. Sebastien is now 24 years old and returns to the club with valuable European experience. When taking this decision we asked ourselves ‘Where would he be picked if he was in the 2016 SuperDraft?’ And the answer was he’d have been a top 5 pick. He is an outstanding athlete, with room for growth. He wants to be here, which is a good sign.”
January 27 – Dynamo sign Spaniards David Rocha and Agus
Three days into preseason, the Dynamo add a pair of Segunda A veterans. Rocha, a central midfielder, helped Gimnastic de Tarragona gain promotion last season and was their team captain for the last two years. Agus, a left-footed center back, arrives from Albacete and spent time at Real Madrid, Mallorca and Orduspor (Turkey). A captain at several clubs, Agus was part of the Spain team at the Under-20 World Cup in 2005.
“Coming off of last season we felt we needed to improve our ability to dictate the rhythm of the game in the midfield,” said Jordan. “David possesses the ability to maintain possession under pressure and switch the point of attack over distance with both feet.
“David was the team captain at Gimnastic, who is in contention for promotion to La Liga at the moment, so it wasn’t easy to get him out of Spain. Gimnastic brought in a midfielder (Levy Madinda) from Celta Vigo to take his place.
“With Agus there is a benefit to having a naturally left-footed center back. He is very good in the air and like Rocha, he is experienced and has been a captain before. They both speak decent English, and that’s important to help integrate within the group. Spain has a good reputation in the formation of players. Agus was formed at Real Madrid and Rocha spent time at Villarreal, and we like the experience they bring to the table.
“The level of the Segunda A is very good, it’s a little more physical than La Liga. We watched David play in November 2014 and we thought about bringing him in last summer, but the salary cap limited our options.
“We identified Agus last summer and I was able to watch him in Spain and sit down with him and talk about our club. We were looking for a left-footed center back that had a good physical presence, we were looking at a few options and things worked out. The other thing we like about Agus is that he played in the Turkish Süper Lig, and sometimes it’s good to get players who’ve actually played abroad because they know the drill.”
Agus is 30 years old and Rocha turned 31 on February 7. The advantages of bringing in veterans to help the team win in 2016 made their profiles more attractive than younger options that may have needed more development.
“We were tracking two players in South America—a center mid and center back—that were around 20 years old and played similar positions as Rocha and Agus. But we felt that being in the Western Conference, and with a good mix of players in the prime of their careers on our current roster, Rocha and Agus made the most sense for the dynamic of our group.”
January 30 – Leonel Miranda returns to the Dynamo on loan from Independiente
After lengthy discussions with Miranda's parent club in Argentina, the Dynamo return the wide midfielder on loan after his debut in 2015. Miranda started the final six games last season and at age 22 is another young player with time to develop further. The Argentine tallied two goals and an assist last season, and seemed to settle in toward the end of the season. His early preseason displays earned him a start against Vancouver in the final match of the team's first Tucson trip.
“It’s good to have Leo return after one year in MLS under his belt. It was a long process to work through with Independiente but it’s good to have him back with the club.”
February 18 – Dynamo acquire defender Abdoulie Mansally in a trade with Real Salt Lake
The Dynamo add a left back with nine seasons of MLS experience at age 27. Mansally, a left back and Gambia native, will provide cover for DaMarcus Beasley after making 19 appearances with Real Salt Lake last season. He has appeared in eight World Cup Qualifying matches for his country and made a total of seven appearances at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup. With Mansally’s addition, the Dynamo now have at least two players at every position, including right and left back, an area that has lacked depth over the last few seasons.
“The acquisition of Abdoulie strengthens our roster by adding an additional left-sided defender with significant MLS, playoff and CONCACAF Champions League experience,” Jordan said. “He’ll be a welcomed addition to our backline and we look forward to his integration into the group.”
With opening day just two weeks away, the priorities for improving the squad remain the same.
“We’ve made a lot of positive changes this offseason,” said Jordan. “In saying that, we are always looking to improve the quality of our roster. We are committed to putting a team on the field that our fans and the city of Houston can be proud of.”
