We continue our look at Dynamo jersey history over the first 10 seasons with a look at the No. 8 jersey worn by Richard Mulrooney, Paul Dalglish, and Kofi Sarkodie, among others.
Each player approached the game in a different way but their grit and determination to get the job done seems to endure with this group. Mulrooney, for example, joined the club a year after he recovered from a torn ACL. During his time with the Dynamo he started 100 games and provided 15 assists.
These players provided more than consistency, they also provided a spark in crucial moments in Dynamo history. Dalglish scored five goals for the club but none bigger than the two he scored at the 2006 Western Conference Championship. Sarkodie found the opposing net only once in his 124 games with the club—but it was a crucial one against D.C. United in the first leg of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship. Sarkodie, the 2013 Dynamo Defender of the Year, was more likely to be found stopping the opposition from finding the back of the net. His double goal line save against D.C. was named the team's Play of the Year in 2013
Few players embody grit or determination like Luis Garrido, who wore the shirt last season. His nose for the ball and game-changing defensive stands frustrated the opposition during his spell with Houston. As the team transitions from Garrido and that group of players, so too will the role of No. 8.
Cristian Maidana will sport the shirt this season, his first with the club after two seasons with the Philadelphia Union. While in Philadelphia the Argentine was second the league in assists last season. Expect his role to flip from Garrido’s and provide game-changing plays in the final third. His first test will be next Sunday against the New England Revolution at BBVA Compass Stadium (TICKETS).
Top Dynamo moment in the No. 8 jersey: Dalglish scoring two goals in 11 minutes during the 2006 Western Conference Final at Robertson Stadium.
Honorable mention: Sarkodie’s goal line saves vs. D.C. United in 2013 regular season
Dynamo jersey history, all-time. No. 8 jersey:
Paul Dalglish, 2006-07
Richard Mulrooney, 2008-10
Kofi Sarkodie, 2011-14
Luis Garrido, 2015
Cristian Maidana, 2016-
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