As Cristian “Chaco” Maidana walked down the tunnel of BBVA Compass Stadium for the first time last Friday, his reaction was similar to most first-time guests: “Very orange.”
The 28-year-old Argentine looks forward to stepping onto the field in his cleats in March, where he expects the energy from the stands to seep on to the pitch as he threads passes to his new teammates: “I’m super excited. I can’t wait to start playing,” he told HoustonDynamo.com via a translator. “I like the style of the team and I’m looking forward to scoring a lot of goals.”
Count general manager Matt Jordan among those excited as well, as the additions of Maidana and Andrew Wenger from the Philadelphia Union on the first day of the MLS trade window immediately addressed needs in the Dynamo attack.
”We’ve got to get more creativity, and more chances created in the offensive third, which obviously Chaco brings,” Jordan said. “We wanted to get more dynamic pace in the wide areas, and Andrew brings that. Andrew is a player that can really cause problems and so is Chaco.
The Dynamo’s 42 goals in 2015 were tied for 15th best in MLS, a mark that head coach Owen Coyle is keen to improve upon. With Maidana, the Dynamo attack have the attacking midfielder that can provide consistent service for forwards such as Will Bruin and Erick Torres to finish in the box.
“I think we have a very good and diverse attacking group,” Jordan said. “You have Will who brings a lot of qualities in his play; you have Erick who’s a poacher and very good in the box; you have Mauro Manotas who we all see the talent that he has and what he’s going to look like, and obviously Giles [Barnes] is a dynamic player as well.
“But in saying that, you also want a creative player that can get them the ball. You look throughout the league, a lot of very successful teams have that creative playmaker that can make that final pass and it can do special things. That’s what we see in Cristian. Add it with the pace and power that we’ve been looking for with a player like Andrew out wide, we think it’s going to be a dynamic attacking group.”
Brad Davis recorded double-digit assists for the seventh time in his Dynamo career, but no other player produced more than five in 2015. Ricardo Clark and Barnes, the primary attacking pair in central midfield, finished their share of attacking moves with 15 goals between the two. What they didn’t do as frequently was bring others into the play, as evidenced by their combined four assists and average of one key pass (pass leading to a shot) per game. Maidana averaged just under three key passes per game last season.
The plan on paper from the Dynamo technical staff looks as if it will allow Barnes to move to a wider position in the midfield, where his speed and technical ability allow him to beat defenders in space.
“If you look at our game against Vancouver at home, Giles playing from the wide position was the key difference maker in that game,” Jordan said. Barnes drew two yellow cards from Whitecaps defenders on the flank. “He basically put them on their heels the whole game coming from that position. That’s the beauty of a player like Giles, is that he can play a variety of positions.”
Wenger will fight for a spot on the flanks as well, where Coyle has already stated he envisions the young player. The former No. 1 overall SuperDraft pick has played a variety of positions in his four-year career, but seems to have settled into the wide position.
“I’ve been a winger for probably the last two years, so I’m just looking forward to continuing that process and getting better in that spot.”
Jordan was part of the Montreal group that drafted Wenger in 2012, and says “we’ve only scratched the surface of what Andrew Wenger will look like as a player.” Wenger had a breakout year in 2014 after being traded from the Impact, scoring six goals and adding four assists for the Union, but only tallied a goal and two assists in 2015.
The Dynamo are also in continued discussions with Argentine club Independiente to keep Leonel Miranda, who made 20 appearances on the wing in 2015 while on loan. Jordan said “there’s a lot of elements that go into” extending the deal or making the move permanent.
More work remains with just a month’s time before the start of preseason as Jordan and Coyle look to imbue an identity on the Dynamo roster, but he is confident they’re off on the right foot with the early deal.
“We’re working tirelessly behind the scenes to take every step possible to be prepared for next season. We’re very excited. We think that in particular these two signings are an incredible first step in our preparation for next season as we’re looking to put a stamp on the team.”
