Late season friendlies aren’t typically the norm in MLS, but the Houston Dynamo’s test against Chivas de Guadalajara came at just the right time for handful of new players.
With the regular season winding down and playoff hopes dwindling, Sunday night’s match gave debuts to Calle Brown, Yair Arboleda, Keyner Brown, and José Escalante. It was a chance especially for the latter three—all additions over the summer transfer window—to show their skills away from the training pitch.
“This was big. Like I said, I wanted to see those guys play in a meaningful game,” Dynamo interim head coach Wade Barrett told media after the scoreless draw. “I know this was a friendly match but it’s against a good opponent so I learned a lot from the game. I know the guys were pleased to get in and get minutes so it was a great step.”
Arboleda, Escalante, and Keyner Brown got their chance in the starting lineup on Sunday and were eager to show their worth against their Liga MX opponents. Arboleda and Brown went the full 90 minutes, while Escalante was subbed off in the 87th minute.
“It felt very good. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity,” Brown said after the match. “[Dynamo Vice President/General Manager] Matt (Jordan) spoke to me, Wade spoke to me, so I gave my 200 percent, to give my best on the field, but I feel very good.”
Despite it being an exhibition and their debut, the focus for the newcomers wasn’t solely on their own individual performances.
“It wasn’t the result that we wanted,” Arboleda said. “We wanted to win here, but we did our jobs and I think it went very well.”
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t score nor win,” Escalante agreed. “However, the important thing was to play some minutes and show the coaching staff that I have the capacity to help the Dynamo.”
Barrett now has a full game of film on the debutantes now to assess where they’re at in the progression with the team and how they’ll fit into his plans going forward the rest of the year.
“I thought they did a good job from the start,” he said. “Like I said, they were disciplined from the start, couple things I think we could probably do better, but this was a good match for those boys.”
