Chronicle ran a feature piece on Griffin Dorsey today. Second story from the top at viewing time, as well. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...ey-houston-dynamo-mls-semifinals-18503506.php
Hector Herrera on a potential reunion with @miseleccionmxEN teammate Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (free agent) at @HoustonDynamo.“I took the liberty to send him a message for if he wants to take us as an option…he is open to listening to proposals of any kind.”#HoldItDown https://t.co/RqkNwbUfjl— Victor Araiza (@victoraraiza) November 22, 2023
I love HH identifying with HDFC so much he would take that initiative. I trust the guy, and I do think the little pea likes to play the way HH likes. Again, if HH says he will help I’m down for it but I personally would prefer the Dynamo focus on a young #9 budding superstar and also on a mid-career HH like player to lead the team in a few years when HH runs out of steam. An understudy to HH. For making MLS finally really work in Houston I think they have to be big DPs both — though I’m generally not overly fond of big DPs. I just think to really build this franchise and brand it may take a big deal superstar team. I’m suggesting chest-shocking defibrillation with high-wattage transmission lines type of thing … like Miami is doing. (There is only one Messi, but you add two superstars (a 9 and a 10) to this roster and it has a shot at a supporters shield and a season of real media attention and sell-out crowds. ).
Only way i can justify Chicharito is when taking into consideration the schedule glut that awaits us in 2024. At minimum we’re looking at 39 games: 34 MLS, 2 Champions Cup, 2 Leagues Cup, 1 Open Cup + losing some of our CONCACAF players to Nations League and Copa America. Although it would be a luxury it would be nice to have a player of that experience level to plug in the lineup every once in a while.
It's a lot of games, HH has held up so well this year. I truly don't think he can replicate that again. Things are going to change for us, Coco is most likely gone, we have to be looking to upgrade our 9, and Dorsey is still not signed. We simply have to bring him back, and he is going to want to be paid, obviously. But, Pat really hasn't let me down so I'll keep trusting him. What's everyone's opinion on how long HH can keep this up?
Who knows? He will know when is body tells him. Could be one more, or two, or three. Right now he is earning my vote to let him decide. I'd like to see him move into the coaching ranks with us. I want to see the style of play the dynamo have now for as many years as I can.
to me, soccer players are like running backs. It's hard to tell when the drop off begins, but once it does, it happens fast. I would expect HH to look ok one day then not so tutti frutti the next. As long as we don't sign him to any 5 year contracts, I'll be ok riding that horse til it goes down.
Yep, and on the Chicharito question, there's a good chance he's passed that expiration date. I'd only want him if he came on a low cost, low risk deal with the expectation he'd be a super sub. I have a hard time seeing him be willing to take that kind of a deal.
I wish MLS was at a point like the Premiership where you would bring in a veteran like Chicharito at a decent price to play Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Europa Conference League games, and the occasional league spot starts. Under those parameters he would be a perfect add.
World Soccer Talk has published an article (that happens to read like it was written by a very underpowered ChatAI) that says MLS will allow Four DPs per team next year. https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ml...y037XTSk7UGFZEC-LXT00mO6mnFywaM19wz3w=.SDRVpV
While that makes sense -- I have been noodling on whether I really want deep teams. I think the current restrictions, which should go up to increase quality of squads, are most interesting when the squads are thin. Puts more emphasis on squad building, and makes teams prioritize different competitions. And allows hubris to destroy good teams that try to win everywhere and not prioritize. I just think all of that makes for interesting strategic choices by teams.
So I've listened to a few interviews lately from Pat and Asher. Both of them stressed how important it was to bring in "winners." I whole wholeheartedly agree with this concept, especially with players coming off the bench. Winners know how to change games and see games out, this is why I think Brad Smith, Stares, and Caicedo are so valuable to the club. They know what needs to be done to make the MLS playoffs and to push those players who are starting. Of course, having starters who have been there before in big games doesn't hurt either (and we now have some of those players too). With that being said... How did we go so long with Matt Jordan not figuring this out? The longer this season goes, the more I think Jordan was completely inept when it comes to building a winning roster or ... his job. His pre-Dynamo resume even showed how bad he was at building rosters (side note - he must absolutely nail his interviews). For context, how many games did we bring Ceren, Lassiter, or Kevin Garcia off the bench? These guys have no trophies to their names. It seriously boggles my mind that Jordan had almost 7 years with the club. Between him and Brenner, they basically killed all Dynamo relevancy in the Houston market. It's really sad.
It shows the complete ineptitude of the Brenner era. Top to bottom the organization almost seemed to be trying to fail. The length of Jordan's tenure is a showcase in business mismanagement. It is like keeping the guy that designed the Pontiac Aztec in charge for years, and then wondering why nobody is buying. I am not overexaggerating either, it should be studied at every University as an example of what not to do. I don't blame Jordan, he was bad at his job, and we have all had a job we were bad at. It is the fault of Brenner who kept him in a position he was clearly not qualified for.
First answer: 2017 Portland Timbers having all their knees explode at one time, then 2018 Dynamo hosted every USOC game against MLS opponents. Second answer: He was great at his job. Seriously. His job was to hold the spending down for Brenner while repeating the lie that his players were good enough to compete and all is necessary is better coaching.
One other thing Onstad/Segal have to get credit for - they cut their losses on Nagamura and Sebas (at least temporarily) and sort of admitted they were wrong instead of justifying the decision. Now Onstad probably went from a bit of a hot seat to having much more security. Good for him
I guess this goes here. I've been commenting about how the Dynamo transformed before our eyes this season. We started out playing Benny's ball and ended up playing Hector's way. 1000% credit to Olsen and staff for allowing it, promoting it, helping it happen. I looked at possession stats today to see if the corroborate what my eyes have seen. Avg possession first 6 games of the season: 51% Last 6 games of the season: 60%