2017 Record: 13-10-11, fourth place in the Western Conference.
Coach: Wilmer Cabrera
Key Additions: GK Chris Seitz (FC Dallas), DEF Alejandro Fuenmayor (Carabobo FC), MF Arturo Alvarez (Chicago Fire), MF Darwin Ceren (San Jose Earthquakes).
Key Departures: FWD Erick Torres (Pumas), Ricardo Clark (Columbus Crews).
The Big Question: Is the roster deep enough?
The Houston Dynamo is trying to repeat the excellent season they had in 2017 where they achieved a Conference Finals appearance. However, the main challenge the team had was their roster not being deep enough to compete against teams like Seattle. Now, the team acquired some players who can complement the defense and midfield but losing a key piece in the attack on Torres leaving for Liga MX might affect the team.
Now the responsibility to score will be on Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis, who played his first MLS season in 2017. Wilmer Cabrera’s team did not sign a player to replace ‘El Cubo’, so the attack might be affected by this since the Colombian coach likes to rotate their starting eleven every match.
Those rotations created another question. There is not a clear option for the starting goalkeeper. The team has signed Chris Seitz, who looks as the first option as it right now. However, the team is waiting on the MLS resolution on the case of Tyler Deric, who was suspended last season for an alleged domestic dispute. Deric signed a contract with the team during the offseason but cannot practice or play until his legal issues are settled and the league makes a final assessment.
Outlook: Top Four in the West
The Dynamo will be a fun team to watch this year. They have a dynamic and fast pace style where they are always trying to score. There are players who had a brilliant 2017 and are looking to repeat that in 2018. If the team keeps being strong at home as like last year, they should not have problems to end the season in the top four in the West. After all, they set the bar last season, and we cannot expect anything less than that.
Houston Dynamo
MLS
