Cubo Torres Signs DP Deal With Houston Dynamo

Cubo Torres is back in MLS! Well, sort of. After announcing a six month loan deal with his former club, Chivas Guadalajara, Major League Soccer announced Tuesday night that the Mexican international had signed a Designated Player deal with the Houston Dynamo.

Wait what?

So here are the nuts and bolts of the deal: when MLS agreed to allow Torres to go on loan with Chivas on a six month loan back in early December, the league also acquired his full rights. Previously the league under his old deal with Chivas USA had Torres on a loan for 2014 and ha an option to pick up the loan for 2015. Keep in mind also that MLS purchased the Chivas USA franchise back in February from Chivas Guadalajara and owner Jorge Vegara.

The agreement with Chivas and the Houston Dynamo calls for Torres to play “up to the first six months” of 2016 with Guadalajara. Chivas will be in a relegation battle when the Apertura season begins in January after going through a difficult campaign in the Clausura (3-7-7, 16 points). After six months, he will return to Houston for five years.

Ever since October, MLS and papa Chivas have worked together to come up with a solution to Torres’ situation. He was not exposed during the Chivas USA Dispersal Draft nor was he eligible to be acquired under the Expansion Draft or either of the Re-Entry Drafts.

Both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders had reportedly shown interest in Cubo Torres, but it was the Houston Dynamo who, according to Goal.com‘s Ives Galarcep, willing to pay the $7.5 million transfer fee.

When he does come to Houston, Torres will give the club an immediate boost on the attack. Houston only scored the fourth-fewest goals in the league in 2014 (39) and had the lowest number of road goals in the league (12). Nine of Torres’ fifteen goals scored in 2014 came on the road so he is a player that can clearly score both on the road and at home.

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The good news for Torres is that he will not be alone on the attack. Part of the problem while he played at Chivas USA is that clubs could target him on defense since Chivas was at times a one trick pony on the attack. Having both Giles Barnes (11 goals in 2014) and Will Bruin (10 goals) should help ease the pressure on him.

The signing of Torres also mark a bit of a change in culture at Houston. In the past, the Dynamo have relied heavily on possession and have not always been known for their dynamic play at forward. Torres gives them an option to make the break on counter-attacks and someone who can play with some pace. Midfielder Brad Davis is an expert at finding players in space and should work very well with Torres.

What will be interesting to see is how this move impacts people coming to BBVA Compass Stadium. According to the 2010 Census, over 43 percent of Houston’s population is of Hispanic origin, with 32 percent identifying themselves being of Mexican origin. The Dynamo’s average annual attendance was seventh-highest in the league at 20,117. But the team has been criticized for inflating their numbers ( a claim not limited to Houston mind you) with many empty orange seats being seen during matches. This move should help drive up attendance as Torres becomes more of a regular with the Mexican national team.

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