The acquisition of Matías Vera from San Lorenzo in the Argentinian Primera División helps the Houston Dynamo solidify their spine and consolidate their depth.
The Houston Dynamo acquired 23-year-old Argentinian defensive midfielder Matias Vera, who will occupy an international roster slot, by utilizing Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). The official press release left little doubt as to why he was brought in.
This is what Houston Dynamo Head Coach Wílmer Cabrera had to say upon the announcement of the transaction:
"“We are excited to sign Matías because he will help us improve and will give us balance in the team. He is a natural ball winner in the midfield who is also young and a very talented distributor of the ball in the middle of the field. This past season we had difficulties when we were without Juan David Cabezas for most of the year. Now with Matías, we have someone who will create depth and competition in the middle. That is important, understanding that we are facing three competitions throughout the season.”"
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Besides solidifying their spine and their midfield depth, Vera’s acquisition gives validity to a statement which Dynamo Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan gave earlier this offseason. He had previously told Houston radio presenter Glenn Davis that he wanted the Dynamo to get “younger”. Signing a 23-year-old certainly qualifies.
Besides getting younger, it is clear that the Dynamo has prioritized acquiring experience and depth this offseason. In spite of the fact that he is only 23-years-old, Vera has played in over 100 professional games. While he inadvertently checks the experience criteria, he certainly checks the depth specification.
As Cabrera said in the official press release, the Dynamo struggled immensely in the absence of 2017 MVP Juan David Cabezas. Darwin Cerén, who had been acquired in order to serve as Cabezas’ deputy, proved ineffective. Eric Alexander, a very gifted technical player, was just not a fit for the role.
There have been some suggestions that Vera could start alongside Cabezas in midfield. However, in spite of the fact that Houston reportedly spent around $1 million to secure his signature, I do not think that this would be the best course of action.
My personal preference would be for longtime fan favourite Boniek García to start alongside Cabezas. The Honduran is now a classic box-to-box midfielder, an essential commodity in the modern game, particularly for the Dynamo. Houston has relied heavily on counter-attacks in recent years, however, they need to be able to break teams down with prolonged periods of possession.
The offseason has started very well for the Houston Dynamo. While there are still some moves in the pipeline, they have made incredibly impactful signings, and have succeeded in addressing their biggest needs.