Houston Dynamo: The Darwin Quintero character risk
The Houston Dynamo have piled their hopes and resources into former Minnesota United midfielder Darwin Quintero. They are taking a risk on his character.
The Houston Dynamo boasted one of the most vibrant, creative, dynamic attacking units in Major League Soccer last season. They scored 49 goals on the year, an average of just under 1.5 per game, and, when their attacking play clicked, they were offensively prolific.
They scored two or more goals in 15 of their 34 games. They scored three or more goals in four games. And with the players they had playing, it is no wonder that they ripped teams to shreds when they felt like it.
Alberth Elis is one of the best wide attackers in MLS, Mauro Manotas is clinical as a centre-forward, while Memo Rodriguez and Tomas Martinez totalled 12 goals and 15 assists between them, not bad production from secondary attacking players. And now the Dynamo are adding a catalysing bomb to an already explosive attacking unit.
Earlier this offseason, the Houston Dynamo acquired Minnesota United designated player, Darwin Quintero. To sign Quintero, Houston traded Marlon Hairston and $150,000 of General Allocation Money and $150,000 in Targeted Allocation Money in both 2020 and 2021. It is a lot, as well as his wages, which could take up a DP slot, though there is the possibility to buy him under the threshold.
Houston Dynamo head coach Tab Ramos is ecstatic with the acquisition of Quintero and believes that he is a rare talent who can take the attack to the next level:
"“We believe that he is a player that can make a difference, he is rare in the league because in general, there are a number of players that can keep possession and control of the ball, but not many players who can make plays to win matches, to make goals, to make assists, to give the pass that creates goal plays and I think Darwin has that quality and for us I think we could not have found another player with the same qualities within the MLS.”"
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Ramos’ comments are fair. Quintero contributed 21 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances for Minnesota. There were some startling individual performances in which he singlehandedly led the Loons to victories, exploding through opposing defences with ferocious speed, dribbling skill and finishing ability. But he also fell out with Adrian Heath, slipped out of the starting XI in his second season, despite being a DP, and is rumoured to be quite the character handful in the dressing room.
If Ramos and the Houston Dynamo can get the best version of Quintero, they are signing an MVP-level attacking midfielder. In his first season in Minnesota, he was phenomenal, scoring and assisting 26 goals in 2396 minutes. I even tipped him to win the MVP award before the 2019 season commenced.
But if Quintero plays up to his diva reputation, does not settle in the team, and struggles to work under Ramos’ intrsuction, this could end desperately, just as his time in Minnesota did.
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Quintero is inherently a risk. It is just his nature. Such is his footballing brilliance, many teams are willing to take the risk. But that might backfire. Only time will tell.