Where did we leave off last year? Houston was crowned champions again after dispatching New England in MLS Cup. The league championship covered up an injury plagued regular season that floundered late in the campaign after a league record defensive streak during the middle of the campaign. Once the playoff lights shined, the team gritted its way through the Western Conference playoffs before retaining MLS Cup.
Arrivals: GK Tony Caig (Gretna, Scotland), DF Bobby Boswell (D.C. United), FW Franco Caraccio (Arsenal de Sarandi, Argentina)
Departures: GK Zach Wells (D.C. United), DF Ryan Cochrane (San Jose), FW Joseph Ngwenya (SK Austria Karnten, Austria), FW Nate Jaqua (Altach, Austria), FW Paul Dalglish (unattached)
Assessing the front office moves: Curious decision-making from the Dynamo front office. Departures stole the headlines with leading scorer Ngwenya and Jaqua cavorting off to Europe on free transfers. Whether the pair is replaced by Caraccio, a former Argentina youth international who saw scant time with Arsenal de Sarandi, remains to be seen. Failing to sign another striker, one more prolific than Kyle Brown, before the start of the season earns the front office a black mark. Obtaining Boswell, who has talent and needed a change of scenery, for a backup goalkeeper made a ton of sense. He's an improvement over Cochrane at the back. Signing Caig gives the Dynamo depth if the evergreen Pat Onstad breaks down.
The squad: When you win the championship, there's little reason to make drastic changes. Dominic Kinnear has kept a settled squad for most of this run and this year is no exception. Onstad continues to prove a useful stalwart between the pipes even as he enters his fifth decade. The backline remains stingy and coordinated. Eddie Robinson broke into the U.S. National Team picture during the offseason, an honor well-earned given his club form over the past 12 months. Boswell slides in beside him to form a resolute pairing. Wade Barrett remains underrated at left back, while Craig Waibel holds his own most of the time on the right. Wingers Brad Davis and Brian Mullan are probably the best pairing in the league when healthy, but neither player can seem to stay off the treatment table. Ricardo Clark returns after his lengthy suspension to partner the cunning Dwayne De Rosario in the center of the park. Clark does most of the box to box work, freeing De Rosario to support the strikers. Brian Ching, assuming he can stay healthy, will play alongside Caraccio when he settles.
Key player: Brian Ching.
Most likely to drop out of the starting XI: Craig Waibel.
Off the bench: As long as you're not looking for a striker, you can probably find what you need on the Dynamo bench. Caig is a capable backup keeper. Patrick Ianni could start in central defense for a handful of other teams in the league. Richard Mulrooney lends cover at right back and in midfield. Corey Ashe and Stuart Holden can fill in when Davis and Mullan pick up their inevitable injuries. Chris Wondolowski and Kyle Brown provide meager cover for the front two, though Wondolowski led the reserve league in scoring last year and could surprise.
Outlook: Houston is built for a deep run into the playoffs with its depth and experience. The depth will play a role as many of the team's key players struggle to stay healthy over the course of the season. Ching must remain healthy as the team enters the playoffs as the team can't rely on De Rosario as its only viable scoring option. Don't bet against a three-peat.
