Scouting is one of the areas the Houston Dynamo want to improve as they move forward under new sporting management, and that effort started in earnest this week.
In the midst of their ongoing search for a head coach, Houston sent newly-hired general manager Matt Jordan on a scouting trip to Spain. The club is attempting to move forward into what it has branded as Dynamo 3.0, a shift in philosophy and scope.
When Jordan first spoke to the media after landing the job, the narrative revolved around about building an attacking team to match the city’s diversity. A trip to the Iberian nation, who have exported more and more players to MLS in recent seasons, is the first step in that direction.
“I think the Spanish market’s become more and more interesting over the last couple of years due to economic reasons and players from that market are becoming more and more attainable than in the past,” Jordan told MLSsoccer.com before leaving for Spain. “I think we want to focus on being a dynamic team that’s balanced. This is a very diverse market in Houston, and if the right opportunity presents itself to add to that diversity, we’re going to look at it.”
Part of the allure of bringing Jordan into the fold was his experience in the player scouting department in his previous role with the Montreal Impact. Dynamo president Chris Canetti keyed on the fact that Jordan has an existing international scouting network to bring to the club as they work to shape their roster for 2015.
Jordan, for his part, spoke of the roster in general and didn't divulge many details about the type of players he’d be seeking out in the coming months. That reticence is understandable, as the club has yet to hire a head coach, but there are certainly roster holes that stick out.
Center back will likely be a point of interest for Houston ahead of next season, especially after Eric Brunner’s retirement this week, and the club has some decisions to make as to how they’ll address the position going forward.
Forward is another position where the Dynamo could look to add reinforcements. With Giles Barnes and Will Bruin likely back, the club could look to add depth or a different type of forward that would allow for more flexibility.
For Jordan, though, the main focus is on building a deep and diverse roster. Visiting a hotbed for soccer talent like Spain is a good first step.
“We feel there’s a very good foundation in the group we have, but we’re also looking to improve,” Jordan said. “We’ll look to be dynamic and balanced as we move forward. We’re looking at a ton of players from all parts of the world. Our focus is to continue to improve the team and build on a very positive foundation that we have.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
