New-look Dynamo host Atlanta United in opener (Mar 02, 2018)
Two of the surprise teams from the 2017 MLS season -- second-year franchise Atlanta United and the thrill-a-minute Houston Dynamo -- will square off in week 1 of this season on Saturday afternoon at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston with lofty expectations for continued success.
The Dynamo advanced all the way to the Western Conference finals last year before losing to Seattle, 5-0, in a two-game aggregate series.
Houston will have plenty of changes from last season. They sold the contract of one of their top forwards, Mexico national Erick "Cubo" Torres, to Pumas in his home country while homegrown player Christian Lucatero also moved to the Mexican Liga MX, signing with Necaxa after the Dynamo declined the 20-year-old's contract option.
A pair of veterans left the club for other MLS sides with midfielder Ricardo Clark signing with Columbus as a free agent, and Jalil Anibaba moving to the New England. Perhaps the most significant loss for the Dynamo is that of Brazilian midfielder Alex, who signed with a club in South Korea after starting 29 matches in 2016 and 28 in 2017.
Chris Seitz was signed away from rival FC Dallas as a free agent and will battle with Joe Willis for the starting goalkeeping spot. The Dynamo also acquired Salvadorans Arturo Alvarez from Chicago and Darwin Ceren from San Jose, and signed Venezuelan defender Alejandro Fuenmayor.
With Torres gone, the bulk of the Dynamo's offensive firepower now rests in the hands of Alberth Elis, who is the next big thing in the MLS. Elis' combination of skills and physicality make him a versatile forward, one who can play winger or as a classic No. 9 in Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera's 4-3-3 formation.
"The more games I play, the more opportunity I have to score goals and grab assists," said Elis, who is from Honduras. "That's going to be good and fundamental for the team. And for me, there will be less wear-and-tear (on my body), but I still have to prepare myself for whatever comes. The most important thing is helping the team any way possible. In time coach (Cabrera) will decide where he prefers to play me."
Atlanta United's backers have plenty to look forward to in 2018 after it finished last season as the fourth best team in the league, set season and single-game attendance records, and became the first expansion team to make the playoffs since Seattle in 2009, and only the fourth ever.
Atlanta was powerful on offense, producing plus-30 goal difference, second only to MLS Cup champion Toronto. Star striker Josef Martinez finished fourth in the Golden Boot race despite being out with an injury nearly half the season, and scored at the fastest rate ever recorded in MLS.
In the offseason, Atlanta acquired midfielder Darlington Nagbe from Portland (in what will be a record intra-MLS transfer deal totaling $1.65 million if all incentives are met) and dipped into coach Tata Martino's Argentinean connections to nab defender Franco Escobar and midfielder Ezequiel Barco, the latter in an MLS record-smashing $15 million deal.
Barco will miss 4-6 weeks after sustaining a right quad injury in practice on Tuesday.
Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst said the team is still working on integrating the new players in the lineup.
"Time is running out and obviously we want to get a result on Saturday, even if we aren't at our best," Parkhurst said. "Hopefully, that comes midseason, end of season, we will be at our finest."
Atlanta United's biggest losses were Chilean defensive midfielder Carlos Carmona, who requested, and was granted, a transfer back home for the birth his first child, and left midfielder Yamil Asad, who left and is now on loan to DC United.
Atlanta won the teams' only previous meeting last season 4-1 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on May 20, 2017.
