Analyzing the money being spent on Houston Dynamo midfielders

This is the third part of our four part series look at hos well the Houston Dynamo are spending their money. Are they getting a bang for their buck or should they rethink who and where they are spending money? Today we look at the midfield minus the big bucks about to be spent on Hector Herrera.

According to figures released, the Houston Dynamo are spending about 17% of their overall payroll on the most important section of the pitch; midfield. Granted once Herrera shows, all of this flip flops as HH comes in making about $4 million a year. For the sake of argument, we will just analyze what the four main Dynamo midfielders make,

Matias Vera, who go to his more natural role of a hold/defensive mid is the highest paid of the four at $550,000. In the prime of his career, Vera has been in the starting XI primarily for his time in Houston. Signed through 2023 with a club option for 2024, his value only increases with the signing of Herrera. Vera leads this group of mids with a 90% average.

Adalberto "Coco" Carrasquilla is the heart of the midfielders. His motor never stops as he is seemingly involved in every movement of the ball. He leads all midfielders in minutes (937) and accurate forward zone passing. He in the top five in accurate passing and passing accuracy. Expect that with the arrival of Herrera, Coco's stock will seem like a steal at a guaranteed base of $418,000.

Now we move the hometown midfielder Memo Rodriguez. Memo has had the pressure on him from the day he signed his first contract coming out of high school. Now in the prime of his career at 26 and happy in Houston, Memo continues to come into his own as a wing but with flexiblity to play on the inside seams. His ability to facilitate from the wing stretches the defense and only makes guys like Fafa, Sebas and Quintero only better. His ability to score from the top of the 18 only increases because of the arrival of Herrera. At $285,000 in guaranteed salary, he is vastly underpaid.

Darwin Ceren is the last of the big four in the midfield for Houston. His minutes have dropped in 2022 but his versatilty at playing both holding and attacking mid position makes him in valuable as he starts on the backend of his career. Look for him to become more and more of second half role player for this team and his pay at $190,000 reflects that.

Overall, Houston Dynamo fans should be bullish over the money being spent on their midfield players. With three of the four in the prime of their careers, this group will only get better. There is no better young group of mids in Major League Soccer and with Herrera's arrival, this will quickly become the strength of the Houston Dynamo. Add to that the fact they are all under contract for the next couple of seasons and it will be little wonder that they will quickly become the most dangerous midfield group in American soccer. At basically $1.5 million, this is money well spent.