Houston Dynamo FC: Stealth winger will provide the needed spark

This Houston Dynamo FC transfer window move drew a snarky comment on MLSSoccer.com. It's followed by a mysteriously minimal roster listing on the Dynamo Web site.

Houston Dynamo FC supporters are really wondering. The sole new arrival during the 2022 transfer window is winger Nelson Quinones from Colombia.  

Should they ask, “Is it you?” Or does it make more sense, “Who are you?”

MLSSoccer.com chose the latter when a writer sniffed that signing the team merely shuffled fourth-stringers by signing Quinones and waiving Tyler Pasher.

As of this posting, the Dynamo roster listing online has Unknown and Unavailable in some of the information slots for Quinones.

Yet, scouts already seem to know what kind of player this 19-year-old forward is. And his skills fit exactly where the team needs to go on offense.

The right-footed player produced mainly attacking from the left wing for Once Caldas. That’s the team that sent him to the Dynamo on loan for a year. The team put him in a 4-3-3 attacking formation most of the time. So when Houston continues to work from that type of formation, he’ll feel at home when substituted in.

ESPN.com also remains dubious about the move. However, their post recognized Quinones brings a noteworthy one-on-one ability to the pitch.

Based on his style playing for Once Caldas, Quinones will be ready to move of the bench and establish himself with Houston whenever the team wants. While he won’t be ready immediately for a full 90 minutes in MLS, he always stayed strong for at least 46 minutes in his games in South America.

By those same reports, he won’t need much further development winning duels – both ground and aerial – as well as successful dribbling and passing.

What the team seeks from a player is an additional offensive spark. Coaches thought the missing spark might be defensive, but adding defense didn’t work. So back to the drawing board, a quiet Houston transfer window move might have brought in the right spark after all,.

Other than confirming the move as required, the Dynamo front office has remained extraordinarily quiet about the new player.

How Quinones has checked out upon arrival; where he might fit in to the formations; when Quinones might be first brought in from the bench – all these considerations prompt no commitment from either the front office or coaches as of this posting.

All this has left Dynamo supporters mute as well.

So to get everyone talking, now it’s up to the 19-year-old winger Nelson Quinones.

Get ready to hear his number called.