The Houston Dynamo have secured the services of their reliable midfielder Artur for at least two more seasons. The club announced that the Brazilian signed an extension with the team through the 2025 MLS season.

Dynamo will also be able to extend Artur’s deal until 2026 and 2027, thanks to club options that were made part of the agreement. 

Artur arrived in Houston ahead of the 2023 campaign in a trade with Columbus Crew. The Dynamo gave up $300K in General Allocation Money (GAM) and got a better return on its investment than it probably expected.   

The 27-year-old player established himself as a key component of Dynamo’s midfield, playing in 33 games and making 30 starts. He contributed with two goals while completing 90.4% of his passes and making 42 interceptions.

With Artur’s help, Houston finished at No. 4 in the Western Conference and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

“Artur has been one of the big drivers of our club’s resurgence this season,” said general manager Pat Onstad in a team-released statement. “His quality on the field has made our central midfield one of the best in the league, and his leadership has helped cultivate a winning mentality in our locker room.”

Artur started his professional career in his native Brazil with São Paulo. He joined the Crew initially on loan in 2017 before the move was made permanent the next year. During his time in Columbus, Artur won the MLS Cup and Campeones Cup. 

The post Houston Dynamo Sign Midfielder Artur to a Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Inter Miami missed out on the opportunity to add another trophy to their cabinet this year after suffering a 2-1 loss to Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night.

On the other hand, Dynamo captured its second U.S. Open Cup to add to two MLS Cup titles.

Playing without their star forward Lionel Messi, Inter struggled to pose a real threat to Dynamo and often looked overmatched. Houston took care of the business with two goals in the first half and then confidently cruised through the second half. Miami only managed to get on the scoreboard deep in stoppage time. 

Inter has been on a hot streak since Messi joined the club, winning the Leagues Cup in August for their first trophy in club history and putting themselves in a position to sneak into MLS Cup playoffs. However, they are still five points away from the positions that guarantee a spot in the postseason, and Messi’s absence significantly lowers their chances of getting there.

Messi suffered an injury during international duty with Argentina, and it is unclear when he might return to action. However, Miami’s head coach Gerardo Martino told reporters that he expects the 36-year-old to return before the 2023 regular season ends.

“It was clearly not prudent for him to play, not even for a few minutes,” Martino said after the Dynamo match. “We couldn’t take the risk … But he will surely play again before the end of the season.”

The post Inter Miami, Playing Without Lionel Messi, Suffers 2-1 Loss in U.S. Open Cup Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Dynamo shared some big news on Wednesday that delighted their fans while also intriguing other MLS clubs. According to an announcement posted on their social media, Dynamo secured the services of Mexico international midfielder Hector Herrera.

Herrera, who currently plays with La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, will arrive at the MLS in the summer as a free agent. The 31-year-old inked a Designated Player deal that ties him to Houston through the 2024 season and comes with an option for one further year.

Dynamo hopes that the addition of an established star in Herrera can help turn the club’s fortune around. They have failed to reach the playoffs since 2017 while finishing at the bottom of the standings in the past two seasons.

“The addition of a player like Hector validates the new direction and ambitions of our club. He is the type of player who will raise our standards across the board,” said Dynamo’s head coach Paulo Nagamura in a statement after Herrera’s signing became official.

Hector Herrera started his career with Pachuca in his native Mexico, playing for two seasons in Liga MX before securing a transfer to Porto in 2013. Herrera went on to a successful spell in Portugal, playing 245 games for Porto in six years and helping the club win the Primeira Liga title, among other trophies.

In the summer of 2019, Herrera made a move to Spain, signing a three-year contract with Atletico. Unfortunately, he failed to make a big impact with the Madrid club, struggling with injuries for the better part of his stint.

The post Mexico’s Hector Herrera Set to Join Houston Dynamo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Memo Rodriguez spent his entire soccer career with Houston Dynamo and it looks like neither side wants that to change anytime soon.

Dynamo announced on Thursday that Rodriguez inked a multi-year extension that will keep him with the organization at least until the end of the 2022 MLS season. As part of the deal, Houston will also have club options for the 2023 season and 2024 season.

The new contract comes as a reward for the fine form Rodriguez has been displaying in the past couple of seasons. He had a breakthrough year in 2019, scoring seven goals and adding five assists, while also starting hot in 2020. He contributed three goals and three assists in 14 games so far. 

“It means a lot to me that the club believes in me for the long term. Obviously, the hard work hasn’t stopped, and I’m more motivated than ever,” said Rodriguez after inking the deal. “As a kid, you dream of playing professional soccer in your hometown, and to do that for years to come is a dream come true.”

Memo Rodriguez joined Houston Dynamo’s academy as a 15-year-old in 2011. After three years in youth ranks, he signed a homegrown contract with the franchise and was sent to Dynamo’s USL affiliate club Charleston Battery to gain playing experience.

After a couple of more loan spells, Rodriguez made his pro debut for Dynamo in 2017 and has since established himself as an important piece in the team’s midfield. 

“Memo exemplifies who we are as a club both on and off the field, and we are very pleased that he will continue to represent the city of Houston and our team,” said Dynamo’s general manager Matt Jordan. “He has worked through every level of our club’s structure to earn this extension while being a top professional every step of the way. We’re all confident in what the future holds for Memo as he continues to grow and develop with our club.”

The post Memo Rodriguez Signs Multi-Year Extension with Huston Dynamo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Dynamo announced on Tuesday that they had parted ways with their head coach Wilmer Cabrera. This comes after Dynamo lost seven out of their past eight games.

Dynamo’s general manager Matt Jordan also confirmed that assistant coach Davy Arnaud will take over the team on an interim basis until the end of 2019 MLS season.

“We’d like to thank Wilmer for all of his hard work and dedication over the course of the last two and a half seasons with the Houston Dynamo, including last year’s U.S. Open Cup title. We wish him all the best moving forward,” – said Jordan in a statement. “At this time, we as a club believe the team will benefit from a fresh perspective as we enter the final third of our season and make a push to qualify for the playoffs.”

Dynamo is currently sitting on the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference, and are six points behind the playoff spot.

Wilmer Cabrera took over Houston Dynamo in 2017, and had early success, leading the team to a playoff appearance in his first year. He followed that up with U.S. Open Cup in 2018.

Cabrera leaves Houston with 32-39-22 head coaching record.

The post Houston Dynamo Part Ways with Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera appeared first on SportzBonanza.

MLS teams are not wasting any time and have already started reinforcing their rosters for the 2019 season. One of the teams that were particularly active on the market lately was Houston Dynamo, and the team managed to complete its first significant signing on Monday by landing Slovenian defender Aljaz Struna from Italian side Palermo.

The deal was officially confirmed on Dynamo’s social media.

Merry Christmas, we got you a center back! #ForeverOrange pic.twitter.com/fu6g85putW

— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) December 24, 2018

“Our top priority this offseason was to strengthen our defense with a key signing at center back, and Aljaz Struna fits the profile we were looking for,” – said Dynamo Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “He joins our club at a prime age with the quality, experience and winning mentality that will improve our group right away.“

Houston completed the deal using targeted allocation money to sign Struna, who will occupy the international roster spot on the team.

Aljaz Struna started his career in native Slovenia, before making a switch to Palermo in 2012. He ended up playing 58 games for the first team while scoring one goal. Struna is also Slovenian international, debuting in March 2012 and making 12 appearances so far.

“We are excited to bring a player like Aljaz Struna, who has experience playing in Europe and is in the prime of his career, to our team. He is a top defender, not only in Italy, but for his Slovenian national team, and we believe he will bring leadership on and off the field,” – said Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera in a statement. “He wants to win with the Houston Dynamo, and he has accepted the challenge to play in MLS over other possibilities, and that shows his commitment to this league and to our club.”

The post Houston Dynamo Lands Defender Aljaz Struna from Palermo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Galaxy blew off a 2-0 lead against the Houston Dynamo to lose the game 3-2 and miss out on a spot in this year’s MLS playoffs. Los Angeles needed to win the game to clinch a playoff spot. Instead, Salt Lake earned the spot after finishing the regular season one point ahead of the Galaxy in the Western Conference.

Ola Kamara scored a brace in the first 30 minutes to fire the Galaxy 2 goals ahead by halftime. Romell Quioto scored Dynamo’s first goal in the 57^th minute. Mauro Manotas converted a 73rd-minute penalty to equalize the game before scoring the winning goal in the 79^th minute.

Sunday’s loss is a disappointing defeat to Swedish star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic who joined the Galaxy in March from Manchester United and scored 22 goals in his first season. Galaxy’s locker room was also shocked by the defeat as expressed by interim head coach Dominic Kinnear.

“We needed to keep on playing because they have some players playing forward that can hurt you, Kinnear said. “And like I said, our possession the second half brought them a little bit closer to our goal. You wish you could take a timeout every now and again and get the guys together….But we still had chances at the end. We still had a lot of chance to score some goals. We were throwing everything forward. The guys gave everything they had. It’s an empty feeling right now for sure.”

Elsewhere, Wayne Rooney’s DC United drew 0-0 against the Chicago Fire to finish the East conference fourth and clinch a place in the playoffs.

The post LA Galaxy Blows Off 2-0 Lead at Halftime, Misses out on MLS Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Dynamo decided to add depth to their midfield by acquiring U.S. international midfielder Luis Gil from Liga MX’s Querétaro. The 24-year-old, who already has more than 150 games in Major League Soccer, will join Dynamo on a one-year loan. Dynamo had to acquire Gil’s MLS right from Real Salt Lake, sending 2019 draft pick and future considerations in the opposite direction.

24 years old with over 150 @MLS games under his belt.

“He’s young, he has a lot of ability and he’s confident." #ForeverOrange pic.twitter.com/aL3u1HhjaE

— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) April 23, 2018

“We are pleased to welcome Luis to the Houston Dynamo,” – said Dynamo’s general manager Matt Jordan. “His familiarity with our club and staff along with his quality as a player will make him a positive addition for our group.“

In Houston Dynamo, Gil will be welcomed by a familiar face; team’s head coach Wilmer Cabrera who worked with the player during his time with the United States U-17 men’s national soccer team.

“We are happy to bring Luis in because he’s an outstanding player, a U.S. men’s national team caliber player,” – said Cabrera. “He’s young, he has a lot of ability and he’s confident, and now his teammates and our club must help him to feel comfortable and happy to perform and to display the tools and the game that he has.“

Luis Gil started his professional soccer career with Real Salt Lake, playing more than 130 games and scoring 11 goals in five seasons for the team. In 2016 he signed with Mexican side Querétaro but didn’t receive much playing time. After disappointing 2016 season, Gil returned to MLS for loan spells with Orlando City and Colorado Rapids. On the international level, he played for all U.S. youth teams starting from U-17 and has two senior team caps.

The post Houston Dynamo Acquire U.S. Midfielder Luis Gil on a One-Year Loan appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Dynamo have secured the services of their reliable midfielder Artur for at least two more seasons. The club announced that the Brazilian signed an extension with the team through the 2025 MLS season.

Dynamo will also be able to extend Artur’s deal until 2026 and 2027, thanks to club options that were made part of the agreement. 

Artur arrived in Houston ahead of the 2023 campaign in a trade with Columbus Crew. The Dynamo gave up $300K in General Allocation Money (GAM) and got a better return on its investment than it probably expected.   

The 27-year-old player established himself as a key component of Dynamo’s midfield, playing in 33 games and making 30 starts. He contributed with two goals while completing 90.4% of his passes and making 42 interceptions.

With Artur’s help, Houston finished at No. 4 in the Western Conference and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

“Artur has been one of the big drivers of our club’s resurgence this season,” said general manager Pat Onstad in a team-released statement. “His quality on the field has made our central midfield one of the best in the league, and his leadership has helped cultivate a winning mentality in our locker room.”

Artur started his professional career in his native Brazil with São Paulo. He joined the Crew initially on loan in 2017 before the move was made permanent the next year. During his time in Columbus, Artur won the MLS Cup and Campeones Cup. 

The post Houston Dynamo Sign Midfielder Artur to a Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Inter Miami missed out on the opportunity to add another trophy to their cabinet this year after suffering a 2-1 loss to Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night.

On the other hand, Dynamo captured its second U.S. Open Cup to add to two MLS Cup titles.

Playing without their star forward Lionel Messi, Inter struggled to pose a real threat to Dynamo and often looked overmatched. Houston took care of the business with two goals in the first half and then confidently cruised through the second half. Miami only managed to get on the scoreboard deep in stoppage time. 

Inter has been on a hot streak since Messi joined the club, winning the Leagues Cup in August for their first trophy in club history and putting themselves in a position to sneak into MLS Cup playoffs. However, they are still five points away from the positions that guarantee a spot in the postseason, and Messi’s absence significantly lowers their chances of getting there.

Messi suffered an injury during international duty with Argentina, and it is unclear when he might return to action. However, Miami’s head coach Gerardo Martino told reporters that he expects the 36-year-old to return before the 2023 regular season ends.

“It was clearly not prudent for him to play, not even for a few minutes,” Martino said after the Dynamo match. “We couldn’t take the risk … But he will surely play again before the end of the season.”

The post Inter Miami, Playing Without Lionel Messi, Suffers 2-1 Loss in U.S. Open Cup Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Dynamo shared some big news on Wednesday that delighted their fans while also intriguing other MLS clubs. According to an announcement posted on their social media, Dynamo secured the services of Mexico international midfielder Hector Herrera.

Herrera, who currently plays with La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, will arrive at the MLS in the summer as a free agent. The 31-year-old inked a Designated Player deal that ties him to Houston through the 2024 season and comes with an option for one further year.

Dynamo hopes that the addition of an established star in Herrera can help turn the club’s fortune around. They have failed to reach the playoffs since 2017 while finishing at the bottom of the standings in the past two seasons.

“The addition of a player like Hector validates the new direction and ambitions of our club. He is the type of player who will raise our standards across the board,” said Dynamo’s head coach Paulo Nagamura in a statement after Herrera’s signing became official.

Hector Herrera started his career with Pachuca in his native Mexico, playing for two seasons in Liga MX before securing a transfer to Porto in 2013. Herrera went on to a successful spell in Portugal, playing 245 games for Porto in six years and helping the club win the Primeira Liga title, among other trophies.

In the summer of 2019, Herrera made a move to Spain, signing a three-year contract with Atletico. Unfortunately, he failed to make a big impact with the Madrid club, struggling with injuries for the better part of his stint.

The post Mexico’s Hector Herrera Set to Join Houston Dynamo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Memo Rodriguez spent his entire soccer career with Houston Dynamo and it looks like neither side wants that to change anytime soon.

Dynamo announced on Thursday that Rodriguez inked a multi-year extension that will keep him with the organization at least until the end of the 2022 MLS season. As part of the deal, Houston will also have club options for the 2023 season and 2024 season.

The new contract comes as a reward for the fine form Rodriguez has been displaying in the past couple of seasons. He had a breakthrough year in 2019, scoring seven goals and adding five assists, while also starting hot in 2020. He contributed three goals and three assists in 14 games so far. 

“It means a lot to me that the club believes in me for the long term. Obviously, the hard work hasn’t stopped, and I’m more motivated than ever,” said Rodriguez after inking the deal. “As a kid, you dream of playing professional soccer in your hometown, and to do that for years to come is a dream come true.”

Memo Rodriguez joined Houston Dynamo’s academy as a 15-year-old in 2011. After three years in youth ranks, he signed a homegrown contract with the franchise and was sent to Dynamo’s USL affiliate club Charleston Battery to gain playing experience.

After a couple of more loan spells, Rodriguez made his pro debut for Dynamo in 2017 and has since established himself as an important piece in the team’s midfield. 

“Memo exemplifies who we are as a club both on and off the field, and we are very pleased that he will continue to represent the city of Houston and our team,” said Dynamo’s general manager Matt Jordan. “He has worked through every level of our club’s structure to earn this extension while being a top professional every step of the way. We’re all confident in what the future holds for Memo as he continues to grow and develop with our club.”

The post Memo Rodriguez Signs Multi-Year Extension with Huston Dynamo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Dynamo announced on Tuesday that they had parted ways with their head coach Wilmer Cabrera. This comes after Dynamo lost seven out of their past eight games.

Dynamo’s general manager Matt Jordan also confirmed that assistant coach Davy Arnaud will take over the team on an interim basis until the end of 2019 MLS season.

“We’d like to thank Wilmer for all of his hard work and dedication over the course of the last two and a half seasons with the Houston Dynamo, including last year’s U.S. Open Cup title. We wish him all the best moving forward,” – said Jordan in a statement. “At this time, we as a club believe the team will benefit from a fresh perspective as we enter the final third of our season and make a push to qualify for the playoffs.”

Dynamo is currently sitting on the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference, and are six points behind the playoff spot.

Wilmer Cabrera took over Houston Dynamo in 2017, and had early success, leading the team to a playoff appearance in his first year. He followed that up with U.S. Open Cup in 2018.

Cabrera leaves Houston with 32-39-22 head coaching record.

The post Houston Dynamo Part Ways with Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera appeared first on SportzBonanza.

MLS teams are not wasting any time and have already started reinforcing their rosters for the 2019 season. One of the teams that were particularly active on the market lately was Houston Dynamo, and the team managed to complete its first significant signing on Monday by landing Slovenian defender Aljaz Struna from Italian side Palermo.

The deal was officially confirmed on Dynamo’s social media.

Merry Christmas, we got you a center back! #ForeverOrange pic.twitter.com/fu6g85putW

— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) December 24, 2018

“Our top priority this offseason was to strengthen our defense with a key signing at center back, and Aljaz Struna fits the profile we were looking for,” – said Dynamo Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Jordan. “He joins our club at a prime age with the quality, experience and winning mentality that will improve our group right away.“

Houston completed the deal using targeted allocation money to sign Struna, who will occupy the international roster spot on the team.

Aljaz Struna started his career in native Slovenia, before making a switch to Palermo in 2012. He ended up playing 58 games for the first team while scoring one goal. Struna is also Slovenian international, debuting in March 2012 and making 12 appearances so far.

“We are excited to bring a player like Aljaz Struna, who has experience playing in Europe and is in the prime of his career, to our team. He is a top defender, not only in Italy, but for his Slovenian national team, and we believe he will bring leadership on and off the field,” – said Dynamo head coach Wilmer Cabrera in a statement. “He wants to win with the Houston Dynamo, and he has accepted the challenge to play in MLS over other possibilities, and that shows his commitment to this league and to our club.”

The post Houston Dynamo Lands Defender Aljaz Struna from Palermo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Galaxy blew off a 2-0 lead against the Houston Dynamo to lose the game 3-2 and miss out on a spot in this year’s MLS playoffs. Los Angeles needed to win the game to clinch a playoff spot. Instead, Salt Lake earned the spot after finishing the regular season one point ahead of the Galaxy in the Western Conference.

Ola Kamara scored a brace in the first 30 minutes to fire the Galaxy 2 goals ahead by halftime. Romell Quioto scored Dynamo’s first goal in the 57^th minute. Mauro Manotas converted a 73rd-minute penalty to equalize the game before scoring the winning goal in the 79^th minute.

Sunday’s loss is a disappointing defeat to Swedish star player Zlatan Ibrahimovic who joined the Galaxy in March from Manchester United and scored 22 goals in his first season. Galaxy’s locker room was also shocked by the defeat as expressed by interim head coach Dominic Kinnear.

“We needed to keep on playing because they have some players playing forward that can hurt you, Kinnear said. “And like I said, our possession the second half brought them a little bit closer to our goal. You wish you could take a timeout every now and again and get the guys together….But we still had chances at the end. We still had a lot of chance to score some goals. We were throwing everything forward. The guys gave everything they had. It’s an empty feeling right now for sure.”

Elsewhere, Wayne Rooney’s DC United drew 0-0 against the Chicago Fire to finish the East conference fourth and clinch a place in the playoffs.

The post LA Galaxy Blows Off 2-0 Lead at Halftime, Misses out on MLS Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Dynamo decided to add depth to their midfield by acquiring U.S. international midfielder Luis Gil from Liga MX’s Querétaro. The 24-year-old, who already has more than 150 games in Major League Soccer, will join Dynamo on a one-year loan. Dynamo had to acquire Gil’s MLS right from Real Salt Lake, sending 2019 draft pick and future considerations in the opposite direction.

24 years old with over 150 @MLS games under his belt.

“He’s young, he has a lot of ability and he’s confident." #ForeverOrange pic.twitter.com/aL3u1HhjaE

— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) April 23, 2018

“We are pleased to welcome Luis to the Houston Dynamo,” – said Dynamo’s general manager Matt Jordan. “His familiarity with our club and staff along with his quality as a player will make him a positive addition for our group.“

In Houston Dynamo, Gil will be welcomed by a familiar face; team’s head coach Wilmer Cabrera who worked with the player during his time with the United States U-17 men’s national soccer team.

“We are happy to bring Luis in because he’s an outstanding player, a U.S. men’s national team caliber player,” – said Cabrera. “He’s young, he has a lot of ability and he’s confident, and now his teammates and our club must help him to feel comfortable and happy to perform and to display the tools and the game that he has.“

Luis Gil started his professional soccer career with Real Salt Lake, playing more than 130 games and scoring 11 goals in five seasons for the team. In 2016 he signed with Mexican side Querétaro but didn’t receive much playing time. After disappointing 2016 season, Gil returned to MLS for loan spells with Orlando City and Colorado Rapids. On the international level, he played for all U.S. youth teams starting from U-17 and has two senior team caps.

The post Houston Dynamo Acquire U.S. Midfielder Luis Gil on a One-Year Loan appeared first on SportzBonanza.