Welcome to edition No. 29 of my blog on
HoustonDynamo.com
.
Complete Canetti's Corner Archive
Here we are, about two weeks from opening day. What a wild and crazy off-season it's been, including ...
- Finalizing a stadium deal and starting construction
- Announcing a new jersey partner
- Unveiling a new uniform
- Saying goodbye to a number of players
- Welcoming a group of 10 new players (including a great draft and signing two promising Academy products)
- Progressing on the construction of the training complex
It's been busy, productive, and exciting. We are very pleased with our progress, on all fronts, but always working towards further improvement and development. I am very optimistic about our team and business as we head into our sixth season in Houston.
The new mix of players has created a positive environment and led to pleasing pre-season results thus far. There are many reasons to believe that we will field a very competitive and entertaining side in 2011. Our business is strong, as we are seeing year-to-date increases in both season tickets and sponsorship.
We added another piece to the team this week with the re-signing of Dominic Oduro. He returns to the team after scoring seven goals in all competitions in 2010. Our intentions were to re-sign Dom from the outset of the off-season, as we saw him in our future plans. Negotiations went back-and-forth and were on-again and off-again since November. Ultimately, an agreement was reached this week. We are happy to add depth to the forward position and bring his speed into the mix. I suspect that he will be among a group of players competing for a starting role.
While our roster continues to take shape, it should be noted that we have up to three more spots open, and we remain interested and active in filling them.
As opening day approaches, we have a number of great events upcoming. These events are part of Countdown to Kickoff and help bring excitement and awareness of the season. These events include:
- Saturday - Season Ticket Holder Meet the Team Day
- Monday - Soccer Night Out, presented by Statoil, in Friendswood
- Tuesday - Dynamo Charities Season Kickoff Luncheon
For a list of further Countdown to Kickoff events, click here.
Given all of positive things that have transpired this off-season and all of the momentum, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the season. I hope everyone gets a chance to see it all first-hand by attending some of our special events, and especially opening day on March 19 against Philadelphia.
