This past Tuesday, I appeared on Glenn Davis’ Soccer Matter radio show on SportsTalk 790. I’m sure most of you are familiar with it. I was on for the entire hour (7-8 p.m.) and took questions from fans on a variety of topics surrounding the club. You can hear the entire interview by downloading the file from Glenn's SportsTalk 790 podcast page.
One fan had a great point/question that I felt was important to highlight in this week’s blog. He believes that we should not mortgage our future success to obtain a Designated Player and that we should build the team by adding depth and talent at a number of positions. He wanted to know how we see it.
Here it is ...
We do not believe that a Designated Player is the magic bullet answer to winning a championship. We are not placing all of our eggs into a DP basket. We believe that the key to winning a championship is having a well-rounded team that is deep with talent at every position. It is not about one player. This has been our recipe for success in previous years, and that philosophy has not changed. We see the DP as the icing on top.
We are operating on two tracks:
TRACK #1 - Add talent where possible at every level through traditional mechanisms. These include new signings, trades, and the MLS SuperDraft.
TRACK #2 - Pursue a Designated Player. We have our list of targeted players and are thinking big. The intent to sign a DP exists, but there are no guaranteed expectations that it will occur. It would not be smart to think that way, as it takes a perfect storm to sign a DP.
The good news is that we have set ourselves up to be in a position to go down both tracks, and we are doing so. It is not a case where we have to choose one track over the other.
The ideal situation is finding success on both Track #1 and #2.
The necessity is finding success on Track #1.
The luxury is finding success on Track #2.
We are after both. I hope this paints a clear picture as to our approach to this topic.
A few odds and ends:
Season ticket holders should have received, or will receive, a letter with general information on their priority number for selecting seats in the new stadium. Check your mail to make sure you received it. Call (713) 276-7500 and ask for Christina or Tiffani if you did not or if you have any questions.
The first few days of the combine have been interesting. Click here for more in-depth coverage.
A great gift for your young soccer player is our first Youth Fantasy Camp this December. Kids get treated like the pros while receiving professional training. Click here for more details.
Who’s your pick to advance to the MLS Cup?
Thanks for reading. As always, feel free to email questions or comments to ccanetti@houstondynamo.com.
