For the Houston Dynamo, Tuesday’s Supplemental Draft turned in some promising results.
Houston selected three forwards in Brian Ownby, Karo Okiomah and Philip Aseweh and two midfielders, Eder Arreola and homegrown product Daniel Roberts. And while these players had to wait an extra five days to learn their fate, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear was clear that when they were drafted was not as important as why.
“It’s tough to say supplemental because it’s still the draft,” Kinnear told MLSsoccer.com by phone on Tuesday afternoon. “At the end of the Combine, we had some of these players on our list with a second-round grade. I don’t think anything should be taken away from them for when they were selected.”
Two prominent names on Houston’s list, Ownby and Arreola, should stand out to U.S. youth national team fans. Both players have represented the U.S. at either youth World Cups or CONCACAF Championships in the last three years.
Along with the youth national team appeal of Arreola and Ownby, there is a local flavor to the draft class with the selections of Austin, Texas, native Okiomah and Roberts, who was one of the first players to sign with the Dynamo Academy in 2007.
Looking back at Tuesday’s results, the Dynamo are happy with what they pulled from the draft. And while they may be considered supplemental picks Kinnear is looking at Tuesday’s haul in a different light.
“We knew we were going to get somebody good because of the three picks we had in the first round,” Kinnear said. “Looking at the draft, we asked, ‘Do they have a chance?’ and I think they all looked pretty promising at the Combine. Now we want to get them here and mixed in with the guys and go from there.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
