Opportunities come to players in a variety of ways. Some come through luck, some come through hard work. But others come through being in the right place at the right time.
"At Austin Bold, the team had dissolved", said Dynamo forward, Beto Avila. "I already wanted to explore new opportunities, but that forced me to really go try a new challenge. I started talking to my agent, hearing about different offers from USL, and then an MLS NEXT Pro opportunity came with with FC Cincinnati. It was interesting, but my friend Kofi Sarkodie told me he still knew people at the Dynamo and would reach out. He put in a good word, and I had known a few people there as well including [Head Coach] Kenny Bundy. It really just all flowed together."
The move to Houston Dynamo 2 was a homecoming of sorts for the 21-year-old. An Austin native, Avila was a member of the Houston Dynamo Academy until 2019 before making stops at Lonestar FC, FC Edmonton, and ultimately, the aforementioned Bold. Despite being a brand new team in a brand new league, Avila saw the move as an opportunity in his very young career.
"When the opportunity with Beto came up, I knew I wanted to work with him again," said Dynamo 2 Head Coach, Kenny Bundy. "He wanted an opportunity with people that he trusted. His journey has been exactly why this team exists."
"It was always my goal to play in a first team," said Avila. "I wanted to get a first team contract, and that what I was aiming when I was looking for a new team - a really good opportunity that makes a close connection to a first team. I truly didn't see a better option that Houston Dynamo 2. Yeah, a new league might be a bit of a risk, but they showed me how close a relationship the second team would have to everyone at the first team level, and that convinced me straight away. Thank God it worked out in the end."
And work out it did. Avila had a superb start to his career in orange, scoring five goals and the first hat-trick in the short history of MLS NEXT Pro. That scoring streak was stopped in a frustrating away loss to Tacoma Defiance, but with that result came news that Avila had been hoping for - and much quicker than he had expected.
"It wasn't until the third game where I really played the number nine role," said Avila, "and that's when I got the hat-trick. Pretty exciting, right? There were a few tough games after that, my fourth goal in North Texas and my fifth against Portland at PNC Stadium. That was the most memorable, because my friends and family were there for what ended up being my last goal of my first stint with the second team. Right after that was Tacoma, a game that frustrated all of us. But, afterwards, Kenny and [Dynamo General Manager] Pat Onstad brought me over and told me the news that they wanted to bring me to the first team. Not a short term loan, but a straight up contract. My mood changed instantly."
Avila was featured extensively in his first two months as a first team player, earning three starts and sparking a second half rally for a U.S. Open Cup victory at PNC Stadium against San Antonio FC. Despite being more utilized at the MLS NEXT Pro level in recent weeks, Avila speaks glowingly about what the time with the first team has meant to his development.
"This is by far the most I've ever trained with established players in their prime," said Avila. "USL saw me compete with guys kind of at the end of their careers, but day in and day out I'm with guys who are at the peak of their careers. The level is incredible, the speed of play is much different. It's helped me a lot. I'm still new, finding my way in the team, but it's overall been great for me."
Bundy points to Avila's flexibility between the two sides as one of the core reasons that Houston Dynamo 2 exists.
"Based on each of our seasons and what players are needed, he always has the opportunity to come refine his skills with us. He has a great mentality... he understands the grind and the process. He never feels sorry for himself; he grinds no matter the situation he is in, and that's why he's going to be successful."
Along the way, Avila has been taken under the wing of none other than new arrival Héctor Herrera.
"Pretty cool," said Avila of developing a relationship with Houston's newest midfielder. "We're both Mexican, so that's helped both of us this summer I think. We get along great."
Avila represents much more for the organization that a dangerous option on the front line - he's the first example in a growing pipeline from the Dynamo Academy to the first team, helped along by MLS NEXT Pro. The Club hopes that Avila represents the first of many to come through that pipeline, with Xavier Valdez already signing an MLS contract and players such as Isaiah LeFlore and Micael consistently finding themselves in first team training at Houston Sports Park. While Avila has personal goals for the rest of the season, he recognizes the role he has in the upcoming crop of talent coming through in Houston.
"It's a really big role to have," said Avila. "We treat each other with respect and hold ourselves accountable throughout the journey. We have a lot of confidence in each other to do our jobs. It's very professional, our relationship, and we don't see anybody less than anybody else."
While Bundy is ecstatic about the milestones achieved by some of his platers, he is much more proud of the journey that the team has gone on in such a short period of time.
"Those are all long-term goals, and we're happy that they've happened," said Bundy. "But what we're prideful of is that we're building a culture of players that are not that far away from helping the first team get results. All the credit goes to the owners and upper management for investing in this to an extent that allows us to grow into this vision."
