For Edgar Rubio, a Houston Dynamo superfan and this week’s Dynamo365 Member of the Match, soccer is an essential part of his life.
“It's definitely one of my passions,” Rubio said. “Without a doubt. I would say soccer and food are the two things that I'm all about. Pretty straight forward.”
Rubio’s passion for both soccer and food started from a young age. Growing up in Sugar Land, Rubio started playing soccer at four years old and played competitively through high school. When the Dynamo moved to Houston in 2006, it was only natural that he started attending as many games as he possibly could. It was also in high school that he first started in the restaurant industry, working in his first kitchen at 16, the same kitchen he would work in for the next 17 years.
While his work often conflicts with Dynamo games, Rubio tries his best to make time to attend as many games at PNC Stadium as possible.
“Working in the restaurant industry, it can be hard to get off Friday and Saturday nights,” Rubio said. “Those are usually the busiest days. But whenever I can go to a game, I try to take as many people as I can just to spread that joy out.”
The fact that Rubio cannot attend every game is one reason why being a Dynamo365 Member is so important to him.
“I've been a season ticket holder for just over five years. It's one of those things that I wish I would've jumped on sooner,” Rubio said. “It's great. If you can't go to a game, you can roll those seats over to another game.”
For Rubio, becoming a member has completely changed his experience with the Dynamo. While his love for the team has always been there, his membership has afforded him many advantages he otherwise would not have had access to.
“Even if you're not a superfan, all of the benefits outweigh everything else. The discount you get at the in-stadium shop, the special previews you get, all of the information,” Rubio said. “I have the same ticket rep for the past three or four years now. Customer service is great. You call them, they're always there for you. They're always great about helping out with ticket swapping and what not, so it's great overall.”
