The Dynamo’s Caribbean contingent continues to grow, as Jamaicans JeVaughn Watson and François Swaby joined the club on trial beginning with Friday’s training session. Houston worked out once again at the Methodist Training Center across from Reliant Stadium, courtesy of the NFL’s Houston Texans.
With Friday's additions, the Dynamo have the two leading scorers in Jamaica’s Premier League – Swaby and Steven Morrissey – training at forward, and are evaluating two experienced attacking midfielders in Watson and Trinidadian Lester Peltier. Watson said the recommendation of Dynamo midfielder Lovel Palmer made Houston an attractive destination.
“Lovel said it’s a nice bunch of guys,” Watson said. “He said the game is very hard, and the pace of the game is high. I think I’m up to it, because I was at Birmingham City playing there, but I never got a work permit, so I’m hoping I’ll get to play here.”
Both Watson and Swaby (pronounced to rhyme with ‘maybe’) were active in Friday’s 8 v. 8 games at the Dynamo’s training session. Swaby, who just turned 22 in October, is the youngest of the four trialists.
“This is my first trial, and it’s a great experience,” Swaby said. “I hope to come and make the best use of it. I can bring a lot of speed and off-the-ball running and hopefully a lot of finishing.”
Despite all the trialists, the winning team in Friday’s mini-tournament was the blue team, led by the forward pairing of captain Brian Ching and first-round pick Will Bruin. Swaby played up top with Jason Garey on the orange team, which finished second. Peltier, Morrissey, and Watson played in yellow pinnies, although Peltier subbed in for the blue team during its final game.
All four trialists are expected to be available in Saturday’s morning scrimmage against HBU, which kicks off at 10 a.m. at Sorrels Field on the HBU campus. The players are also expected to stay through the Feb. 12 game against FC Dallas in Corpus Christi and could be joined by two more Caribbean players during the week. The chance to play in the United States is certainly a motivating factor.
“Playing here, the facilities are better – they have better fields,” said Watson, who recently trained in Norway. “The players are better technically, and the atmosphere and the love of football is good here.”
