Dynamo Preseason News and Notes

We're less than a month away from MLS opening day, and there is a lot going on in the Dynamo world. With just a handful of weeks left in preseason, Dominic Kinnear has continued to make moves to get his 2013 roster set.

Houston has had mixed results thus far in preseason. In their first two matches, the Dynamo defeated their Academy team and Houston Baptist University. Following those two matches, the team headed to Tucson, Arizona to compete in the Desert Friendlies. Houston went 1-0-2 in Tucson, getting outscored 4-2.

Missing in preseason action thus far has been captain Brad Davis and Will Bruin due to national team call ups. Tally Hall was also called up, but promptly joined the club after the match vs Canada. Boniek Garcia is with the Honduras team and will face off against Davis in Wednesday's Hexagonal match.

Their absences have given the younger players and trialists plenty of time for Kinnear to get a good look at them. In the coming weeks, the roster will only get clearer.

Five Trialists Remain

Earlier today, we reported that Yannick Smith (forward) and Nic Ryan (midfielder) were no longer with the Dynamo. Both were Supplemental Draft picks and left the team following the Desert Friendlies in Tucson. Neither player were able to break through in two crowded areas of the roster.

That leaves the Dynamo with five non roster players still in camp. Mike Chabala (unattached), Jimmy Nealis (SuperDraft), Anthony Arena (Supplemental Draft), Calum Elliot, and Franck Songo'o remain with the club and will continue to be looked at.

Songo'o still being in camp could mean the Dynamo are in discussions with Portland regarding a move. Since he's still under contract with the club, Houston would have to negotiate a trade with the Timbers if they want to bring in Songo'o. The Oregonian reported that Kinnear committed to Portland he would let them know if the midfielder was in his plans prior to departing Arizona.

Taylor Extends Contract

The Dynamo announced today that Jamaican defender Jermaine Taylor extended his contract with the club. Per team and league policy, details of the contract were not disclosed. Taylor cemented his spot in the starting lineup after Geoff Cameron left to England last season. Over the last two years, Taylor has appeared in 40 games for the Dynamo.

"The Dynamo is now a home for me, and I wanted to be even more comfortable as a player and someone to move the Dynamo forward," said Taylor. "My health and my comfort are what I care about, and I look forward to being with the Dynamo for the next few years."”

Not only has Taylor proven he's one of the best defenders in orange, statistics say he's one of the top in the league. Based on Opta data, Taylor is a top ten defender in a number of areas.

Dynamo Preseason Schedule

Give us your thoughts on Dynamo preseason thus far. Is the team ready for opening day? What's your take on the remaining trialists?