Not So Fast! The Dynamo's Need For Speed.

The primary factor in a successful attack is speed - Lord Mountbatten, British Armed Forces Legend

As the MLS Cup champion was decided and the new coach was hired, Houston begins a very pivotal offseason. Owen Coyle takes over and as he looks over his roster early in the offseason process, one thing he will find is lacking is explosive pace. As Gribbs wonderfully broke down the 2nd stage of the MLS Re-Entry Draft, he mentioned two forward targets, Edson Buddle and Atiba Harris. In describing both players, he accurately mentioned speed being a big plus for both. Whether they make a move for either player is yet to be determined but the fact remains, the Houston Dynamo need more speed on the pitch.

Houston fans had a lot to complain about in this disappointing season. The back line play obviously, but maybe nothing was more prevalent than the cries for more goals. We all know Giles Barnes is a great scorer, but we also all know we need more shots finding the net. Heck, I even wrote an article last month about the lack of scoring! Having a forward or two with great pace gives you a different dynamic. A great finisher is nice but if the midfield is struggling to advance the ball or the defense keys on stopping him when the ball gets close to the box, he's nullified. Speed opens up the offense. It's something a defense must be wary of, because one misstep and a player with great pace is knifing through the attacking zone. As the old adage says, you can't teach speed, you either have it or you don't. It's a hot commodity.

So as the Dynamo go through these next phases of the off-season, I would like them to, and expect them to, pursue some pace-y forwards to help the sometimes stagnant Houston offense. And I look forward to seeing some explosive runs, fueled by speed for the Orange in 2015.