Houston Dynamo five-a-side draft: Team Cristian

Our Dynamo Theory five-a-side draft was this past Monday, and I will attempt to show everyone why my mix of the old school guys and the new generation of Dynamo players will give every other team a run for their money.

I was randomly chosen to have the first overall pick, which to be honest made me a little nervous because there was so much to choose from, so many greats in the history of our club. On top of that let’s just say I get very competitive and things like these fire all the fight or flight cells in my body.

Matias Vera was my first pick, then I had back to back picks so I went for my GK and my legend, Tallly Hall and Brian Ching. Now that I had secured my top player and my keeper it was time to find those complementary players to finish of my selection. I was given no option but to draft Brian Mullan to complement the attack, and Adam Lundqvist “Lundy” to complement my defense.

Matias Vera

Like I mentioned above, he wasn’t only my first pick but he was the first pick OVERALL, so with that comes some pressure but in his first season with the Houston Dynamo he was given not only the newcomer of the year but also the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 season. Also I was a little biased, first of all he is Argentinian, me too, he is from Buenos Aires, I am too, and he played for the “neighborhood team” in Argentina from where I’m from and most of my family supports, Nueva Chicago. But let us be honest, awards and nationality don’t mean squat in the field, so that’s where I had to look into his skills to make my decision. The dude is a solid defensive midfielder that is not afraid to get down and dirty, he will chase you down and dive at a moments notice to win the ball and that is to be respected. Also, when it comes to the attack in a small field you need possession of the ball and for that you need accuracy when it comes to passing the ball. Mati possesses amazing passing skills as the numbers below will show.

American Soccer Analysis

Tally Hall

Since we all had to have a keeper in our team, I knew that my second pick was going to a goalkeeper to make sure I had my bases covered. My original pick was going to be the legendary Pat Onstad but I soon found out that the other guys had the same idea in mind, so in my opinion I went for who is probably the second best GK we have had in our history. Hall is another team MVP (2013) and MLS All-Star.

Since I started going to BBVA Stadium to watch the Dynamo play during 2012, Tally was one of my favorite players despite being a goalkeeper (that usually never happens unless you are a GK yourself) and then watching him play in 2013 for his team MVP season helped me make my decision.

Also let’s not forget he is the only Dynamo GK to have ever scored a goal, it might come in handy.

Brian Ching

The man, the myth, the legend. Do I really have to explain myself with this pick. Ching is literally goals waiting to happen, and that’s what you need in a small sided field, someone who knows where the goal is at all times and instinctively knows how to put the ball in the back of the net at all times at any cost.

After my team wins the tourney we will all go celebrate at Pitch 25. Brian, can we? Please.

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Brian Mullan

Recently I’ve been going to the past and watching the MLS championships that the Houston Dynamo won in the beginning of our history as a club so I can talk about them on my podcast (Come and Take it Podcast under the Dynamo Theory Podcast Network, cheap plug) and I could see why we were successful. That team was very well put together. One of the players that caught my eye, not only for his fighting spirit in the midfield but because he was the glue next to Dwayne De Rosario in the midfield was Brian Mullan. Mullan was the perfect complement to Brian Ching, as we saw in the 114th minute goal against the Revs that took led to the Dynamo’s 1st MLS Cup. I’m hoping this duo recreates that magic from 2006, and that is the reason for my decision to draft Mullan. Every Brian Ching needs his Brian Mullan. Also he is a great dude.

Adam “Lundy” Lundqvist

Let me begin by saying that I still can’t pronounce his last name. Lundy is one of the new guys to Houston and he is young as well. None of that has stopped him in securing the left back spot and calling it his own. I grew up playing left back, so maybe this is another biased pick, but I think Adam has the speed to go into the attack with Mullan and Ching, and enough youth to come back and cover the back with Vera when needed. He is going to be the young blood that keeps going up and down the field and assisting Ching for the bicycle kicks and headers he is for sure bringing. Adam will rule that left side and make it his own as we have seen him do in the games that he has played. Most people wouldn’t have expected Adam to be drafted at all but let’s get technical for a second and break down why his type of play is perfect for a five-a-side game and why he is my last pick for this team.

Strengths

Balance. This team has the right amount of goals in Ching, right amount of defense in Vera, right amount of assists in Mullan, right amount of hustle in Lundqvist and right amount of experience in Hall.

Weaknesses

I would have loved to have drafted a “true 10” to keep the ball under his feet and keep possession. That just means that I am going to have to rely on my team’s passing abilities rather than possession of the ball.