The Houston Dynamo’s Héctor Herrera era is over.
Houston announced their end-of-season roster moves on Wednesday, headlined by not picking up Herrera’s 2025 contract option.
The club-altering decision ends Herrera’s two-and-a-half-season spell in Dynamo orange, after he tallied 5g/21a in 62 matches. The 34-year-old Mexican international arrived from LaLiga giants Atlético Madrid midway through the 2022 campaign, kickstarting a new era.
“There's not a world where he returns. But he was a signing who, at the time, was perfect for our club, a club that had made the playoffs once in eight years,” general manager Pat Onstad explained to MLSsoccer.com.
“He helped get us back there two consecutive years and won an Open Cup for us, had a fantastic year in '23. But by the same token, he'd probably be the first to tell you this year has been disappointing for him and his standard.”
New direction
That disappointment, in Onstad’s view, came down to availability. The two-time MLS All-Star posted 4g/17a in 30 matches last year, then didn’t debut in 2024 until mid-April after getting injured in preseason.
“The way Héctor performed in '23, he was an MLS Best XI guy and on some ballots, he was worthy of the MVP discussion,” Onstad said. “He performed at that level. Unfortunately, he had an injury that didn't help him start the season correctly and he never really fully got back to that level again.
“The way we had it set up, there was an option this year he could have attained himself with performance and he didn't hit that,” Onstad continued. “It was a tough decision; not an easy one, that's for sure, and one we went back and forth on. But I think at this stage we have a good core, we're excited about our core coming back and we want to get a little bit younger and then go after it.”
What now?
Naturally, the question becomes where Houston go from here. Herrera occupied a Designated Player roster spot, wore the captain’s armband and was the Dynamo’s midfield engine, propelling their resurgence under head coach Ben Olsen.
Should Dynamo fans expect another high-profile signing, one who complements DP striker Ezequiel Ponce? At the very least, they’re pursuing a midfielder and exploring sliding Coco Carrasquilla into Herrera’s role.
“Héctor had a big role in the way we play now, where we're a possession-based team and we try to overload the central midfield,” Onstad said. “That was for better or worse with my heart; a lot of dummies and fun flicks in the midfield. They have a lot of fun doing it and they're good at making other teams chase.
“I think, for us, that's who we want to continue to be. But to try and replace a Héctor Herrera is not going to be easy. That's a difficult task and a difficult ask. For us to keep playing the way we do, we're going to have to find a really impactful player. Whether that's a DP or a TAM player, certainly you're going to have to find a very good soccer player who's comfortable on the ball and able to play with Amine Bassi, Coco Carrasquilla, Artur.”
Difficult end
Yet a sour ending lingers: Herrera's final act for Houston was getting red-carded in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs vs. Seattle Sounders FC for spitting near referee Armando Villarreal. Houston were tied 0-0 at the time, trying to force a Game 3 in their Round One Best-of-3 Series, then were eliminated in penalty kicks.
Onstad hopes the moment doesn’t tarnish Herrera’s legacy and what he meant for the Dynamo.
“It is unfortunate because that's not his character,” Onstad said. “He was probably a little frustrated with the way the season had played out for himself and where he was at.
“And when we look back at the signing, he’ll be one of the greatest signings in Dynamo history. He turned this club around and gave the guys confidence in the locker room to play a certain style and carry some swagger on the field and belief that we can compete with any team in the league. While that's not just because of one player, he helped bring that group together. This is a bit of a risk, but one we felt was the best time to part ways for both parties.”
