Could Alberth Elis return to the Houston Dynamo?
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
Fans will remember the lean years when the Houston Dynamo were struggling each season. One bright spot in those teams from the late 2010s (besides the US Open Cup win) was Honduran winger Alberth Elis. “La Panterita” joined the Dynamo in 2017 and spent three and a half seasons in Houston before being sold to Portuguese club Boavista. Elis scored 34 goals and added 23 assists in 88 MLS matches for the Dynamo. Fast forward to 2024, Elis is now a free agent. Could a return to Houston be possible?
Houston Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad joined Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis this week to speak about a number of topics. Davis asked Onstad about Elis on his show. Onstad said they have been in constant contact with Elis and he has made it clear he would like to return to the Dynamo. Onstad admitted that the Dynamo would like to make it happen, but their number one concern is his health and if he can play at this level without any concern. If Elis gets a clean bill of health, Onstad says the Dynamo would be interested in taking the next steps.
Elis’ health is a big question mark after he suffered a life-threatening head injury in February while playing in France for Bordeaux. Elis was placed into an induced coma and underwent surgery. The Honduran admitted in an interview with The Athletic this week that when he woke from the coma after four days he did not remember he was a soccer player and had to learn to read and write again. Elis’ health comes first and foremost. It is great to see him doing well after such a serious injury. Now the question will be, can he return to playing soccer at a high level?
Assuming Elis is healthy and shows he can play at the level of Major League Soccer, can he be an asset for the Houston Dynamo? The first thing we need to look at is the current roster. The Dynamo have a plethora of left wingers with the likes of Aliyu Ibrahim and Nelson Quinones and Lawrence Ennali returning from injury next summer. Elis plays mostly as a right winger, a position that is a bit odd for the Dynamo. Houston doesn’t play with a traditional right wing, they push their right sided player more central, the role Coco Carrasquilla has played, to allow Griffin Dorsey to serve as the right sided attacker.
Depending on what the Dynamo do to replace Hector Herrera, the right wing position could change some. If Carrasquilla is moved back to the midfield to play in Herrera’s role, would Ben Olsen change the way he uses Dorsey and his right wing? It is unlikely, but possibly. This could open a scenario where Elis makes sense. Even if Olsen plays the same style, with Dorsey as the right sided attacker, Elis could provide a dangerous depth option off the bench late in games.
Lastly, assuming Elis is healthy and the Dynamo feel he can fit into their game model, how much would he cost? Elis is a free agent after his club Bordeaux were forced to release all their players after being relegated to the third tier and giving up their professional status. So, Houston will not have to pay anything to bring him in, they’ll just have to pay his salary. Elis made just over $200K at Bordeaux last season, according to Capology.com. A deal like that would be way less than a Designated Player salary and would probably not require Allocation Money to buy down the charge against the cap.
If Elis is healthy, and that is the biggest caveat in all of this, it sounds like a return to the Houston Dynamo is likely. Elis will turn 29 years old in February and his return to soccer would be a huge story of triumph. Returning at the club where he made a name for himself, to a fanbase that adores him, is the stuff of fairy tales.
