Houston Dynamo 2024 player report cards: Lawrence Ennali
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
We’re continuing our 2024 report card series, recapping each Dynamo and Dash player’s season. Next up is Lawrence Ennali. Lawrence was a mid-season acquisition as a U-22 initiative player to provide wing depth and challenge for a starting job.
2024 Grade: B-
2024 by the numbers (MLS play)
Appearances: 2
Minutes played: 49
Goals: 1
Assists: 0
G+ per 96: 0.65
2024 in review
With Nelson Quinones out for the season, the left wing position became a massive weak spot for the Dynamo with the only available player being Aliyu Ibrahim. The backup was Brad Smith, who has never been able to provide much from the start in games while in Houston. Lawrence Ennali was brought in to add that extra option following a good breakout season in Poland.
Lawrence made his debut with a 25-minute cameo against Atlas in Leagues Cup. Right away we saw the explosiveness that he was brought in to provide. He then went on to make two more 30-minute cameos in Leagues Cup where he continued to show glimpses of a potential starter.
Coming back into MLS play, he had a poor cameo against Toronto where the whole team looked incredibly flat. The next game on the road to LAFC, he scored an incredible goal with one of the most explosive plays you will have seen all year. Unfortunately, he went on to tear his ACL just minutes later.
Moment of the season
The Dynamo already had a solid lead on the road to LAFC thanks to a first half strike from Ezequiel Ponce. Lawrence came on in the 70th minute and scored this fantastic goal just two minutes after coming on the pitch. This was easily the brightest moment he had in his limited minutes before the ACL tear.
Looking forward
Lawrence is not expected to play next season until the summer, so the Dynamo will once again be lacking depth on the left wing. Once Lawrence returns, he should be back to his explosive self after a few months of getting back to competitive game pace. Pat Onstad mentioned that his tear was not severe and he is on pace with his recovery. Hopefully he can stay healthy and be a real contributor for years to come.
