Three break out players for the Houston Dynamo in 2024
(image via IMAGN)
At the start of every season, fans have expectations for their team and their players. There are certain players that you know are going to be important and some players you look to that could take that leap, young players ready to become mainstays. The Houston Dynamo have a good core of players returning from 2023 but there are some guys that could make the leap to help the club compete for trophies again. Here are three potential breakout players for the Dynamo in 2024.
Brooklyn Raines
Early last season, it looked like Raines was going to breakout, getting into the starting lineup on multiple occasions. Raines was played in the midfielder/right wing role that eventually became Coco Carrasquilla’s and looked like a fish out of water. With Hector Herrera now out injured, Raines looks to be ready for a bigger role, starting in Tuesday’s Champions Cup match against St. Louis. Head coach Ben Olsen praised Raines’ play, outside of his error that led to the winning goal. It looks like Raines will be given the chance to play in midfield without Herrera, with Jan Gregus waiting in the wings if needed.
Sebastian Kowalczyk
Like Joey mentioned in our midfielders breakdown, Kowalczyk came into the team in the middle of last season and didn’t get a lot of playing time. He mentioned this offseason how the team was playing well and didn’t want to necessarily shake things up, leaving him on the bench more often than not. Now with Herrera and Nelson Quinones out, and Amine Bassi dealing with green card issues, Kowalczyk is going to be thrust into the spotlight. You could argue the Polish midfielder was the best player on the field for the Dynamo against St. Louis. He scored the lone goal and was active all over the field, getting into good positions with the ball. Kowalczyk looks to now be comfortable, having moved to a new country for the first time in his life, with his family now with him as well. I’m expecting a big season for Kowalczyk and his name becoming much more commonplace around MLS circles.
Aliyu Ibrahim
When Nelson Quinones was ruled out for the season with a knee injury, it looked like Aliyu would slot in at left wing, which he did in the starting lineup against St. Louis. Not long into that game, Sebas Ferreira went down with an injury that looks to keep him out for some time. Aliyu will now more than likely become the Dynamo’s starting striker. The Nigerian has all the skills to do well there, he just needs to continue working on his finishing. He finished the ball from Carrasquilla well that was called back by VAR for offside. The Dynamo will need Aliyu to shoulder the scoring load for this team, at least for some time. If he can finish with regularity, he could be ready for a big season in his first full year in MLS.
