What does Amine Bassi bring to the Houston Dynamo?
(image via Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)
The Houston Dynamo have been busy this offeason. One key area that Pat Onstad and the front office staff has looked to improve is the offense. Moroccan Amine Bassi was signed last week, using Targeted Allocation Money, from Metz in the French league. Bassi spent part of last year on loan in the English Championship with Barnsley, where he featured in 15 games. To find out more about the kind of player he is and what Bassi might bring to the Dynamo, we spoke to Leon Wobschall, Senior Reporter at the Yorkshire Post. Leon covered Bassi in England during his time at Barnsley last season and we asked him a couple of questions about the type of player Bassi is.
Bayou City Soccer (BCS): Amine Bassi spent a couple of months on loan with Barnsley last season. How would you describe his playing style during his time in the Championship?
Leon Wobschall (LW): Bassi was an eye-catching footballer who was always looking for a killer pass and had nice close control. He tried to make things happen and was confident on set-plays. He was a mercurial off-the-cuff player, but while not being overly physical, his work ethic was not a doubt and he seemed a popular player in the group and good professional.
BCS: Dynamo fans have seen that Bassi and plays as an attacking midfielder and can play on the inf. How did Barnsley use him tactically and how did he do in those roles?
LW: He was given licence to move across the frontline, but his primary role was as a number ten operating in that 'corridor of uncertainty' between defenders and the midfield. He had one particularly effective and impressive game against a play-off chasing Middlesbrough side last February when he caused no end of problems and scored two goals and caught Boro cold.
BCS: The Dynamo have a star striker in Sebastian Ferreira and Mexican international Hector Herrera in the midfield but desperately lacked a creative piece last season to set up attacks. Can Bassi be that type of player who can run an offense and create chances at a consistent rate?
LW: Yes. He may need a physical midfielder to watch his back to some degree. But he is a player who likes to make things happen and is inventive on the ball and brave in his use of it. He can unhinge defenders with guile and clever passing as opposed to being a pure dribbler.
