Where are they now: Mauro Manotas and Haley McCutcheon
Have you ever wondered, “what ever happened with that player that used to be with Houston?” Well, we’ve got you covered. Here is an update on Houston Dynamo and Dash players who have left the club in recent years. We will highlight one from each team each week.
Mauro Manotas
The Colombian striker came to the Houston Dynamo as an unknown teenager and left as one of the most loved players in club history. Mauro arrived in Houston in 2015 from now dissolved Colombian side Uniautonoma. Manotas played in a total of 12 matches in his rookie season with the Dynamo and scored his lone goal that year during the US Open Cup against the Colorado Rapids. He saw more minutes the following season after his direct competition up top, Will Bruin, was traded to Seattle. Manotas spent 6 seasons in the Bayou City where he played in 167 games and scored 64 goals in all competitions. The Colombian ended his Dynamo stint with 51 goals in regular season play, just behind all-time club record holder Brian Ching’s 56 goals. Mauro’s best year with Houston was the 2018 season in which he netted 25 goals in all competitions, including a brace in the 2018 USOC Final where the Dynamo raised the trophy after beating the Philadelphia Union.
Mauro’s great form with Houston brought in a lot of interest from outside MLS. After the weird 2020 season ended, the club sold Manotas to Club Tijuana in Liga MX for a rumored amount of nearing $4 million dollars. Los Xolos of Tijuana have not been one of Mexico’s best teams in recent years, especially during Manotas’s time there. He spent 3 seasons with Tijuanaand played in 47 games, scoring 10 goals and assisting 5 more. Atlas looked to reinforce their attack by bringing Mauro into their squad in June of 2022, but unfortunately Mauro suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his left knee in the first match of the season against Club America. The injury sidelined Manotas for over a year and he made his return to the field in August 2023 in a 1-1 draw against Club America. He served a limited role for Atlas as he regained his form. Manotas was hit with another setback when he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his right knee during a match against Pumas UNAM in November 2023. Mauro is currently in rehabilitation after a successful surgery and is expected to make a return to the field in August of this year.
Haley McCutcheon (Hanson)
The American defender was chosen by the Houston Dash in the 2018 NWSL College Draft with the 7th overall pick. Haley had a fantastic college career during her time at the University of Nebraska. McCutcheon, formerly Hanson, was brought in by then head coach Vera Pauw to help solidify the Dash defense. Hanson slotted right into the starting lineup, making her professional debut against the Chicago Red Stars in the 2018 home opener for Houston. Playing as the team’s rightback, Haley helped the club win their first trophy by defeating Chicago in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She spent 5 seasons with the Dash, where she played in a total of 100 matches and scored 1 goal.
Houston traded Haley to the Orlando Pride in middle of the 2022 season in exchange for $75,000 in allocation money and a second-round pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. Houston drafted current defender Jyllissa Harris with that pick. Haley has kept the strong form with Orlando and has recently signed a new three-year deal with the club.
