Who is rumored Dynamo signing Erik Sviatchenko?
(image via Malene Tswai)
Most weekends are good, right? Some weekend are better than others though and this is turning into one of those for Dynamo fans. With supporters still reveling in the euphoria of last night’s 2-0 win over Austin, MLS Insider Tom Bogert broke news today that Houston is finalizing the signing of Danish center back Erik Sviatchenko. The news was also reported by BT Sport journalist Farzam Abolhosseini who says the signing is for two years with an option.
This offseason has been a whirlwind with general manager Pat Onstad and staff turning over most of the roster. One area that was not really addressed this offseason was center back. Brazilian Micael joined on a permanent transfer but he was with Houston last season, spending most of his time with Dynamo 2. With Tim Parker’s departure to St. Louis, the starting job alongside Teenage Hadebe became a battle between veteran Daniel Steres and youngster Ethan Bartlow. Both players have had their ups and downs early this season, with Steres even spending some time at right back in the win against Austin. Using Targeted Allocation Money to bring in an experienced center back who has spent time in European competition looks to be a can’t miss. So who is Erik Sviatchenko? Let’s dive into some numbers.
As Tom said in his report, Sviatchenko is 31 years old and has 5 caps for the Denmark national team. He has appeared in 16 matches for Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga and started in all 6 of the clubs Europa League matches this season, scoring twice in the tournament. Looking at his defensive numbers from fbref, Sviatchenko is a defensive rock.
He ranks in the 94th percentile of blocks and 98th percentile of shots blocked amongst players in the Europa League this season. His tackles and interception numbers are also high, suggesting he is a ball-playing defender who is good at winning challenges. Henry Nicholls, who covers the Danish Superliga in English, had a reply to Dynamo fan Tony Rubio on Twitter, explaining that Sviatchenko is in fact that “old-school” type center back.
Sviatchenko is currently Midtjylland’s captain. Some similar players, based on his fbref stats profile, that you may be familiar with are Jan Bednarek of Southampton and Ben Mee of Brentford in the English Premier League. Sviatchenko can also get forward and contribute to the offensive end. He has 2 goals and 2 assists this season in all seasons and has scored 4 in the league each of the past two seasons. In the 2019-2020 season when Midtjylland won the league, he bagged 7 goals to go along with 2 assists. And if you’re a FIFA Ultimate Team player, here’s Sviatchenko’s card in the current game.
With the addition of Sviatchenko, how will the Dynamo line up? Teenage Hadebe seems to be a locked-in starter, meaning the new Danish signing would slot in alongside him. This would allow Daniel Steres to play more at right back, if needed, and still be an option at center back. Ethan Bartlow would also be another option at center back as well as a defensive midfielder, where he has played some in the past. The Dynamo should have international spots open as well, with a number of players receiving green cards before the season started.
When Sviatchenko arrives is still to be found out. The MLS primary transfer window closes on May 4. Midtjylland’s regular season schedule ended today and they will now move to the relegation playoff round which is scheduled to end in May. The Danish club will likely want to keep their captain around until their season ends so it would make sense that Sviatchenko comes to MLS in the summer. But that is just a guess. We will find out more information as it becomes available.
