The Dynamo have made the playoffs once since '14, and are last in MLS in terms of player salaries in '19GETTY IMAGES
The Dynamo were once among the top clubs in MLS, but now they "don’t matter -- not in their own market, and not in the broader landscape" of the league, according to Sam Stejskal of THE ATHLETIC. Despite playing in the "fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.; despite the region’s huge Hispanic population; despite their downtown, soccer-specific stadium, the Dynamo are small-time." However, that "doesn’t seem to bother" Owner Gabriel Brener. The Dynamo have made the playoffs just once since '14, and are "dead last in the league in terms of spending on player salaries" in '19. The Dynamo's average attendance has declined in each of the last three seasons. They are "on pace for another drop this year," with their current average of 15,424 fans per game -- 19th in MLS -- marking a 9% decrease from '18. If that number holds for the remainder of the season, it would be the "lowest average attendance in club history." Meanwhile, the club "does little to reach out to Houston’s large Hispanic community." The Dynamo "operate no Spanish-language social media accounts, unlike several other MLS clubs." Their website is "likewise relatively bereft of Spanish-language content." It is a "missed opportunity for a league that can’t afford whiffs like these." Houston should be a "thriving MLS market." There are "plenty of soccer fans in the area." The Dynamo just "aren’t reaching them" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/15).
