A year ago, it was easy to watch the Dynamo and pick out Alex as the team's most valuable player.

His box-to-box midfield skills were obvious. He influenced the game all over the middle of the park and ultimately was named the team's Player's Player of the Year.

This season with Erick Torres, Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis scorching opposing nets through two games, it is easy to pick them as the candidates for Dynamo MVP.

Alex is still there, however, and he's already having one of his best statistical seasons.

Running effectively in the three-man midfield, Alex had two assists in last weekend's victory over Columbus Crew SC, giving him three for the season. He had never had more than two in his previous six MLS seasons.

"Yeah, it's important to give assists," said Alex, whose full name is Alexandre Monteiro De Lima. "I'm happy because we have gotten our second victory at home. Now, we have keep it up."

The most stunning of his assists came in the second half against Columbus. Alex gained possession 6 yards in the Dynamo's defensive half and delivered a 40-yard diagonal pass to Torres in stride on his way into the penalty area.

Torres did the rest, dribbling into the area and then setting himself up for a curling shot to the far post that is a finalist for this week's MLS Goal of the Week. During his celebration, Torres said he thanked Alex for such a perfect pass on the field while they celebrated.

"To have a player that can give those kinds of passes, that dare to do those passes, especially such a long distance and make it so precise, it helped so much to be able to go up front," Torres said. "It helped me go forward, to face the central defender and do what a forward has to do, which is to look for the goal."

Alex said in coach Wilmer Cabrera's preferred attacking style, it is his job to get the ball, lift his head and look for the best pass to one of the forwards. Most often it has been to Quioto or Elis on the wings.

In the opening win over Seattle Sounders FC, Alex won a duel with Clint Dempsey at the halfway line and simultaneously played the ball into space for Quioto to run free. He eventually scored the winner on a shot from outside the box.

Alex's second assist against Columbus came on well struck corner kick that found Elis wide open at the near post.

Providing assists is not Alex's only job. Last year he showed a bulldog mentality on defense. Opposing midfielders and forwards often thought twice about mixing it up with him.

This year his job also involves remaining in the correct shape and not running rampant.

"(I want him) to have a better understanding of being disciplined and organized on the field," Cabrera said. "If he (does that) it is going to be easier for him to perform and for his teammates to have the same possibilities."

With the way, the attack is styled this season, it may not be a possibility for Alex to match his career-high of five goals set last season. It should, however, be a possibility for him to surpass his career-high in assists five- or six-fold.

Which would be a great way for him to add to the success of last season, even if it is in more of an unsung role this time around.

"He has been great for the team," fellow midfielder Ricardo Clark said. "He has been consistent. He is carrying over what he did last year. It is good to see he is doing that while the team is winning."