This is part two of a multi-part series looking into the effect that the signing of Erick “Cubo” Torres will have on the Houston Dynamo. Part one can be found here.

As soon as the news filtered that Erick “Cubo” Torres had signed for the Houston Dynamo, Major League Soccer fans everywhere became ecstatic. There’s a reason why this piece of news was not only celebrated by Houston Dynamo fans but also fans around the league. This marked a watershed moment for the league, and hopefully the beginning of things to come.

Often times, MLS has been considered a joke around the World. It’s a league that does not quite fit in with others worldwide. It not only has a wacky schedule that doesn’t fit the “FIFA Calendar” but players are owned by the league instead of individual teams. This doesn’t even take into account the fact that MLS doesn’t have relegation and promotion like most other leagues.

Even if you somehow manage to ignore all of those points, it doesn’t cover up the most widely spread insult towards MLS, the fact the world believes it is a “retirement league”. As any fan of Major League Soccer will tell you, while the league does tend to have its share of players in the twilight of their career, it also has many players that are full of potential and could eventually play in Europe.

That does not seem to convince people in the “international” soccer community, though. They seem to ignore the fact that many teams in Major League Soccer have sold players to leagues in Europe, Mexico, and around the World. However, that tide seems to have started to change for the best. Not only did DeAndre Yedlin from Seattle sign a contract to play for Tottenham Hotspur, but Cubo Torres’ transfer to Major League Soccer has taken the Latin America media by storm.

Usually, the Latin American media would complain that a young player like Torres, should have taken a risk and signed to a more “luxurious” league but the complete opposite has happened. When Mexican National Team coach Miguel “Piojo” Herrera was asked by Kristel Valencia from the MLS website about Torres staying in MLS he stated:

Yo la verdad trato de hablar con los muchachos, que se sientan bien y los quiero ver en competencia. Creo que sin duda alguna, Érick ha echo un gran trabajo aquí en la MLS. La MLS es una liga que está creciendo bastante, una liga muy fuerte ya con muy buenos equipos y buenos jugadores.

Translation:

The truth is that I love talking with the players and I love hearing that they’re feeling well and that there’s competition. There is no doubt that [Torres] has done a great job in MLS. MLS is a league that is growing exponentially, and it’s very strong with many good teams and players.

This conversation is a breath of fresh air and a great nod to Major League Soccer. While United States Men’s National Team coach Klinsmann is openly stating that he doesn’t want top notch talent to play in Major League Soccer, there’s a coach from a rival nation that is historically stronger stating the complete opposite.

Torres is now poised to not only be the future for the Houston Dynamo but for Major League Soccer. If Torres succeeds in MLS, then either moves to Europe or plays in the World Cup in 2018 while still in Major League Soccer. Major League Soccer’s stock will rise exponentially. Players and fans will no longer see it as a retirement league, but as a league capable of creating players that can play at the highest level possible.

The Mexican National Team is under far more pressure to perform in international tournaments than the United States, and nobody will place an asterisk or doubt Major League Soccer if they mold a player capable of withstanding the media, fan, and professional pressure that comes with playing for a team that is often times considered a dark horse for winning the World Cup, and has made it to multiple Copa America finals that include teams like Brazil and Argentina.

The Houston Dynamo have not only invested in their future, but have invested in the future of Major League Soccer. However, if he succeeds in Major League Soccer, but fails to perform on the international stage. It may end up creating a blemish that is almost impossible to recover from.