Tomas Martinez is young and relatively new to the United States and MLS, but Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera refuses to hold back when describing how important the Argentine midfielder is to his plans.

Martinez is the Dynamo's talisman. There was no bigger sign of that than when the curtain rose on preseason camp Tuesday and Martinez ran onto the training field wearing the No. 10 jersey. In soccer, No. 10 is a sign of importance, authority and duty.

The list of players who have worn or wear No. 10 is an incredible group of talent. It includes Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Kaka, Landon Donovan and Pele - the greatest of all time.

Great expectations

The Dynamo do not expect Martinez to play at the level of those greats, but they do expect him to produce at a high level.

"He has to take that role because that's one of the reasons we brought him," Cabrera said. "We expect that he feels more comfortable every day. He is young, only 22 years old. We want for him to know that his role is respected, but also to let him know about the responsibility he has."

This is not the first time Martinez has been given this level of responsibility. He wore No. 10 for Argentina in the 2015 South American under-20 championships. He also started all three matches at the 2015 U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

Martinez continued to wear it in Portugal, where he played with Sporting Braga through the first half of 2017. The only time he has not worn it during his professional career was last year when he arrived with the Dynamo midway through the season because Vicente Sanchez had it.

Honored to wear No. 10

Last week, Martinez said he's ready for the responsibility.

"It's special because I think the No. 10 is always a very important number on the team," Martinez said. "I hope to defend it well."

The Dynamo acquired Martinez as a Young Designated Player in July and coaxed him along while he adjusted to a new country and club. He debuted Aug. 12 with a 28-minute appearance against San Jose.

He subbed into three more games before earning his first start Sept. 16. He started four of the final six regular-season matches and all five playoff games.

His increased playing time was significant because he took the spot of Alex Lima, who had 10 assists before Martinez arrived.

"He came in and impacted the team positively," Cabrera said. "He came in moving well, working hard, assisting and scoring goals. In the end, that's what we want. It's a new year with new challenges, so he needs to continue maturing and continue adapting to the league and the team."

Though the Dynamo did not utilize Cabrera's preferred possession-oriented tactics last season because the roster was not suited for it, Martinez's presence and skills should help them do better in that regard this season.

Acclimating to MLS

It remains to be seen how much the Dynamo will be able to play like that, but Cabrera believes they can get closer to it with Martinez pulling the strings.

The 14 games he played last year were a nice start, but Martinez has work to do to get used to MLS. That's why he is taking preseason camp seriously. He wants to make sure he is ready to go when the whistle blows in the regular season.

"It'll be critical for me to have a good preseason, to start with my teammates and the club that I already know," Martinez said. "This is a great organization and I feel more comfortable. I hope I have a great season."