As promised, we have started our coverage of the Houston Dynamo Academy games. We will start this series with one of the more anticipated games of the season, our rivalry match against FC Dallas which took place at Houston Sports Park on October 18, 2014.

Even though the Houston Dynamo ended up winning the game 4-2, and that should be lauded and seen as an accomplishment, let me state that in the end the results don’t matter as much as the development of our players.

So, if in future games the results don’t seem to go our way, that does not mean the game was a failure. Time on the field against formidable opposition should always be taken over any result at this point of development. Results should only take precedent in the first team.

Now without further ado let’s take a look at three players from Saturday’s Under-18 game, we will start with a couple of attacking players and the goalkeeper, and eventually focus on other aspects as the season progresses and we become more accustom to the players.

Goalkeeper: Andy Rios More from Dynamo Academy Houston Dynamo hand out year end awards

Houston Dynamo Memo Rodriguez named to Chipotle MLS Homegrown Team

Houston Dynamo Academy Dominate Sporting KC Academy

Houston Dynamo Academy Kicking Off 2015

Houston Dynamo Academy Alumni Cup Shows Off Future

Rios really impressed me, but not for the reasons that a keeper usually impresses people. While his reflexes were great and you can tell that the talent is there, he lacks some experience in positioning and controlling his box by cutting off crosses. This can all be remedied with time, and I expect it to be, because as we’ve seen the Houston Dynamo are a goalkeeper-producing juggernaut.

What Rios really impressed me with was his ability to position the players in front of him. He was never afraid to call-out defenders on their mistakes and has the natural leadership skills that one always wants to see in a keeper.

When the defense is out of position or leaving opposing players unmarked, Rios is vocal enough to get them into position. Goalkeepers always have a better view as to how plays are being unfolded by both teams on the pitch, so their ability to read the game advise others on it is a quality that is often times overlooked but is vital for any team.

It can be argued that neither goal was his fault, but came on mental lapses from the defense or inability to hold the ball which caused a counter-attack, so the 2 goals Rios did concede leave much to interpretation and it will take a few games for me to reach a conclusion on his shot-stopping ability. For now though, his leadership, build, and first impression on positioning point to a young keeper that with more practice can be a difference maker in any college program which can lead him to the professional game.

Forward: Juan Flores

After only a few minutes of watching Flores play as forward everybody’s first impression should be that they’re watching a real student of the game. He has an ability to stay onside that should be lauded. He’s a player that is capable of timing runs perfectly to offset any possible offside trap an opposing team may try to put into place.

What I was most impressed with was his desire to go for every ball that’s directed at him even if at times the ball seems like a lost cause due to there being multiple defenders or out of reach. I also saw him track down players and force them into turnovers, and was more than willing to cover for his own mistakes.

Forwards should always been seen as the first line of defense and he embodied that in the game that I saw from him. Flores also forced the opposing keeper into making some mistakes by pressuring him from the start. In more than one instance Flores’ constant pressure forced the opposing goalkeeper into making horrible clearances right towards Dynamo players or turning the ball over by clearing it out of bounds.

Flores’ ability to read the game also led to a goal, he got an assist when he saw one of his players with a better shot than he had, and in those instances sometimes forwards tend to be selfish but in Flores showed his heart by being selfless. Flores also ended up getting on the scores sheet through a goal of his own. He has a bright future and will be a treat to keep track of in upcoming games.

Midfielder: Christian Lucatero

There have been rumblings throughout the Houston Dynamo fan base of a young midfielder that can be the heir-apparent to Brad Davis’ throne on the first team. I’m not one to buy into the hype surrounding any player, because having followed soccer throughout my life, very few players live up to it.

However, if I said that I wasn’t impressed by Lucatero I would be lying through my teeth. There was a moment in the match when I told Sean Ringrose, “can I pay money for a tape of this match that only has the camera following Christian on the pitch?” Almost every touch he had on the ball, and he had plenty, was followed by a moment of sheer brilliance.

“Luca” took the majority, if not every, corner and free-kick. If the ball seemed to be within shooting distance, he had no fear in going for it and on more than one occasion forced the opposing goalkeeper into making a finger-tip save. While some of his crosses left something to be desired, that is nothing that more practice cannot fix because his bad crosses were so few and far between he probably just needed to time them better or slow the game down a bit.

The ball at times seemed to be glued to his feet as he cut between defenders, and made treks that involved going from one wing to another before either making a pass or taking a shot. His dribbling ability was probably the best on the field, and his stamina and work-rate was on another level. I quickly realized why he was given so much freedom throughout the field, and did not play on a single wing even though at times he seemed to prefer the left, and that’s because he has the talent to completely manufacture a play out what seems like nothing.

One of the few defects that I did see in him was that he may need some more muscle or mass to protect the ball, but that’s just my personal preference because Major League Soccer tends to be a physical league. Other than that, the fact I was thinking of how he can improve to be a better professional player only says that I do see him playing professionally.

Luca is on the right path and has the talent, but will need to keep his current work-rate and not allow any distractions to enter his life that may put his future in jeopardy. As long as he stays clean, level-headed, keeps on practicing, and realizes he still has room for improvement I see him eventually entering professional soccer.