Dynamo complete deal to bring Ching back to Houston

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With nearly two dozen news cameras tracking Brian Ching, his Dynamo teammates welcomed him back in a way professional athletes commonly show affection.

They teased him.

“Chingsanity!” the Dynamo players declared.

The last time Ching wore his orange No. 25 jersey, few sports fans had heard of Jeremy Lin. But Thursday, the Dynamo’s all-time leading scorer was greeted with a play on the Linsanity theme used to describe the New York Knicks’ NBA sensation.

“It’s the guys. They’re making fun of me again,” Ching said. “It’s something that I’m used to and that I love.”

Ching, an original Dynamo, was back at home nearly three months after the Montreal Impact picked him in the expansion draft Nov. 23.

“This is where I want to be, where I want to retire,” Ching, 33, said after his first practice since the Impact traded his rights to the Dynamo.

Left unprotected in the expansion draft, Ching spent the most difficult months of his career waiting for the Dynamo to reacquire him. Then he sacrificed almost half his guaranteed $450,000 salary in 2012 to complete the trade.

Ching’s new one-year deal, which has several incentive bonuses based on performance, is for approximately $250,000, according to multiple people with knowledge of the contract. That’s the price he was willing to pay to attend the May 12 opener of BBVA Compass Stadium against D.C. United.

BOB LEVEY: GETTY IMAGES GAMBLE: The Dynamo made Brian Ching available for the expansion draft, hoping he's too expensive for the new team. BOB LEVEY: GETTY IMAGES GAMBLE: The Dynamo made Brian Ching available for the expansion draft, hoping he's too expensive for the new team. Photo: Bob Levey Photo: Bob Levey Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Dynamo complete deal to bring Ching back to Houston 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

The Dynamo open the Major League Soccer regular season March 11 against Chivas USA in Carson, Calif.

“I know how old I am, and I’ve been around the league long enough to know my value,” Ching said. “I have no problem. I just want this team to be successful, and I’ll do what it takes.

Intangible benefit

“If that means less money, that means less money. Me taking less money allows me to be here where I want to be, allows me to open up a stadium that I’ve always dreamed of doing. That’s rewarding enough for me.”

The Dynamo sent Montreal a conditional pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. If Ching plays at least 20 games this season, the Impact will receive a first-round pick instead of the second-rounder they are guaranteed.

By restructuring Ching’s contract, the Dynamo can target quality veterans and perhaps a designated player as they fill out their remaining two senior roster spots.

“We’re able to make other moves,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti said. “That was important for us, and that was important for Brian. He didn’t want to put the club in a situation where we couldn’t make any further moves and improve it.

Salary-cap room

“We have two roster spots available, and we have what amounts to a very reasonable amount of salary-cap space in which to go out and sign impact players.”

With the acquisitions of Mac Kandji last week from the Colorado Rapids and Ching on Thursday, the Dynamo have plenty of depth at forward to go with Will Bruin, 2011 MLS Cup starter Calen Carr, veteran Cam Weaver and 2012 first-round pick Colin Rolfe.

Now the Dynamo are likely to focus on upgrading the right side of the midfield.

“The acquisitions of Mac and Brian don’t take away from the fact that we’re still trying to add some depth to some areas of the field,” coach Dominic Kinnear said. “I think we’ll continue to do that as hard as we can until the roster freeze (March 1).

“It would be great if that could happen today, tomorrow. We’ve been close a couple of times. We’ve continued to try to add to the team and make us better. We do have some flexibility in order to do that.”

jesus.ortiz@chron.com

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