2014 Five Best Moments In Houston Sports

May 31, 2014; Carson, CA, USA; Chivas USA forward Erick Torres (9) reacts after falling to the ground against the Philadelphia Union during the second half at StubHub Center. The Philadelphia Union won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

4. Erick “Cubo” Torres Joins The Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo made soccer headlines with their signing of Erik “Cubo” Torres. Though many may not be aware of the signing or who Torres is, rest assured this signing was arguably the biggest headlines in ALL of soccer in 2014.

Admittedly, I can’t tell you much about Torres or about the Dynamo. So I asked the guys at Orange In The Oven, our sister site at FanSided for all things Dynamo and Dash for their thoughts on the signing. Here’s what Hal Kaiser, editor at Orange In The Oven, told me:

"I’d say the signing last week of Cubo Torres to a designated player deal is the biggest story in MLS this year, not just in Houston soccer. If soccer was a bit bigger, it would be the #1 story in Houston. Here is a guy who is only 21 (almost 22), a proven scorer over the past two years in MLS with Chivas USA, a member now of the Mexican national team. Perfect signing for the Dynamo, a big coup for MLS to keep him in MLS rather than going back to Liga MX. Made the Dynamo front page news in Mexico. Also, the transfer fee rumored at $7 mil (not clear whether MLS chipped in) is a huge amount of money from the Dynamo perspective and puts to bed the view that ownership won’t spend money on the team."

Here’s what Orange In The Oven staffer Kyle Nowotny wrote about Torres’ ability on the pitch:

"Torres is a crafty striker with a flair that isn’t often seen in Major League Soccer. He’s capable of creating magic out of nothing and capitalizing on opportunities set up by his teammates. He can volley from distance just as easily as poaching a goal at an opportune moment. He also has pace to beat many defenders, giving him one-on-one opportunities, something the Dynamo are really good at setting up."

Kaiser also wrote about his general impact as did Leopoldo Ponce.

"Provides the pure goal scoring forward the Dynamo have lacked in recent years Lifts the rest of the Dynamo players Puts to bed the notion that ownership is unwilling to spend Instantly energizes the fan base Potentially attracts new fans to the team Raises the overall profile of the Dynamo"

For those uninformed, it’s safe to say this signing has an impact similar to that of Dwight Howard coming to Houston. It’s huge.

For all those interested in the Dynamo and/or the Dash, go check out Orange In The Oven. They do an phenomenal job covering the whole Houston soccer scene.