An astonishingly quiet offseason for the Houston Dynamo just got a little more active. Last year's MLS Cup finalists didn't do much all winter, but with the start of the new season creeping up, they've finally made a move, picking up Macoumba Kandji in a trade with the Colorado Rapids in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
"I’ve always liked Macoumba as a player," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "His athleticism and good play to goal will be a good fit for our team."
The 26-year-old Kandji started to get that athleticism back towards the end of last season as he recovered from a torn ACL. He tore that ACL on the play that netted the Rapids the game-winning goal in MLS Cup 2010, but he showed signs of his old self at the end of the season. Exactly why the Rapids couldn't make Kandji happy and integrate him into their team is unclear considering how thin they are at forward, but he was available and the Dynamo pounced.
Losing Brian Ching in the expansion draft left the Dynamo short on experienced forwards and they have extra matches this season with the CONCACAF Champions League beginning in the summer so Kandji will get the chance at playing time. He, along with Will Bruin, Calen Carr and Cam Weaver make up the team's four experienced forwards, with rookie Colin Rolfe also in the mix.