Is this MLS signing a genius move or an expensive mistake by Houston Dynamo? | OneFootball

Houston Dynamo announced the signing of 26-year-old Czech midfielder Ondrej Lingr from Slavia Prague. The move is a risk, though the team is still far from achieving on the pitch what such a signing typically holds in store for it. With five points from five matches and a negative goal difference, Dynamo is far from where it is hoping to be. But the signing of the European midfielder shows that the club has a plan. Whether it works out is a different story.

Lingr signed as a Designated Player through June of 2028, with an option for 2029. He cost approximately $2.6 million in transfer fees. That's top dollar for a team that's still trying to get its bearings in the aftermath of dramatic changes. But that's the point, adding the Czech player is a message to move ahead in a team still trying to get its bearings.

Lingr and Dynamo's ambitious project

Not all players arrive with this kind of contract and backing. And Houston general manager Pat Onstad was direct as to why: "Ondrej is a goal-scoring midfielder who has played at the highest level of European and international soccer. He will make us a more feared attacking side with his verticality and danger in the penalty area, and he aligns with the defensive intensity that we are looking for in all Dynamo players."

That aside, that admission indicates Dynamo is attempting to construct a more vertical, harder, and engaged midfield. The issue is, so far, that has yet to pay off in terms of results. It is difficult to be hyped about a signing when the entire team is still sliding.

Houston's midfield was virtually taken apart and rebuilt. Héctor Herrera, the former technical reference, is no longer present by club decision. Coco Carrasquilla was transferred to Pumas UNAM. Jack McGlynn, Philadelphia Union young talent; Nicolás Lodeiro, multi-title veteran of Seattle Sounders; Júnior Urso, experienced and journeyman; and Duane Holmes, former member of the U.S. national team, joined. And now, with Lingr, the team receives another reinforcement.

On paper, the midfield has names. It has experience. It has talent. But soccer isn't played on spreadsheets, and the first five games of the season reveal there's still no chemistry. The team has scored just three goals and allowed eight. The math just doesn't add up. Lingr's presence may help, but it won't fix everything by itself.

The weight of European experience

Lingr has some impressive credentials. He's played 270 times at the professional level, scored 57 goals, had 16 assists, and appeared in top-level competitions like the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League. He's played for Slavia Prague and had a stint with Feyenoord in the Netherlands. That's no ordinary CV.

It's the kind of signing that has the ability to turn heads abroad, earn notice from outside of America's borders, and, ideally, even attract some additional quality. But that all depends on adapting. There is no assurance Lingr becomes a star, let alone on a club that needs so much more than a single marquee signing to make it climb again. Promises in the front office versus realities on the pitch

Onstad's quote has one line of gold: "We're pleased to have Ondrej, his wife Lucie, and son join us in Houston, and we anticipate his efforts on and off the pitch." That tells you Dynamo is thinking beyond the pitch. They're trying to create a warm environment in which to acclimate him. That's perceptive, maybe. But the real test will be on the pitch.

Fans want goals, fire, and a side that battles from the first minute to the last. At the moment, Dynamo is not showing any of that. The investment in Lingr can be promising, but it must be accompanied by concrete results.

The team requires more shape, more solid attacking play, and most importantly, a rock-solid defense. The hope exists, but it must be created, day by day, game by game.