Mauro Manotas' hat trick magnifies Houston's errors in judgement

Mauro Manotas netted a hat trick to beat the Portland Timbers. The question of why hasn’t he played more should be aimed at Houston.

The season started with Owen Coyle at manager for the Houston Dynamo. Since then, Wade Barrett has taken over that role. Both leaned more towards starting Will Bruin at the striker position for the Western Conference’s last place Dynamo.

Bruin is a decent MLS player. A hard-working, technical forward in a league of speed, and power at that position. Another player who got minutes up top was Designated Player Erick “Cubo” Torres. His time in Houston is a story for another day, he’s now injured on a loan with Liga Mx’s Cruz Azul. He was never the answer for the club either in 2016. One player who always brought an attacking, aggressive mindset off the bench was youngster Mauro Manotas.

Manotas is a 21-year-old striker from Colombia, acquired by Houston in 2015. He appeared in 9 matches as a sub last season, and began this one getting most of his action in the US Open Cup. He even made four appearances with Houston’s USL affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, where he scored twice. As this year’s MLS season progressed, Cubo departed, Manotas has become the choice up front.

He has rewarded Houston, scoring his first MLS goal against Sporting KC earlier in September. Then last night, he exploded. Manotas tallied a hat trick against the reigning MLS champion Portland Timbers, earning the Dynamo a big 3-1 win.

While in one sense, it’s exciting. The fans get a glimpse of their future, while suffering through a frustrating season that has them last in the league. In the other train of thought, is frustration.

Would the Dynamo be in the cellar if Manotas had received more starts than Bruin and Torres? The club knows what Bruin produces from his long history with Houston, why didn’t they try the younger player to see what he could provide?

The good thing is, they finally did. While it’s unsure if the club will keep Wade Barrett on after the 2016 season ends, it’s a sure thing that Mauro Manotas will be a big part of the Dynamo attack in 2017 and beyond.