The Houston Dynamo has never been known for having a deep forward corps, much less a really good one. Brian Ching was a legend for the club and the league, one of the best target strikers in league history. Besides him there has always been a rotating cast of players good at their job, but never able to light the world on fire.

Things may have changed now though.

Giles Barnes is rounding into form as a converted forward after moving to the Dynamo in 2012 after some terrible injuries slowed his career in England. He was the Dynamo's Golden Boot winner in 2013 and 2014. So far this season after 12 games he has recorded six goals, near the top of the league charts. As he works his way into form and establishing himself with the Jamaican National Team (where he already has a goal), he's quickly becoming one of the Dynamo's top stars. At just 26 years of age, he hasn't even hit his prime yet.

The flip side of the striker corps is Will Bruin. The oft-maligned player was shockingly benched early in the season after a poor performance against the Columbus Crew. Ever since the Columbus match, he's been in and out of the lineup either as a starter or a substitute. Bruin knuckled down in training to prove he's worth of consistent minutes and refined his game under the careful tutelage of Owen Coyle. His hard worked started to pay off mid-April with his first goal of the season and he now sits on four goals after a brace against Portland.

With two solid strikers on the roster and a third on the way in the form of Erick "Cubo" Torres (pending his situation in Mexico), starting minutes will be difficult to come by. With backups Chandler Hoffman and Mauro Manotas itching for playing time, the pool is rather crowded at the moment.

The most glaring hole for the team is in attacking midfield.

Various players have moved into the spot with varying degrees of success. Ricardo Clark is the one who has shouldered the burden the most, making runs from deep in midfield. Alternatively Oscar Garcia and Alex Lopez have occupied that spot with little effect. Both are far more effective out wide. The team may not "need" such a player but it'd give Coyle more options for when the offense isn't clicking, or against weaker opposition.

With Manotas just having been signed, he isn't likely to move anytime soon. Of the three primary strikers, it appears that Bruin is the most likely to be available for a move. With a sale unlikely (this is the final year of his contract) the Dynamo are better served sending him to a team in need of help this season for a title push.

What should they seek in return? The best option is to seek out allocation funds to give them more flexibility in signing a higher priced international. Another option would be an international spot to fit said player on the roster (there are quite a few on the team as it is).

The trick would be to sign the perfect kind of player.

General Manager Matt Jordan has scouted extensively in Spain and South America already (specifically Argentina and Colombia) so it's likely he has an idea of a player who would fit the bill: a true attacking midfielder that won't require a Designated Player spot but with quality enough to be a starter in the league. Preferably one with some experience in them.

Even if he doesn't have someone in mind just yet, he has time to continue that search. The trade window in Major League Soccer is closed and won't reopen until July 8. That's a month and a half to search.

Is that kind of move worth it? Bruin is a consistent 10+ goal scorer in MLS over the past three seasons (playoffs included) which puts him in seriously rare territory. The whole premise is based on the idea that Torres will be able to compensate for the lack and then some. Based on his 22 goals in 44 appearances for the now defunct Chivas USA, it's a good one. If management believes this it's a move worth trying as it could put the team over the top in the future.

The team is incredibly young and likely needs a season to age and grow. While a trophy in 2015 is a long shot, 2016 and beyond holds worlds of promise.

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About the author
Kyle Nowotny
Long-time Houston sports fan, season-ticket holder for the Houston Dynamo and sports writer since August 2014. BA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston.