The Houston Dynamo officially signed Spanish midfielder David Rocha from Gimnastic de Tarragona and defender Agus from Albacete Balompie, both from Spain's second division. This completes a weeks long process that was first reported by Leo Ponce at KeeperNotes.com.

Where has Agus been?

Agus, 30, joins the team after falling out of favor with manager Luis Sampedro. While he has has appeared in nine games for the team, he has failed to make an appearnce since December. Agus joined Albacete as a teenager before being sold to Real Madrid in 2005. He spent two seasons with Madrid's B team, gaining much needed experience before being loaned out to Celta de Vigo for the 07/08 season. He impressed while with Vigo, earning him a transfer to Cordoba. Unable to stick with them, he was loaned out to Alcorcon and Turkish team Orduspu. After those loan spells he joined Mallorca in 2013 before his return home the following year.

Defensive options aplenty

With the signing of Agus, the Dynamo have a ton of options in defense. It'll be up to the players, and coach Owen Coyle, to decide who will be the starters and bench options, with the balance likely being loaned out to USL side Rio Grande Valley. There they'll get consistent playing time while being recalled as injuries and/or suspensions dictate. Perhaps the only guaranteed starter is fellow Spaniard Raul Rodriguez, who impressed last season for the Dynamo. Who his partner will be is up in the air. Having Agus, though, gives young players like newly signed Sebastien Ibeagha, Bradley Bourgeois and Ivan Magalhaes much needed guidance as they develop into starting players.

It's also likely that with this signing David Horst could be on the trading block, with the team now having six center backs on the roster.

What does Rocha bring?

Midfielder David Rocha, 30, joins the Dynamo riding a high wave of form. He has played superbly for Tarragona of late, racking up over 1,700 minutes so far this season. Rocha is likely to slot in alongside Ricardo Clark in midfield, taking the spot that has been left vacant by Luis Garrido. If that is the case, it is likely to be the most important pairing on the team. Last year the defense was left horribly exposed when the ball was turned over in bad positions and players were caught up field. Normally a defensive midfielder would clean up those plays but too often Garrido and/or Clark were out of position, unable to break up the counter. If Clark and Rocha can develop a rapport, combined with a more robust defense, cheap goals against could be a thing of the past.

Both are comfortable on the ball, with Clark being more of the bruising type. It'll be key for them to understand when one of them can push forward and the other remain behind. That pulley system will be the heart of this revamped Dynamo team.

With these signings, the Dynamo are likely finished with building the team for the season. Training camp kicked off earlier this week and the pressure is high as ownership was on hand to observe the team. The season kicks off on March 6 as they host the New England Revolution at BBVA Compass Stadium.

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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.