Sam Mbonu
Another player of African descent worthy of mention is Houston Dynamo Zimbabwean defender, Teenage Hadebe. He joined Houston Dynamo as one of few DP defenders. He landed in Houston having completed the European soccer season with Yeni Malatyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig where he made 53 appearances and scored only 2 goals.
Teenage Hadebe’s first season performance with the Houston Dynamo may go under the radar owing to the team’s poor performance at the just concluded 2021 season.
The former Kaizer Chiefs center back was singled out for accolades by former Houston Dynamo coach, Tab Ramos during the team's unsweet 16 runs of winless streak. His contribution to the team’s defense was immense despite the team going through torrid times in the season. He accounted for 10 blocks with a 57.1% success rate in duels. His core strength is his ariel duels where he recorded a 62.7% success rate.
Inasmuch as his defensive qualities have never been in doubt, Teenage Hadebe is a team player, with his 79.1% success rate in his passes and 49.6% in his forward passes, Teenage Hadebe contributed just one assist in his debut season for the Houston Dynamo who finished the season rock bottom of the western conference.
Despite joining the team mid-season, Teenage Hadebe was named to the MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week on September 30 after his outstanding performance against Vancouver Whitecaps in a western conference clash. On that game day, he led the team with five clearances and 10 recoveries against the Whitecaps and also finished with one interception, one block, and three key passes.
The Zimbabwe international helped the team earn three clean sheets after his MLS debut in a 0-0 draw with the Whitecaps on July 20. Hadebe became the eighth Dynamo player to earn Team of the Week honors in this concluded MLS regular season.
As the team enters another rebuilding phase and with the appointment of Pat Onstad as the new GM of Houston Dynamo, I hope that Teenage Hadebe will play a big part in Houston Dynamo's quest to return to the playoffs.
Comments
No comments