Hector Herrera highlights quartet of Dynamo captains

HOUSTON – For former Dynamo FC captain Hector Herrera, his return to Houston is motivated by more than just closure. It’s also about bringing a winning culture to a Dynamo team that failed to make the playoffs last year. 

The Dynamo added four influential captains – midfielder Agustín Bouzat, attacker Guilherme, defender Lucas Halter and Herrera – in hopes of reshaping the team’s identity. 

“We entered the offseason with the third most cap space of any team in the league,” Dynamo president of soccer operations Pat Onstad said. “And as we look at the offseason thus far, you will get to meet Guilherme, Agustín Bouzat, Lucas Halter and, of course, Hector Herrera.

“All four of them are captains. All four of them are natural leaders. All four of them are champions. That is what this team wants to be this year. We want to go and we want to push, as the expectation for us now is to be successful.” 

Herrera is coming off a stint with Liga MX’s Deportivo Toluca FC, where he won two league championships. The former El Tri captain led the Dynamo to a 2-1 victory over Miami FC in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final.

Second chance

He also helped the Dynamo reach the Round of 16 in the 2023 Leagues Cup. The former Mexican national team captain represented El Tri in three FIFA World Cups.

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games gold medalist returned to Houston motivated to help the Dynamo succeed even though his first stint did not end well.

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Herrera’s return was a bit of a surprise because of the way his first stint in Houston ended. The Dynamo let Herrera go in November 2024 after he spat in the direction of a referee during an MLS Cup Playoff game.

“The story between me and the club did not end in the best way, or the way I wanted,” he said. “This was also one of the other reasons that motivated me to come back, to be able to close this chapter properly and help the team win trophies because the Dynamo are an historic club with a great city that deserves to be at the top of MLS.”

Guilherme arrives from Brazil

Pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa, attacker Guilherme will join the Dynamo. Guilherme is on a full transfer from Santos FC in Brazil. 

He scored 12 goals and had 11 assists in 121 Série A appearances. In Série B, Guilherme scored 30 goals and had 16 assists in 97 appearances. The attacker appeared in Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and Copa do Brasil. He contributed 10 goals and three assists in those competitions.

Midfielder Agustin Bouzat made 228 appearances with CA Vélez. He scored 14 goals with 12 assists. Bouzat led the club as a captain through three titles in the Primera Division, Supercopa Argentina and Supercopa Internacional. 

“We are building a competitive team to reach the level this club aspires to reach,” Bouzat said. “I am excited and have high expectations too, as well as the strong desire to fight for titles with this club.” 

Defender Lucas Halter joins the Dynamo on a full transfer from Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas of Brazil.

The Salto, Brazil, native has appeared in domestic and international cup competitions. He made 45 appearances with one goal in tournaments that include Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Copa Verde, Copa do Brasil, Supercopa Rei and Copa do Nordeste. 

“Everyone is jazzed at this time of year,” Dynamo coach Ben Olsen said. “With the new additions, there is better energy in this building. Couple that with having a point to prove after coming off a year where we let our fans and community down.”