HOUSTON – The Dynamo will have to wait longer than originally expected for their newest Designated Player, Oscar Boniek García, to join the club.
After signing with Houston on June 7, the expectation was that the Honduran winger would arrive in Houston between June 18-20, but paperwork will push that arrival date back.
While García’s visa application has been approved, the winger is awaiting a meeting with the US Embassy in Honduras to finalize his move. Once completed, Houston’s newest attacker will be free to join his new club.
WATCH: Kinnear on Garcia signing
“We’re still working on the completion of him getting his visa and we’re hoping that can occur this week,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti told MLSsoccer.com on Monday. “Right now, we feel we’re on track for him to join the club in time to be eligible for the Philadelphia game in two weeks. Given the way the process has happened in the past, we feel that’s realistic.”
What does García signing mean for Houston?
García’s arrival will help fortify a Dynamo midfield that is battling some injuries at the moment. With youngster Alex Dixon already sidelined with a concussion, newly anointed starting right midfielder Calen Carr will be out “a couple of weeks” with a left hamstring strain, according to head coach Dominic Kinnear.
The Dynamo boss confirmed to the media after Monday’s training session that Carr, who left Saturday’s Texas Derby before the half, will miss Wednesday’s home clash with Toronto FC and Saturday’s match at the Montreal Impact. His status will be evaluated before a June 30 home match against the Union.
“We were planning on making some changes for these games anyway, and sometimes it’s forced upon like it will be with Calen being out,” Kinnear said. “I’ll be very surprised to see the same starting 11 in all three games, and Calen makes that decision pretty direct.”
With Carr’s status for the foreseeable future in doubt, García’s arrival and, more importantly, integration into the club becomes more important. All that’s left now is to guide the application processes for the Honduran’s visa and International Transfer Certificate down the homestretch.
“Once he gets clearance, we want to get him here as quick as possible and get him to know the guys,” Kinnear said. “If we can get him in to see a game at the stadium, it’s an important thing. He can see the level of the teams we play against and experience the stadium and see how the team plays. Hopefully we can get him here to experience a game or two before he plays.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
