After two seasons, in 2015 and 2016, that saw the Houston Dynamo finish 15th and 19th overall in the 20-team Major League Soccer, and also saw the squad go through multiple head coaches, expectations were low for the 2017 Dynamo campaign. Oddly enough, the same could be said for Dynamo forward Erick Torres, who in his first two seasons with the team (also 2015 and 2016) scored the same number of goals as the team mascot (zero, with apologies to Diesel). Suffice it to say, 2017 was considerably better for the team and Torres, who finally evolved into the goal scorer the Dynamo expected when they signed him to a five-year contract using their "Designated Player" clause. Torres showed off versatile goal-scoring chops throughout 2017, tallying goals while in play and also on free kicks. The Dynamo took a big leap forward with a new style of play and overall philosophy in 2017, and clearly Torres figures in as a big part of that in the years to come.