Houston Dynamo 2025 player report cards: Erik Dueñas
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
We’re continuing our 2025 report card series, recapping each Houston Dynamo player’s season. Next up, we look at midfielder Erik Dueñas.
2025 Grade: D
2025 by the numbers (MLS play)
Appearances: 8
Minutes played: 158
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
2025 in review
With the departurte of Coco Carrasquilla this offseason, Dueñas was brought in as a potential replacement, a versatile midfielder who can play a number of positions. The former LAFC Academy product was 20 years old when the season begin and there were high hopes about developing him this season into a player the Dynamo could count on now and for years to come. Unfortunately for Dueñas and the club, that never materialized. He spent a lot of the season with Dynamo 2 and got just over 150 minutes with the senior team in league play. His one start in MLS play came in the impressive 3-0 win away to New York City FC. Dueñas will always be a big case of “what-if” for LAFC fans, and now Dynamo fans.
Moment of the season
The home loss early in the season against Inter Miami was probably one of the worst moments of the season for the club as a whole. But for Dueñas, he came off the bench and tallied his only assist in Orange, setting up Nico Lodeiro’s only goal in Orange to save the Dynamo from being shut out.
Looking forward
Dueñas’ contract option was declined by the Dynamo, meaning he is free to find another team again at just 21 years old. If he is open to it, it would be worth bringing Dueñas back on a MLS NEXT Pro contract with Dynamo 2 and letting him continue to develop and see if there is anything there that could help the first team. If he isn’t interested in that, he will likely find a home in the USL Championship. A good season or two there could get him another chance in Major League Soccer.
