Houston Dynamo 2025 player report cards: Nelson Quiñones

(image via Aldo Canale)

We’re continuing our 2025 report card series, recapping each Houston Dynamo player’s season. Next up, we look at winger Nelson Quiñones.

2025 Grade: Inc

2025 by the numbers (MLS play)

Appearances: 1
Minutes played: 11
Goals: 0
Assists: 0

2025 in review

After suffering a gruesome knee injury in February of 2024 while playing with the Colombia U23 national team, Quiñones made his return to the Dynamo first team in the final match of the 2025 season. It was a long recovery and rehab for Quiñones who essentially had to have his entire knee reconstructed. He would seeminly get close to returning, he even made an appearance with Dynamo 2, before suffering setbacks that kept him from getting back on the field for an MLS match. But, all the hard work paid off as he played the final 11 minutes of Houston’s 0-0 draw in Kansas City to finish the year.

Moment of the season

Returning to the field was a moment Quiñones and so many people at the club were ecstatic to see. Head coach Ben Olsen even said after the match that in a season that did not have many happy moments, getting to put the Colombian winger into that match was one of his happiest things of all of the 2025 season.

Looking forward

With the long rehab now seemingly mostly in the rear view, Quiñones can use this offseason to get himself back to being fit and ready to play longer stretches in matches and even possibly start. If he is back to full strength for camp, Quiñones could compete with Lawrence Ennali for the left wing role. One thing is for sure for Dynamo fans, it will be nice to have Quiñones around for a full season once again, something they haven’t had since 2023.