Ondřej Lingr boosts Houston Dynamo FC: "I'm a warrior" | OneFootball

By Jonathan Sigal

Houston Dynamo FC have their missing piece.

The Western Conference club unveiled Ondřej Lingr as their newest Designated Player on Friday, acquiring the 26-year-old attacking midfielder from Czech powerhouse side Slavia Prague.

According to Houston president of soccer Pat Onstad, Lingr is a box-arriving No. 10 who not only provides a goal threat, but should get more out of DP No. 9 and club-record signing Ezequiel Ponce.

“What we do know is we need to get more guys in the box, and we need more final product,” Onstad told MLSsoccer.com. “It can't just be Ponce on his own in the box and trying to go against two center backs. We need to get some more numbers in there.

“That was the profile we were looking for. We're pretty excited about landing Ondřej.”

Unique No. 10

A Czech international with 24 caps, Lingr arrives with extensive experience across Slavia Prague and Eredivisie mainstay Feyenoord. He’s played in over 250 professional matches and won five titles at the club level.

Now, Lingr becomes the Dynamo’s latest midfield addition after they moved on from stars Héctor Herrera and Coco Carrasquilla during the winter. He should be a force multiplier in the Dynamo’s possession-centric style, potentially partnering with Jack McGlynn, Artur and Amine Bassi.

“I'm a more direct attacking midfielder,” Lingr explained. “I like to be in the 18, be around the chances, scoring goals.

“Also, help the team with the pressing. I'm an aggressive, pressing type of player. I have a fighting spirit, so I will do on the field the best I can. It's funny, but I'm a warrior. I will die for my team, and this is what I can bring to Houston. This is the reason why they chose me.”

While Lingr is ostensibly a No. 10, Onstad cautioned that their newcomer is “more of a finisher than he is a creator.”

“I think people have a picture of a 10 being a Lucho Acosta, Evander, those types of players that are final pass, really have free rein, or a Nico Lodeiro back in the Seattle days where they have free rein to roam wherever,” Onstad said.

“We're pretty structured in the way we play, so that limits the type of 10 we're going to have. But we also are very clear in the way we want to play and the way we want to score goals, and that's getting numbers in the box.”

Adding a spark

That makes Lingr a crucial piece of the puzzle, with the player eager to try MLS after spending his entire career in Europe. He even spoke with FC Dallas striker Petar Musa, his former teammate with Slavia, about the move, and identified the FIFA 2026 World Cup being co-hosted by the United States as another enticing factor.

“For me, it's a really big chance,” Lingr said. “I spoke with my family, with my wife and I think I need to go for this chance. It's a really, really great opportunity.

“… I'm here one weekend and the people are just awesome – the players, the staff. I'm really, really excited to make a new step for me, and I hope we will make the best results with Houston and win some Cups. I hope I will be an important player for the team and I hope I can score a lot of goals.”

Houston will need Lingr to do exactly that, with the club entering Matchday 6 still searching for their first win of 2025. Ben Olsen’s side hopes to change that when visiting the Portland Timbers for Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire (7 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+), looking to jumpstart an attack that’s scored just three goals this season.

The responsibility doesn’t squarely fall on Lingr’s shoulders, of course. But with the DP tag comes expectations, and the Dynamo will need him to deliver.

“We like the fact that he's traveled around in Europe, played for some big clubs, and we think he's the type of guy that will bring a bit of personality to our group, which is needed here,” Onstad said.

“We're excited to see what he can do here in MLS.”