Cubo Torres wreaked holy havoc upon the MLS when he played for Chivas USA in 2014. He scored 22 goals in 44 games before the club folded and the Houston Dynamo acquired him that same year.
Torres started his first game in a Dynamo shirt on August 29, and got 66 minutes of game time and an assist. He's only appeared in seven games for the Dynamo thus far, and has yet to score.
So what happened? Erick "Cubo" Torres is only 22-years-old, but his career has already seen enough ups and downs to call him a veteran.
Cubo played his first game for Chivas de Guadalajara in 2010 at the tender age of 17. He was loaned to Chivas USA in 2013 and stayed there until the club folded. While at Guadalajara and Chivas USA, Torres established himself as a young striker to be reckoned with, reminiscent of another former Guadalajara striker, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez.
After the Houston Dynamo acquired his rights, Cubo went on loan back to Guadalajara. There, he was accused of drugging a girl in a nearby city at a party held for Chivas de Guadalajara players and sexually assaulting her.
After investigations by both Mexican officials and the MLS, Cubo was cleared of any criminal activity in the case. Cubo featured mostly in the Copa MX for Chivas, scoring three goals in nine games. Overall, he scored five goals in 14 appearances for Chivas.
Now he's back with the Dynamo, and, as mentioned earlier, has yet to score so far in seven appearances. He's on a five-year deal, so there isn't much pressure for him to get into shape and start scoring obscene amounts of goals right away, unless he has his mind set on going to Europe during the January transfer window.
But the lack of goals is a little disconcerting. Torres has impressed for Mexico's youth national teams, and has one goal in four appearances for the senior national team. He was just called to the Mexico U-23 team for Olympic qualifying. Should he impress there, and for the rest of the Dynamo's season, he could secure a permanent spot on the senior squad.
This, obviously, will not be easy, as the likes of Chicharito Hernandez, Carlos Vela, Giovani and Jonathan dos Santos, Oribe Peralta and Javier Orozco are standing firmly in his way.
But watch this video. Cubo can flat out play when his mind's right and he's in shape.
The next few months will decide if Cubo stays on his upward trajectory or fades into oblivion. He has a chance to impress Mexico's new manager, whomever that might turn out to be, and he could be the next Chicharito if he makes the most of it.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
