MLS Houston Dynamo FC

AEG extends contract of Dynamo COO Chris Canetti

Published on December 3, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


HOUSTON, TX (Wednesday, December 3, 2008) - Dynamo Chief Operating Officer Chris Canetti and Dynamo majority owner Anschutz Entertainment Group agreed to a three-year contract extension this week, one that runs through 2011.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Canetti received the Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year award, Major League Soccer's top executive honor, at the MLS Cup Gala in Carson, Calif. Canetti is in his third year as COO of the Dynamo and oversees all aspects of the organization.

"We're glad to give Chris a well-deserved extension," Dynamo President and General Manager Oliver Luck said. "He has done a tremendous job, which has not gone unnoticed by teams around the league, as they recently honored him with the Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year award. This award was well-deserved. His contract extension will help keep the Dynamo in good hands in the years to come."

In Canetti's tenure, the Dynamo have become one of the league's leading franchises, both on and off the field. Houston won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007, the second team in MLS history to do so, and has qualified for the last four regional championships (the 2007 and 2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the 2008-09 and 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League). The Dynamo also reached the SuperLiga final in 2008 after qualifying for the semifinals in 2007. Houston finished first in the Western Conference during the 2008 regular season and was runner-up for the league's Supporters' Shield.

Off the field, Houston has quickly established itself as one of the league's most supported teams, averaging almost 17,000 fans per home league game in 2008 and selling out its last three home playoff games with crowds of more than 30,000. Canetti leads a staff that won four individual league awards this year.

Canetti began his career in sports with minor league baseball's New Haven Ravens in 1994 and became the youngest general manager in all of baseball in 1997 at the age of 26. Canetti joined the MetroStars, who later became the New York Red Bulls, in 2000 and was both Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations and Assistant General Manager for the franchise before joining Houston in 2006. Canetti was a baseball player in college at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., graduating in 1992.

The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer franchise that has won two MLS Cup championships in its first three seasons and represented the United States in three consecutive regional championships. The Dynamo will begin their 2009 MLS campaign on Saturday, March 21, taking on the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew. For more information, please log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com or call (713) 276-7500.

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