Mauro Manotas addresses reporters after the game

Dynamo forward Mauro Manotas wants to become clubs’ all-time leading scorer

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HOUSTON – Mauro Manotas’ objective since joining the Houston Dynamo in 2015 has been to score more goals than the previous year and 2019 is no different.

“The objective is to qualify for the playoffs and in the Champions League, to get as far as possible. For the cup, it’s to win it,” Manotas said. “Personally, score a lot of goals, more than last year. I want to break my record.”

And the 23-year-old is picking up where he left off from a year ago by scoring a goal in each of the Dynamo’s first three games in 2019.

Manotas scored in both of Houston’s CONCACAF Champions matches against Guatemalan club Guastatoya. And he saved the Dynamo from an Opening Day loss to Real Salt Lake by converting on Houston’s only shot on target Saturday.

At this pace, Manotas could match last’s years tally — 19 goals in MLS and 25 across all competitions — by midseason.

“That’s why I’m here. That’s what a No. 9 is there for, to score goals. That’s why I stayed and that’s why they renewed my contract,” Manotas said of his game-tying goal against Real Salt Lake.

Chasing a Dynamo legend

Saturday’s goal, Manotas 36th for the Dynamo in MLS play, puts him 20 behind legendary Dynamo goalscorer Brian Ching, who netted 56 goals in eight seasons with the Orange.

It’s a Dynamo record Manotas knows. And if history repeats itself — Manotas netting 20 or more goals in the MLS season besting his 19 from 2018 — the striker from Sabanalarga, Colombia will find himself the Dynamo’s leading all-time goal scorer.

It’s a record he wants and has made it known publicly.

One man rooting for Manotas is Ching himself. After seeing the tying goal Saturday in the 62nd minute, Ching took to Twitter — like many Dynamo fans — to profess his admiration for Manotas.

But Ching isn’t the only former Dynamo forward to praise Manotas. Calen Carr, who spent three memorable seasons donning the Orange kit, picked the Dynamo as a dark horse to lift MLS Cup. But he also made another dark horse prediction.

The next opportunity for Manotas to score for the Dynamo comes against six-time Liga MX champions and twice CONCACAF Champions runner-ups Tigres, and the forward is looking forward to it.

“It’s gonna be a beautiful game. The kind of games one always wants to play in,” Manotas said. “We’re going up against one of the favorites in the tournament but we’re going to come out to compete and win.”