After his controversial departure from Houston Dynamo and twelve months with the two-time champion Toluca, a mixed bag of individual performances, former World Cup player Hector Herrera is back in Major League Soccer (MLS) as the Texas team announced the midfielder's return Mexican.

Herrera, after being released by the Red Devils, set about finding a new team and found a place on the team where he shone and became captain, but his departure was highly controversial after he spat at a referee in a match against the Seattle Sounders in November 2024.

On that occasion, Hector Herrera was suspended by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for two matches (three matches in total) and fined an undisclosed amount for spitting at a referee in the 65th minute of the Houston vs. Seattle Sounders FC match on November 3, 2024.

But the sanction against the Mexican midfielder was not limited to a sporting penalty; the team from the oil capital of the world acted decisively by releasing their star player in an action that could not be overlooked.

Specifically, the team's general manager Texan Pat Onstad stated at the time that the main reason for Herrera's departure was not the spitting incident, although he acknowledged that the incident influenced the decision not to renew the Mexican midfielder's contract. Fourteen months later, Herrera is back with the team where he had moments of glory after his time with Toluca in Liga MX, where he achieved collective success with two league titles, but with little individual impact, playing only 800 minutes in 30 matches. Herrera expected to play close to or more than 1500 minutes in both championships, but the reality is that his role was limited to being a substitute for Argentine coach Antonio Mohamed's system.

HH's Return to Houston

Hector Herrera's return comes at a time when the Houston Dynamo is building a competitive squad. In addition to the Mexican, Agustin Bouzat and Gilherme have also joined the team, and there are rumors that Polish player Mateusz Bogusz, who previously played for LAFC before joining Cruz Azul in Liga MX, will also return to MLS.

The Texas club, through its president Pat Onstad, welcomed back a player they already know: “It is an honor to welcome Hector back to Houston. He is a respected leader both on and off the field, and a player whose influence helped change the trajectory of this Club during his first stint, guiding us to the club's fourth trophy in 2023 and a club-record points total in 2024.

His return reflects the shared ambition to continue building on past successes. While his role "We know that Hector's leadership and winning mentality will elevate our club. He returns with a deep connection to the city and a clear understanding of what it takes to bring trophies back to Houston." In his first stint with the Dynamo, Herrera played in 82 games, scoring eight goals and providing 22 assists, but his time there was marred by his indiscipline in spitting at a referee during the 2024 playoffs. Prior to that, HH helped the Dynamo win the 2023 U.S. Open Cup and achieve consecutive postseason appearances, as well as setting team records for a single season, including the most points with 54 and the most away wins with eight.But that was tarnished by his act of indiscipline in spitting at a referee during the 2024 playoffs. Prior to that, HH helped the Oilers win the 2023 U.S. Open Cup and achieve consecutive postseason appearances, in addition to setting team records for a single season, including most points with 54 and most road wins with eight.But that was tarnished by his act of indiscipline in spitting at a referee during the 2024 playoffs. Prior to that, HH helped the Oilers win the 2023 U.S. Open Cup and achieve consecutive postseason appearances, in addition to setting team records for a single season, including most points with 54 and most road wins with eight.