(Editorial) – The Houston Dynamo ended the 2014 MLS season with an emphatic thud. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006, only the second time in their history. 2014 World Cup veterans Brad Davis and Oscar Boniek Garcia were shells of themselves down the stretch. Will Bruin scored 10 goals, but showed stretches of inconsistency. The defense was very hard working, but very much missed Bobby Boswell, who had an excellent season with D.C. United. In the off season, their longtime Head Coach Dominic Kinnear departed for San Jose.
Off Season Changes:
The Dynamo brought in former Wigan Manager Owen Coyle. They made a few moves acquiring some new pieces in Raul Rodriguez and Nathan Sturgis. DeMarcus Beasley had been added in the second half of the season as a Designated Player. In the off season, Erick ‘El Cubo’ Torres was acquired as a DP, but he won’t arrive until the July transfer window. The biggest off season loss was veteran goal keeper Tally Hall.
Going into 2015, the core was kept together, but was aging. Five of Houston’s starters are over the age of thirty. An argument can be made that this team’s window is closing as Davis and Boniek age. With two recent losses in MLS Cup, it’s likely the window to contend has closed and the club underachieved. Foreign coaches have tended to fail in MLS, though there was optimism about Coyle’s attitude and vision for the squad. Most critically, the team moved to the difficult Western Conference this year.
Low Expectations For 2015:
All of this added up to the Houston Dynamo having a disappointing 2015. Soccer America had them finishing seventh in the conference. “Somebody has to have a disappointing season out of the West, and unfortunately I think it may be the Dynamo,” said Soccer Pro. In MLSSoccer.com’s season preview, the experts said Houston would be the “most likely to surrender the most goals” and “most likely to wish they had their July arrival for the full season.” Both of those statements bear the assumption that they will miss the playoffs.
While few gave them the chances to make the playoffs in 2015, even with an expanded field of 12 teams in post-season play, the story would be very different if Cubo arrived at the beginning of the campaign. The Mexican International averaged 0.50 goals/game on an awful Chivas USA team. If Cubo could score 22 goals in 44 games, imagine what he’ll be able to do on a team that can actually create chances?
Results and Performances:
Houston are currently hovering near the red line in the Western Conference with a record of 4-5-4 (16 points). While the season is still young and teams haven’t played the same number of games, this is impressive. With no Cubo and Hall gone, one would expect Houston to struggle out the gate. Their record stands out when taking into account the schedule. Two of their losses came to Seattle and Dallas, quality Western Conference contenders. Only twice have they surrendered more than one goal. They’ve gotten a 1-1 draw on the road against D.C. United and the LA Galaxy (prior to Robbie Keane getting injured). They’ve gotten a few results they probably shouldn’t have. Some of their losses were to quality teams and only once have they had a bad loss (4-1 to FC Dallas).
They have lost the possession battle in 11 of their 13 matches. They are sixth in blocked shots and clearances and fifth in interceptions. Translation: they play defensive and gritty soccer. While not always pretty, it’s extremely effective. Coyle inherited the perfect team for this. They force opponents to play their style of play and make them try and break down the defense. Tyler Deric has been a brick wall in goal. Jermaine Taylor is having a bounce back year. In his first full season with the club, Beasley has been sound defensively and smart in the attack. Rodriguez has made very few mistakes as a rookie and was impressive against Toronto.
In the attack, Giles Barnes leads the team with six goals. He is playing his best soccer since coming to MLS in 2012. Bruin has contributed as well with four goals, and appears to be forming a good partnership with Barnes. Davis has four assists; both he and Boniek are having good seasons. Perhaps they were worn down last season after the World Cup. When they are playing well, this team is not easy to break down and can create chances without seeing the majority of ball. They play physically and are do make it easy.
Looking Forward:
The jury is still out on this team and their playoff hopes, but fans should be optimistic. This team is doing much better than many would have predicted. The goal should be to keep their current pace in time for Cubo’s arrival. They will probably lose both Cubo and Boniek for the Gold Cup. Houston only has three home games in June and July, the prime months for the heat and humidity to drain opponents. For these reasons, the team might need to play well towards the end of the season to make the playoffs. Cubo needs to come in and be effective. Barnes and Bruin will need to contribute offensively at times. Davis does not need to carry the team, but most continue to create chances for his forwards. With no true star on the back line, the collective effort defensively cannot falter.
Those are several ifs. A few things have to go well for the team to continue their current success. But they’re doing well all things considered and help is on the way.
Bottom line:
The Houston Dynamo are overachieving. Their best player has not shown up yet. They are not an easy game, even on the road for a more talented team. They have a better shot at making the playoffs than most gave them and they deserve some credit for it.
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
