The Houston Dynamo, Major League Soccer’s two-time defending champion, is last place in the league with three points from its opening five matches. And yet, thanks to the weakness of the West, the Dynamo find themselves just five points outside of first place. That’s the good news.
But the stat sheet doesn’t lie, says Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle. Houston’s big name players simply aren’t performing. Dwayne De Rosario, MVP of last season’s MLS Cup final: 0 goals, 0 assists in five games. Striker Brian Ching, a U.S. international: 0 goals and 1 assist in five games. Ricardo Clark, another U.S. international and regular starter: 0 goals and 0 assists in three games. These guys have to step up if the Dynamo is going to start winning games.
That said, Fallas points out that MLS teams have learned that to neutralize Houston, you have to neutralize the likes of Ching and De Rosario. De Rosario, a two-time MLS MVP finalist, is frequently double-teamed anytime he comes within 30 yards of the goal. Ching, meanwhile, is being asked to hold the ball up further down the field than he’s used to. He’s had his chances, though, as has striking partner Franco Caraccio, who’s already scored twice this season. Says Fallas, “they seem due for a goal.”