Three simple questions: Houston Dynamo

Let's dip into the playoff poll again, this time with one of the fallen favorites. We corralled Houston radio man Brian Zygo to tackle our Dynamo answers.

NSC: What went wrong?

BZ: In simple terms, a lack a finishing, the Houston Dynamo were having trouble putting the ball in the net. It took over 180 minutes of playing time in the first round of the MLS playoffs before the Dynamo scored a goal. The only goal Houston managed in the Western Conference Final was disallowed due to a penalty.

Finishing was a problem that had plagued the Dynamo for the last half of the season. After going on a run of 9 wins and 3 draws from late April into early July, the Dynamo went on to close their season with only 4 more wins, 5 losses, and 5 draws. In all 4 wins, the Dynamo managed to score multiple goals per match, but they also gave up several goals in each of those matches. The losses and draws featured little scoring from the Dynamo.

Following their last regular season home match at Robertson Stadium, which ended up a 0-0 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Houston Coach Dominic Kinnear acknowledged that finishing was an issue his team was going to be working on as they prepared for the playoffs. The Dynamo’s season wrapped up in Los Angeles against Chivas USA, a match Houston won 3-2. The three goals came from players who had not scored for the Dynamo during the regular season, but it proved to be a false sign that their finishing problems had been solved.

The Dynamo play as a team, which is a good thing, but it can hurt them when it comes to scoring. Too often it seems that a Dynamo player will pass the ball to a teammate he thinks has a slightly better shot instead of taking the shot himself. It would do the Dynamo well to be a little more selfish when it comes to shooting next season.

NSC: What went right?

BZ: While there were some rough patches, on the whole the Dynamo Defense performed admirably this past season. Why that gives hope for next season is that the backline had a much younger vibe thanks to players like Geoff Cameron, Andrew Hainault, Bobby Boswell, and Mike Chabala. Old Dynamo stalwarts like Richard Mulrooney and Eddie Robinson spent the bulk of the season sidelined by injuries, while CraigWaibel and Wade Barrett saw diminished playing time. This time last year, there were lots of questions about how the Dynamo defense was going to hold up, those questions were answered this past season.

The Dynamo’s late season Designated Player signing, Luis Angel Landin, showed great potential, but was hurt by his lack of fitness and miscommunication with teammates who don’t have the best Spanish skills. If Landin takes advantage of the offseason to get into shape and drop some extra weight, he’ll see more playing time next season. Additionally, by the start of the 2010 MLS season, the communication skills between Landin and his teammates will have improved significantly and the preseason should give them the time to get on the same page.

Finally, the Dynamo Coaches Dominic Kinnear and John Spencer have shown an ability, year in and year out, to bring in new talent, tweak their line-up, and always make it to the playoffs. Part of this is also the ability to gauge when to get rid of a player who is not working out as expected. No matter what players depart this offseason, such as Ricardo Clark, Kinnear and Spencer are likely to see continued success with the players they bring into the squad.

NSC: What, if not who, does the team need to acquire?

BZ: Instead of targeting a player not currently on the team, the biggest focus of the Dynamo this offseason should be re-signing midfielder Stuart Holden who stepped into the spot left open by the departure of Dwayne De Rosario. Holden’s play with the US National Team has seemingly gotten some notice in Europe, so the Dynamo will have to be ready to offer him a significant contract to keep him in Dynamo orange. Holden grew up in Houston and has family in Houston, so his ties to the city can make the task a bit easier for the Dynamo, but that depends on which European clubs make him offers. At this point, I’d say there is at least a 51% chance Holden will be with Houston next season; however, rumors are circulating that Aberdeen, of the Scottish Premier League, and some clubs in the English Premier League have already contacted Holden.


- Greg Seltzer