Early Position Battles: Zeca vs. Dorsey

This offseason, there was little debate which two positions every fan saw a need to upgrade: (1) Striker. Coming off back-to-back seasons of very disappointing play from our #9's, the Dynamo HAD to get a striker capable of capitalizing on chances and creating a few themselves.  (2) Right Back.  Zarek Valentine is a great guy.  I absolutely love listening to his interviews, he seems to be involved in everything the Club does (including attending Dash games), and the locker room seems to have latched on to him. But, as much as I like the guy, he was a problem last year.  Valentine isn't the quickest player, and he was often a step slow.  While no one can really question his effort (Valentine gives all he can), his slow steps often led to goals.  He also isn't a fullback that's going to help you move the ball methodically down the field, and especially isn't going to help you move it with his feet.  Message boards were literally in a panic when an early-season injury forced Valentine back on the field.  Dorsey has been the clear-cut favorite since the early days of Training Camp and has shown some flashes here in the early part of the season.  Newcomer Zeka immediately perked up ears and has been somewhat impressive in the few minutes he's been on the field.  This is a position that could use some healthy competition.  We'll take a look at the two, why they should start, and why they should sit.

Zeca

Signed on February 10th, 2022, Zeca brought with him an Olympic medal and a lot of question marks.  Many fans hoped he would be the answer at RB, while hardly any of us knew anything about him.  The 27 year old has spent his entire career playing both back positions in Brazil's Serie A (and a year in Serie B), racking up almost 13,000 minutes played professionally.  From everything I've seen, he's super quick, not afraid to take on attackers, and has a good amount of skill with the ball at his feet.  In highlights and on paper at least, he seems like the type of back that fits Pat Onstad and Paulo Nagamura's vision.  The most intriguing thing about Zeca so far, however, is that we haven't seen much of Zeca.  Listed at 5'6" and 139 lbs, the diminutive Brazillian has come on twice for the Dynamo this season.  The first appearance, a 0-1 loss to Sporting K.C., he came on in the 86th minute for Zarek Valentine and barely even touched the ball.  His second appearance, 19 minutes off the bench against Colorado, was much more impressive.  He was extremely active up and down the right flank picking up 3 interceptions, 3 tackles, 2 recoveries, and getting 24 touches.  With those touches, he managed to complete 16/19 passes, mostly connecting well up to Tyler Pasher and inside to the midfield, and bringing the ball hard into outside spaces in the attacking third.  Zeca definitely left many of us wanting to see more, and some of us calling for him to be the starter.  

Strengths:

Zeca is quick, fast, and he plays angles well on the defensive end.   He's good with the ball at his feet, does a good job taking what the defense gives him, and can strike down the sideline when it's there. While we haven't seen much of him in MLS, his time in Serie A and with the Brazillian National Team can give us a slight glimpse.  Last year at Vasco de Gama (2,567 minutes played) he was successful on 56% of his dribbles, averaged 3.1 Tackles + Interceptions per game, averaged .8 key passes per game, and lit up the heatmap down the flanks with his ball possession.  Understandably, there are skeptics out there with the numbers being accumulated in Brasil's second division.  He was producing basically the same amount during his time at Internationale.  While there is a lot still to be seen with him, two things are for sure: (1) He's an energetic player with a good work rate. (2) He has skill to get at you multiple ways on the wing, and the patience to play the ball back when he needs to.

Weaknesses:

Size.  At 5'6", 139 lbs he's a tough matchup against some of the bigger wings in MLS.  While most of the dangerous wingers in MLS aren't necessarily going to overpower him, he'll be in a considerable size disadvantage on most nights.   

Why he should start:

Because he seems like a perfect fit for Paulo Nagamura's system and from the flashes we've seen he could be the RB we've been waiting for.  Playing him on the outside could take some creative pressure off of Corey Baird, and he's played well enough in the brief glimpse we've had of him to warrant a longer look. 

Why he should sit:

Because the bench has little to offer going forward, and Zeca could be an energy producer late in games to help turn the tide. Because he's still adjusting to a new league and a new coach, and because he wasn't here for all of training camp and isn't ready.

Griffin Dorsey

Believe it or not, Griffin Dorsey has been better than you think.  While he hasn't been Kyle Walker, he's been fairly solid in his 1 1/2 games starting at RB.  Dorsey, the former Generation Addidas player we scooped up last year, Dorsey is a guy with good size (5'11" 165), and speed.  The one-time #6 pick in the MLS Super Draft, Griffin came into the year having played the vast majority of his time as a pro up and down the right side of formations.  Dorsey seems to have settled in at RB since the start of camp.  Dorsey just turned 23, and still only has a little over 3600  minutes played as a professional.  Dorsey made a lot of strides last year towards becoming a dependable professional, and (from the limited amount we've seen of him) also made a decent jump over the offseason.  Dorsey could be a guy who makes a nice, long career here in Houston if he can continue his upward trajectory.  There has been little actual controversy as to who's position this is to man through the early part of the year.  Starting all preseason and in the first game of the year, Dorsey missed a game and a half with a slight leg injury before returning to the starting lineup against Vancouver and the Colorado Rapids.

Strengths:

Dorsey is an attack-minded player who is not scared to take on defenders or play crosses into the box.  He gets forward, he plays direct, and he's fairly good with the ball at his feet.  Dorsey is a good athlete and has good (but not great) straight-line speed.  He can cover box to box down the sideline, and is normally in the right position on defense.  Dorsey ranks 4th in total distance progressed with the ball at his feet, is 2nd in progressive carriers (18) and second in times progressed into the attacking 3rd (9). He's winning the Dynamo back possessions with high frequency, ranking 2nd on the team in tackles + interceptions, tied (12) with Mattias Vera and one behind Fafa Picault (13) although he's played 150 less minutes than either.  He's picked up as many loose balls as Daniel Steres, who's played the full 90 in every game.  Dorsey has been extremely active, and more often than not in the right places to find the ball.  He's also hitting the ball downfield and connecting to Quintero and the forwards.  He has 11 progressive passes in 206 minutes played. Dorsey is He's a decent all-around back who's young and athletic and should have a lot of upside and room to grow.

Weaknesses:

Defending.  Dorsey has trouble defending space in 1v1 situations.  He's not a terrible defender, but he can get his hips turned and beat back to the inside.  Some of this is from not playing a ton of minutes as a defender.  While it's not killing the Dynamo at the moment, it's an area he definitely needs to improve on.  His passing accuracy on creating that final pass inside the attacking third also needs work.  Griffin has to get better at getting his crosses by the first man and picking out teammates instead.  While he's not scared of taking defenders on, he needs to improve in that area also.  He's been dispossessed 4 times, which is 3rd on the team.

Why he should start:

Because he's been solid on both sides of the ball and helped balance out an attack that was very one-dimensional last year.  At 23 years of age, he has room to grow into a pretty solid RB with his athleticism, mentality, and ball skill combination.

Why he should sit:

There's simply only one reason at the moment:  Zeca is better.  We can't know the answer to this until we see more of Zeca on the field.

Final Thoughts:

This has actually been one position that the Dynamo haven't had to worry about this year.  Dorsey has done his job for the most part, and has been a solid upgrade over last year.  While I think this is most likely Dorsey's job to lose, I've seen enough of Zeca to think he could be an upgrade.  While Dorsey is solid, Zeca could be the Dynamic RB we need in this "Proactive" 4-3-3 style of play.  As this team appears to be gearing up to make some noise this year with the additions coming in, we need to find the best possible 11 to put out there.

Next Up:

Hadebe vs. Steres vs. Parker

Thanks again for reading,

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian

Early Position Battles: Baird vs. Pasher

 

As we go into a two-week hiatus during the international break, and with a little time to reflect here on the first month of the season, I want to take a look at some of the positions of interest here with our Houston Dynamo.  Through the first four games, with a 1-2-1 record (5 points, all at home), with a new coach, new playing style, and a couple of new faces, there is a lot to debate and talk about.  While I'll be the first to admit that the idea of "Position Battles" this early in the season is completely fan-made and Paulo Nagamura has given 0 indications that there are actually ongoing position battles, I think there are a few positions that are worth examining. 

Of the early going position battles, probably the most intriguing among Dynamo Fandom is at RW.  With the attack struggling to create chances and score goals, forums and social media are full of asking one thing: why does Corey Baird start?  From online petitions to FREE PASH MONEY to tons of discussions on Twitter, Reddit, and Big Soccer, this is probably the position that #ForeverOrange faithful feel the strongest about.  Without considering newly acquired Thiaghuinho to the mix yet, here's a look at the two players in as non-biased way as I can muster.

Corey Baird

Baird	Appearances	Goals	Assists	Minutes
LW	29	9	7	2,302
RW	16	2	3	1,312
LM	3	1	1	254
RM	1	0	0	87
Totals	49	12	11	3,955
Career Totals	119	19	16	7,844

Coming into the season, Baird had played about half his career as a winger/outside midfielder.  Having been fairly up and down production during his career, Baird has been a fairly productive player from the Wing position, especially on the left flank.  While the numbers aren't tremendous, posting a total of 10 goals and 8 assists from basically a year's worth of play (32 appearances, 2500 minutes played) from the left side isn't anything to be ashamed of.  While that is spread out over 5 seasons, it's still plenty of experience at the position.  The most minutes Baird has ever played there in one season is 980 during his sophomore season.  Last year, before coming to the Dynamo, Baird played 512 of his 750 minutes on the wing, posting all 3 goals and both assists from those positions.  

Strengths

There was a time, not soo long ago, when Baird was clocked as MLS's fastest player.  Baird is a high work rate guy who dwarfs Pasher in terms of Defensive stats.  His 31 pressures in the attacking third ranks 22nd in the league and is only behind Sebastian Ferreira for the Dynamo lead.  Baird has actually outdone Fafa Picault (17) in terms of applying pressure from the top.  Baird ranks 3rd in Interceptions (5), has won 2 tackles, and his 22 balls recovered rank 6th on the team.  Baird isn't scared to mix it up and go after balls.  Between his recoveries, tackles, and interceptions, he's won back 30 possessions for the Dynamo in 316 minutes played.  Bairds pressure success rate (27%) ranks first on the team among starting forwards (only Thor ranks better on the team). He's done a good job holding down the wing and defending players with the ball at their feet (2/3 in Dribblers defended).  Baird makes also well-timed runs into open space and is usually available in possession. Baird has 129 touches through his first 316 minutes of play, which isn't bad considering he's not one of the primary options with Quintero, Fafa, and Sebas playing with him up top. Of his 129 touches, 65 are in the attacking third (4th on team), 10 are inside the opponents' penalty box (4th). He's helping the Dynamo move the ball down the field, as his 15 progressive carries rank 3rd on the team, and his 17 deep balls received rank only behind Fafa (22).  Baird has been a valuable part of helping with playing "Proactive" in the early part of the season, helping win the ball back high and looking to take advantage of defensive errors.  Also, Baird has done a good job switching wings with Fafa in the flow of the game, allowing Fafa to roam to the side he finds as a better matchup and rolling into position without hiccup or mistake.

Weaknesses

Basically, anything involving ball skill. Baird has yet to beat 1 player with the dribble this year (0/7).  His passing rate (77.3%) is among the worst on the team, but also best among the front 4.  Baird's lone assist this year was a mishit chopper that was accurate, but poorly hit.  Baird has only attempted 6 crosses, on the year, and the ones he has hit have been nowhere near the mark. He's also extremely one-footed, of the 95 passes he's attempted, 82 have been with his right foot.  His 1.71 Shot Creating actions per 90 rank 161st in MLS.  Baird has only managed 3 shots through the first 4 games, none of which have been on target.  His 0.85 Shots/90 are good for 185th in MLS.  Long story short, he's providing almost nothing on the wing going forward. 

Why he should start:

Because he fits the system concept of defending from the front and taking what the defense gives you through patient buildup and smart, well-timed runs.

Why he should sit:

Because he offers little in the way of chance creation or goal scoring.

Tyler Pasher

Pasher	Appearances	Goals	Assists	Minutes
LW	24	6	3	1,910
RW	6	3	1	379
LM	10	5	1	855
RM	1	0	0	60
Totals	41	14	5	3,204
Career Totals	172	36	16	11,736

Pasher came over last year after a couple of standout years playing for USL's Indy 11.  The Canadian-born Pasher has a heavy left foot.  Posting 23 goals and 6 assists over his last two years there, Pasher came off his best year as a pro earning 2nd Team All USL-Championship honors.  Pasher got off to a blazing start last year under Tab Ramos, posting 3 goals and 2 assists through his first 8 appearances in #ForeverOrange.  He was directly involved in 5 of the Dynamo's first 11 goals, before injuries and a couple of stints playing for Team Canada derailed his time on the field.  Mostly a Center Forward throughout his career, Baird has seen a lot of action on the wings as well.   Posting a total of 3200 over 39 appearances minutes on the wing, there's a good sample size to see what Pasher can do from this position, albeit most of the sample size comes from the Championship.  Pasher has had a tuff time seeing the field this year and had a very hard time seeing the field last year after returning from his last injury stint. Pasher hasn't made a start of any kind since September 3rd, 2021, during a 2-0 home loss to Portland where he left with a 48th-minute injury.  While he's been highly productive in the ratios, he's had trouble finding the field.

Strengths

Pasher plays direct.  He's not scared to take on defenders, he plays with pace, and if he cuts back inside to his left foot he's extremely dangerous.  Pasher can fire lasers and has done so a few times in his time here already.  His passing accuracy, the sheer number of passes he played (.39 passes per minute in a Dynamo uniform), his production (5 goals and 2 assists in 881 MLS minutes played), and his shooting efficiency (5 goals on 15 shots, 60% Shots On Target) is all among the MLS's best. His 60% SOT would rank 3rd in MLS over the last two years if he had enough shots to qualify.  Pasher times his runs well and does a good job cutting in behind and finding space.  He can finish with either foot, even though he prefers his left.  Pash Money creates chances. His 5.29 Shot Creating Actions/90 would currently rank 7th in MLS if he had enough minutes to qualify, and his 3.29 last year bettered both Baird (1.99) and Fafa (1.90) Pasher's attacking ability and movement are much needed up top for a team struggling to find goals. 

Tyler Pasher with the earlyyyy goal! 🔥@HoustonDynamo take the lead! #HOUvCIN pic.twitter.com/FzXtUG13iL

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 4, 2021

Weaknesses:

Defending.  Pasher isn't a defensive forward by any means.  While last year he was effective at applying pressure (91 pressures, 36% success rate) he only managed 13 tackles + interceptions in 881 minutes played.  He doesn't recover balls at a high rate (44 in 881 minutes, as compared to Baird's 23 in 362 minutes).  Pasher isn't a guy who is going to win you extra possessions through the course of a game.  

Why he should start:

Because he's the most creative winger we currently have on the roster.  Pasher is a direct player that helps the team create chances and score goals. 

Why he should sit:

Two reasons: (1) his defending isn't a scheme or mentality fit. (2) He's the only creative player we currently have coming off the bench.

Final Thoughts:

If we could put the two together, we'd have a really good winger.  But being that the two have have vastly different skill sets, and are oppositely strong food, I could actually see them working in tandem based on matchup.  I'd love to see Pasher start against teams like Colorado, Sporting K.C., etc that press hard in the midfield and open up the wings.  I could see Baird as a better fit against San Jose, NYCFC, and Austin FC which are really dominating possession this year.  I would like to see Pasher get a start here in the near future, but I don't think that there is a clear favorite between the two.  I think Paulo has to choose based on matchup/need of the moment.

Next Up:

Zeka vs. Dorsey

Thanks again for reading,

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian

Stealing a point - Dynamo 1:1 Rapids

 

What a beautiful night it was at PNC.  The weather was terrific (70 degrees at kickoff), the crowd was fairly large (17,007 reported) and rowdy, and the Dynamo managed to eke out a point in the closing minutes of the game.  In a tough, hard-fought battle with lots to talk about the Dynamo managed to play toe-to-toe with one of the Western Conference's better teams.  It wasn't always pretty, and it didn't result in 3 points, but in the end, it was a workman-like performance that managed to do just enough.  

The starting 11 saw only one change from the previous game against Vancouver.  Teenage Hadebe got the nod over Tim Parker for his first start of the season.  Steve Clark, Daniel Steres, Adam Lundkvist, Griffen Dorsey rounded out the backline, with Coco Carrasquilla, Mattias Vera, and Darwin Quintero playing in front of them in the midfield.  Fafa Picault and Corey Baird provided the edge on the attack, with Sebas getting the nod again at striker.  With Colorado having an excellent defense (coming off back to back clean-sheets, returning most of a defense that ranked 2nd in the Western Conference in Goals Allowed in 2021), and having one of the more underrated midfield's in MLS, Colorado does a great job choking off the midfield and making teams play on the edge.  With Speedster's Michael Barrios and Jonathan Lewis at the top, they are always a threat on the counter. Paulo Nagamura's decision to go with a more attacking and creative midfield (over the conservative midfield we saw the first two games) and the more athletic Hadebe in the back was a risk-reward scenario that came out even.  A look at the night, the game, and a few of the highlights.

Bring on the Smoke:

Right away you could see the two opposing styles begin to take place, with the Dynamo trying to hold possession, play deep and control the lines and Colorado coming out with setting in a mid-block defense, pressing the midfield, and looking to play the ball deep down the sidelines.  Houston almost broke through early, after a decent buildup down the left side, Quintero found Baird just in behind the defense.  Baird chipped in a fairly decent cross but Lalas Abubakar was the only one on the other end of it.  Time and time again in the first ten minutes of the game, Houston gobbled up deep passes by the Rapids, built up play through nice combination work, and then lobbed a fruitless pass into the box.  Colorado's backline of Aaron Trusty, Danny Wilson, and Lalas Abubakar was making anything into the box almost impossible to connect on.  Fafa, Baird, and Dorsey all had crosses that went through the box without even a threat on the other end. Colorado in turn saw Barrios and Rosenberry both had crosses sail through the 6-yard box that had no one on the end of.  At the 10:00 mark, Colorado nearly broke through. A terrific deep ball by Abubakar found Keegan Rosenberry in perfect stride.  Rosenberry hit a perfect volley to Jonathan Lewis inside the box.  Lewis cut back to his right foot and hit a nice strike that Clark managed to deflect away for a corner.  Colorado dominated possession for much of the first 20 minutes, as the Dynamo set deep to look to protect.  Barrios made a dangerous run tucked in behind Rubio at the 11:00 mark, only to see the ball be a step too long.

The first 15 minutes also saw Thor loosening up in a hurry, and it seemed like Sebas was going to take a very early seat.  I never heard an explanation and they didn't mention it on the broadcast, but Ferreira wasn't moving very quick out there and had taken several awful touches just losing the ball.  The game bogged down a tad from minutes 15-30, with Michael Barrios' right-footed blast off a nice turn in the penalty circle being really the only clear chance by either team.  Michael Barrios fired another laser across goal that was just nicked away by Steres at the last second.  Daniel Trusty flattened Fafa Picault on a run down the right sideline moments later, earning a yellow.  

At the 40th minute mark, Colorado broke through.  Seeing it live, we couldn't see how Mark Anthony-Kaye was unmarked at the back post for a sitter.  Adam Lundkvist, Darwin Quintero, and Steve Clark were pleading their case to Nima Saghafi, and I thought it deserved another look to see if Kaye was off on the kick.  End of the day Danny Wilson did a great job getting between Clark and the ball, and Griffen Dorsey lost Anthony-Kaye for a split second, allowing him to get the tap in. Colorado won the first half, earning 4 corners and firing off 6 shots to Houston's 3 (0 on target).  They were definitely the most dangerous of the two teams.  The Dynamo didn't have a decent crack at the goal and Yarbrough made it through the first 45 minutes of play without having to make a single save.  Coming out of the half, when asked by Dany Rodriguez how to fix it, Paulo Nagamura said: "Stop giving the ball away at the middle of the field, as simple as that."  

The Second half was a different story:

While there wasn't a big tactical change, the Dynamo came out playing much more "quick" in the second half.  Lundkvist played a long ball into Fafa Picault on a sprint, Trusty was there to head it away, but Quintero nearly picked up the second ball inside the box. Although still sitting in a mid/deep-block, the midfield was playing faster and spraying the ball to the Center Backs or to Lundkvist on 1-2 touches. 3-minutes in, Carrasquilla took a pass from Lundkvist, pivoted, and fired a diagonal to Corey Baird about 20 yards out with Lundkvist looping down the left flank.  Baird fired in a perfect cross to Sebas, who missed the ball with his head and it went off the back of his shoulder over the goal.  Carrasquilla won a found a minute later, and at the 53-minute mark, Quintero dribbled through almost the entire Rapids defense, only to have it knocked away by Danny Wilson right in front of the goal.  Colorado set in deeper, playing 5 across the back, bottling up both Quintero and Ferreira.  The Dynamo just couldn't find that final pass for much of the second half but began finding cracks in the Rapid's fortified defenses and dominated the run of play for the better part of 20 minutes. 

-59th Minute: Darwin Quintero gets knocked down (and commits a total handball that the refs missed), gets up, tracks the ball down, and fires a lofted through ball to Baird on a dime.  Baird misplays the touch, and the ball gets knocked away.

-60th Minute: Thor makes a nice run down the left side, fires one across the box that is cleared by Wilson.

-63rd Minute: Baird wins a free-kick just outside the box.  Quintero fires it into the wall.  Baird tracks down the ball finds Lundkvist who fires a cross a foot too high for Fafa.

-65th Minute: after some deliberate buildup, Teenage fires a 40 yard pass on a rope to Thor.  Thor takes a quick touch turn and fires a shot right at Yarbrough.

-69th Minute:  Coco makes a nice 20-yard pass to Thor, who controls it and squares it back to a trailing Baird, Colorado manages to recover and the Dynamo win a throw in. On the throw-in, Coco one touches a pass to Quintero who fires a shot just high (Pasher and Zeka come on).

-71st Minute: Dorsey lobs a beautiful ball over the top to Vera, who heads it to Quintero inside the right side of the box, Quintero fires it wide right.

-75th Minute: After some slow buildup, the ball finds Zeka on the right side.  Zeka fires in a cross which finds Thor's head, but Thor doesn't get enough of his head on the ball and it scoots wide left.

-75th Minute: The Rapids finally hit on a counter.  After Tyler Pasher stumbles taking on 3 defenders and gives the ball away on the right side, Rubio finds Center Back Aaron Trusty on a beautiful run in between Steres and Hadebe, and behind Coco who is flying down the center of the pitch.  Trusty is 1v1 with Steve Clark, but Clark reads it perfectly and takes the ball off Trusty's foot.  The ball deflects away and Steres knocks it out of bounds.

-76th Minute: After a nice interception, Teenage brings the ball forward all the way into the attacking third and lays one off to Fafa.  Fafa hits a cross, but it's blocked by the nearest defender.

-80th Minute: Quintero takes the ball away from Shinyashiki, taps it to Pasher, who combos it to a streaking Vera.  Vera just looses his footing and the ball gets knocked out to Lundi.  Lundkvist fires up the left sideline to Fafa, who drills in a cross for Thor that goes all the way through to Yarbrough.

-82nd Minute: Zeka chases down a loose ball and fires one up to Pasher.  Pasher fires a side footer into the box that also makes it's way to the Rapids' Keeper.

It was at the 84th minute when Nagamura used his final two subs (Memo -> Quintero; Ceren -> Vera) that things turned fortunate.  In the 65th Minute I looked at Baird struggling to get up and down the field and told Wade: "We're gassed.  We need some fresh legs."  You could see some of the guys were really puffing out there, and the transitions were getting slower.  Pasher and Thor had turned the game with their energy.  Memo and Ceren helped turn the tide.  Colorado was struggling to simply get the ball across midfield for most of the second half, and while it was a complete unbelievably bad series of plays by Yarbrough that cost them two points, the energy of the bench made a huge difference in the game.   It was a turnover that found it's way to Coco in the 87th minute that set up the series of events.  Coco pushed it right down the middle of the field and had his choice of two wide-open teammates to choose from.  With Fafa on his left and Thor on his right, Coco hit one about a yard too far out in front of Fafa.  The stadium deflated, for about 5 seconds.

What happened next was soo quick, there wasn't much time to process it.  Yarbrough lined up the goal-kick, and was watching the ref (while wasting as much time as allowed.)  He then fired a pass directly to Memo Rodriguez standing all alone inside the midfield circle.  The ball hit Memo right in the chest.  

Memo controlled it, with Pasher, Thor, and Fafa streaking to the goal.  Thor's run down the middle drew both Wilson and Trusty.  Abubakar stepped up to take Memo, leaving a gaping hole behind him. Memo fired a perfectly weighted ball his right and hit Pasher just in perfect time.  Here's where things get really weird.  Yarbrough had come up and out of the box.  If Memo had hit it a yard further, Yarbrough snags it.  Yarbrough can't make a play with his hands, because he's outside the box. When Pasher hits it, Yarbrough knee slides instead of getting wide.  Pasher tucked one right past him and into the right side of the goal.  89:09 gone in the game, all the momentum was our way, and I actually though we might be able to sneak another one in.

The place exploded, but you could see the guys were pushing for a second.  Steve Clark was yelling and waving the guys to get in place.  Memo fired a 91st-minute cross into the box that got deflected and wound up in Yarbrough's lap.  Colorado wasn't done yet either, however, as seconds later Jack Price squared one to a wide-open Bryan Acosta who fired it yards wide to the left. On the ensuing possession, Thor won a free kick in a dangerous area that Memo hit well but didn't have enough on it to get past Yarbrough.  The whistle blew and you had to feel fortunate to get a point, but also a little disappointed we didn't get three.  It's not a game we should have won, but it's one that could have gone either way.  Landing the point at home was a testament to the team battling back, and stepping up to the challenge of playing a real quality Western Conference team.  There's still a lot of room to grow, and a lot of season left, but it was nice to get a point regardless of how it came.

Will Sebas breakthrough?

It's not even about scoring a goal at this point, it's just about putting together a decent performance.  Sebas has yet to impress in literally any facet of the game.  His combo play has been a little off, his holdup play has been poor (dispossessed 9 times through 4 games, team-high), you can often see him watching the ball when he should be running to space (which he's having trouble finding).  You can make a case that he's not getting good service, but you can also see that he's just not finding space to get the service.  He doesn't really seem to make runs at all, and he's not using his body to shield off defenders. For most of the last two games, he's actually playing under Quintero instead of vice versa. Of the 7 shots he's managed this year, 1 has been on target and 6 have been blocked.  He's also complaining to his teammates a lot and had some words for Paulo when he came off last night.  I don't know what it'll take to unlock the guy we saw banging home goals in the pre-season, but Paulo needs to figure it out soon.  With Ferreira being called up to Paraguay for World Cup Qualifying, it's a shame they don't have this time to work out some kinks. 

Notables:

Teenage Hadebe:

Landed his first start of the season and put in 90 solid minutes.  Had three interceptions, 7 recoveries, 8 clearances, was 100% in areal duals and hit 97.8% of his passes.  Was stride for stride with Colorado's front line the entire game.  He gobbled up Rubio and Lewis a few times and hit Thor on a laser to set up a chance late in the game.  Wasn't his best performance, but was a solid one.

Thor: 

Came on at 59:40.  Played really physical, made several nice runs, a couple of dangerous crosses, and was extremely physical fighting for the ball.  The tap and turn shot he took in the 65th minute was a veteran Center Forward type play.  Yes, it was right at the keeper, but the touch and body control are something not a lot of guys in this league have.

Tyler Pasher

Only played 19 minutes, and was a little up and down.  Had two plays after he first came on that were really rough.  His taking on 3 defenders trying to cup back to his left foot led to a counter that should have put Colorado up 2-0.  Lost the ball trying to cut back inside in the 77th minute too.  But settled down and made a couple of dangerous plays late including the goal.  Hit on 10/11 passes and drew a late foul. Oh, and this 👇

🇨🇦💰🐐. Enough Said. #HoldItDown @Typash pic.twitter.com/Eo1ysQh8cT

— Houston Dynamo Memes (@dynamo_memes) March 20, 2022

Memo Rodriguez:  

Only chipped in 7 minutes but made the big play that earned the point, Also got the most laughable yellow card I've seen while still on the bench for throwing the ball to his teammate in the corner.

Coco Carrasquilla:

Was really good once again.  Picked up 15 recoveries, and 2 tackles and 3 interceptions.  Coco hit on 81% of his passes, but was under pressure every time he touched the ball.  Had a bit of an up and down first half but adjusted nicely and really took it to Colorado's midfield in the second half on both sides of the ball.

Enjoy the break everyone!  Thanks again for reading!

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian

Houston Dynamo - Vancouver White Caps.

 

Pregame Talk:

There was some buzz pregame when starting 11's were introduced.  Fans have been waiting to see Coco Carrasquilla and Darwin Quintero in the starting lineup, and after two scoreless games Paulo Nagamura made the switch.  And while there was buzz around this, Pat Onstad also dropped a bomb during the pregame show.  When asked by Glen Davis about the GAM brought in by the trading of Derrick Jones:  "Yeah, we're looking to spend that right away. We have somebody lined up, hopefully in the next week or so.....we'll be able to announce.....in an attacking position. We need to get some more players in here I think to help the group. But what we are excited about is the group we do have. I think they work really hard defensively.  We gave up 59 goals last year, so far we've only given up one.  So that's good but on the other side, you know, we haven't scored yet. So hopefully we can go bang in a few against Vancouver."  It's an exciting time to be a Dynamo fan, this group is being aggressive as far as getting new guys in here.  No idea who Pat is talking about, but hopefully it's a 10 or a right-winger to help with the attack."  

While this statement perked up my ears, what happened on the pitch over the opening 30 minutes perked up my eyes.  Coco and Quintero didn't disappoint and did more for the attack in the first five minutes than the midfield has done all season. Coco's ability to break lines with lights out passing and Quintero's ability to....well....be Darwin freaking Quintero was a much-needed sight for La Naranja and Paulo Nagamura.  The game started off fast, the Dynamo came out aggressive early, and even though they fell behind 1-0 managed to battle back and take control of the game.  In a game that featured a lot of firsts, the 3 points were much needed, and hopefully there's more to come.

The first 30 Minutes:

From the opening possession of the game, the Dynamo held firm on the back two lines forcing Vancouver to play over the top.  Setting up in a 4-3-3 that played more like a 4-2-3-1, with Quintero really pushing high and playing in space behind Vancouver's midfield, the Dynamo were looking to play long balls through the lines to Quintero, Baird, and Fafa.  It returned immediate dividends. On their first possession, building from the back, Griffen Dorsey fired one down the right touchline to Sebastian Ferreira who one-touched it to a trailing Corey Baird. Baird fired it to Darwin about 30 yards from goal in the middle of the field.  After some quick combos from Quintero and Sebas, Quintero tried to play a through ball that just missed a streaking Sebas, but found Corey Baird trailing behind.  Baird fired in a near-perfect cross that just missed Fafa's head at the back post.  Quintero chased the loose ball down and fired a right-footed bender that goalkeeper Thomas Hasel just managed to get a hand on and knock over the net.  It was 1:30 into the game, but the Dynamo had let their intentions be known. 

Not only were the Dynamo pushing the ball with tempo and purpose, but they were also defending and pressing much higher than in the previous two games.  The first ten minutes saw the Dynamo look increasingly threatening, and the White Caps were barely able to get the ball across midfield.

5:00 - Quintero tries to play Fafa through, the pass is just a hair too long.

5:30 - Sebas puts pressure on Hasel, who hits one directly to Baird.  Baird heads it to Quintero, Quintero plays it to Vera, who hits one just over the crossbar.

6:30 - Dorsey dribbles through the entire Vancouver team, fires in a cross that gets deflected by Dajome, and ends up in the lap of Hasel. High pressing wins them a Throw-in deep in the final third. 

7:55 - Sebas finally gets the ball in a dangerous position with space, fires a shot that's deflected, and earns a corner.

9:30 - High pressing forces Vancouver to play the ball long from deep in their own third, Parker heads it to Coco who earns a foul. 

11:00 - Pressure once again forces a bad pass from Vancouver, Parker plays it to Baird who earns a foul.

That's when disaster struck. In really their first possession in some time that went into the attacking third, off a throw-in and after some quick combo play, Ryan Gaud laid a perfectly weighted pass to Cristián Dajome who was streaking down the sideline after throwing the ball in.  Dajome hit a pinpoint cross on the first touch, Lucas Cavellini found his way behind Daniel Steres and blasted it past Steve Clark.  Steres got too wide of the posts, Parker didn't get over in time, and Cavallini found the space and side-footed it to the near post.  It was the only threat Vancouver had had in the opening 15 minutes, and they found a way to capitalize on it.  

Although Vancouver broke through, it really didn't seem to phase the Dynamo or alter their plan.  They just went right back to it.

17:30 - Ball played up to Fafa, Fafa takes on Tristan Blackmon and wins a corner.

18:00 - Quintero fires in a corner that just misses Fafa, Coco chases down the ball and fires in a dangerous cross, but a goal kick is given.

18:30 - Fafa steals the goal kick, races past everyone and fires a cross to Sebas that Hasal manages to steal away.

20:00 - Dynamo take the ball away again in the attacking third, and after some excellent quick touch combo plays, Darwin corrals the ball and fires a shot that is deflected out of bounds earning a corner.

20:30 - Dynamo short play the corner, Coco fires in another cross that just misses Sebas' head, earns another corner.

21:42 - Dynamo take away a clearance at midfield, play it up to Coco who earns another foul.  After the foul, Darwin fires a great ball into the box, which is knocked away by Hasel.  Coco takes the rebound and fires a blast that is deflected, which Baird chases down and fires one wide.

25:00 - High pressure sees Quintero take the ball away from Leonard Owusu.  Quintero takes the ball and lobs a dangerous pass to a racing Fafa, ball ends up in Hasel's lap.

29:46 - After building from the back and switching field a couple of times, the ball finds Darwin Quintero on the right flank who chips a lob to Sebas, but Hasel goes up and gets it in front of him.

30:49 - The high press gets Vancouver again, as Baird forces a bad pass by Florian Jungwirth. Coco tracks the ball down and one-touches it to Sebas.  Sebas has Fafa wide open on the left flank, but tries to do too much with it had has the ball taken away.

The first 30 minutes were dominated by the Dynamo, they were by far the better team in every way except the scoreline.  Most of it was spent in Vancouver's half of the field with the Dynamo looking extremely threatening on the end of almost every possession.  It was an exciting, but frustrating start.  Things would turn however, over the next 15 minutes.

The Next 15 minutes:

After Vera won a foul at the edge of the attacking third at the 31:00 minute mark, the Dynamo quickly found Coco who carried the ball left.  He found Fafa ducking inside about 30 yards out, and cut back inside to his right.  Fafa laid it back to him, and Coco lobbed an unbelievable pass over the top to Baird who had found his way behind Vancouver's back three.  While their entire backline lobbied for an offsides call, Baird tracked it down and just managed to hit Darwin right in front of the net to level the score.  It was a really good play by Baird, but the Dynamo were helped out by Vancouver just giving up on the play.  Vancouver, however, started to find cracks in the Dynamo defense.  Lundkvists huge block on Cavellini in the 34th minute was one of several huge plays by Dynamo defenders on the night and helped save 2 points.  Moments after, Baird found Quintero just outside the box who fired a left-footer on target, but Hasel just manages to knock it away.  The last 15 minutes of the first half was much more even, and a lot slower paced.  The Dynamo got into the dressing room tied 1:1, but had really been the most dangerous team without question. 

Total. Team. Goal.

That's lovely stuff, y'all 😍#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/CEBNunIjaU

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) March 13, 2022

The Next 15 Minutes:

The second half started much like the first half ended.  The opening 5 minutes was fairly slow-paced, back and forth and even.  When Lundkvist gobbled up a poor touch from Ryan Gauld in the 49th minute and fired it upfield to Coco, that turned quickly.  Coco took one good touch, and fired a laser to Sebas 30 yards downfield and just outside the box.  Sebas had two defenders on him and tried to cut back to his right with Florian Jungwirth charging hard. It's hard to tell if Sebas took a bad touch, fumbled under the pressure, or meant to pass the ball, but the ball wound up right at the feet of Darwin Quintero who scored a golazo from about 20 yards out.  The blast found the top right corner, clean past a diving Hasel.  

We'll be watching this one for weeks to come, @darwinJR3.

Time to put this one on repeat, H-Town 🔁🔁🔁🔁 pic.twitter.com/Q9xLhzxg6x

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) March 13, 2022

The next ten minutes was more back-and-forth action, as each team was really working the high press and spreading the field. Quintero just missed Sebas a couple of times.  And while both teams managed 1 more shot over this span (Dajome's 56th-minute scooter through a pack of players that went wide, and Vera's 60th-minute blast off a corner clearance that was blocked), neither team really managed anything of danger.

The Final 30 Minutes:

Minutes 70-90 belonged to Vancouver.  After Vanni Sartini subbed on Marcus Godinho and Deiber Caicedo in the 66th minute, the tide seemed to turn. From minutes 70-90, Vancouver managed 10 shots on goal, although only one was really close.  6 of those shots came in a 70th-minute flurry off back-to-back corners after Steres headed a Dajome cross out of bounds.  The first flurry saw a header hit the crossbar, and then Dorsey made a tremendous play going up and blocking Lucas Cavallini's header with his head from just inches away. Vancouver found the ball twice more, for two more shots inside the box that were both blocked by a wall of Dynamo defenders.  The second flurry had Caicedo miss-hit the corner (which was blocked by Parker) and Tristan Blackmon track that down and mishit one that Clark gobbled up.  Time and time again the White Caps threatened, and time and time again Dynamo defenders stepped in front of shots.  At the 75th minute, Paulo subbed on Memo, Thor, and Ceren for Quintero, Ferreira, and Carrasquilla, and the game settled back down a bit.  Thor had a great chance off an 82nd-minute set-piece that he just mis-hit into the ground, but it still managed to make Hasel dive to get the bouncer off the post. The Dynamo managed one more barrage of blasts in the 90th minute which saw Memo blast a free-kick off the crossbar that just missed the top left corner, which a defender tried to clear but it hit Darwin Ceren and deflected back in play.  The ball found it's way back to Thorinside the box, and he turned fired a left-footer that was saved by Hasal. 

Notables:

Coco Carrasquilla

Had an unbelievable night.  10 recoveries, 3 interceptions, 17 pressures, 236 Yards of progressive distance, 51/51 in targets received, 2 fouls drawn, 71 touches, 54/60 on passing, including 11/14 on deep balls, 1 key pass, and 4 through balls, and 6 passes completed into the attacking third.  He generated 5 shots and was part of both goals. He was all over the field and was instrumental in many of their chances and buildup play.  He and Quintero played off each other all night, and he got the ball to Baird, Fafa, and Sebas in areas where they could do something with it.  Was really nice to see this, and wish he would have been healthy from the get-go.

Darwin Quintero

Did what Darwin does.  63 touches (45 in the attacking third, and 5 inside the penalty box), his two goals don't tell the entire impact he had on the game.  He was breaking lines with the ball at his feet (4/5 in taking on defenders, 104 yards in progressive distance), he was dicing Vancouver up with passes (13 progressive passes completed, 2 key passes, and was trying to force-feed Sebas all night while still dominating the game), and he was actively defending in the attacking third (10 pressures in the attacking third, 5 recoveries.)  I know Darwin can't play 90 minutes a night 34 games a year, but here's to hoping he is making starts and playing 70+ minutes more often than not over the rest of the year.

Griffen Dorsey

Dorsey made a case for himself last night.  Defensively (9 recoveries, 2 tackles, 1 recovery, 2 blocks and an unbelievable goal-line clearance, 100% defending 1v1), Offensively (54/60 passing including 10/13 on deep balls, 4 passes into the attacking third, and 3 through balls completed) and in possession (173 yards covered with the ball at his feet, 43/43 in receiving targets), Dorsey played like a guy fighting for his job and didn't disappoint.  With Zeka still waiting to make his first start, Dorsey made a strong case to keep the job for now.

Sebas

The Dynamo were trying to force-feed Ferreira the ball last night, and the results were mostly disappointing. Not because he didn't score a goal, but because many times he was trying to do too much with it.  He got the ball taken away from him several times inside the box, he took too many touches often and missed open teammates.  He did (accidentally) notch the assist on Darwin's second goal, but he needs to relax and let the game come to him more.  He did manage 3 shots, but all were blocked.   

Corey Baird

It wasn't always pretty, but he got the job done.  Baird did a good job leading the defense, posting 2 tackles in the attacking third, both of which led to chances. He notched an assist on Quintero's goal and linked up with Quintero several times which led to a shot on goal. It wasn't always pretty, he gave the ball away too many times, but it was the most productive performance for Baird in a Dynamo uniform. 

Minor Notes:

• Teenage Hadebe looked terrible in the minutes he got down the stretch. He mistimed a header badly right before blocking the second shot.
• Adam Lundkvist also had a very quiet but highly productive night. Lundy had a big block in the first half and turned several Vancouver mistakes into counterattacks.  
• I love the supporters' sections totally firing up the Orange Smoke.  We need more of it.  PNC should be covered in Orange Fog when tipoff hits. I want 360° of Orange hell when our starting 11 walks on the field.
• The Dynamo now rank 1st in MLS in passing success rate (85.3%, slightly ahead of LAG) after ranking last for most of last season.
• The Dynamo held 58.7% possession last night and now rank 11th in MLS with 54% on the season.
• On the night of firsts: First Win, First Goal, Nagamura's first win as an MLS manager, First start for Quintero, First Start for Carrasquilla, the first appearance for Hadebe on the year, and first goal or assist for both Baird and Sebas in a Dynamo uniform. There's probably more, but those are just off the top of my head.

Next Up

Saturday, March 19th @ 7:30

PNC Stadium

Thanks again for reading, feel free to drop a comment.

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian

With lots of "New's", season is off to an old, familiar start.

 

Haven't we been down this road before?  Although the style is a little different, the lineup and the results are the same.  Through the first two games of the year, there has been little to be excited about.....well, on the pitch anyway.  Despite all the exciting signs that this Dynamo regime will be different, the early goings point to what many (including myself in my season preview) have been saying: this team isn't very good.  Despite all the focus behind the biggest signing in Dynamo history, only to be bettered by a move taking place this summer, there's just not enough on this roster to compete.  Despite the commitment to "being proactive", and all the talk of all of those who have come, are coming, and may come, there's still too much of last year on this team.  Through two games, we have yet to earn a win, we have yet to score a goal, and we continued the (mostly) 10-year trend of being terrible on the road. In this post, we'll look at the good, the bad, and the ugly through the first two games.  

The Best of All:

The news of Hector Herrera becoming official is tremendous news for many reasons.  It shows commitment by this regime, it shows that high-level players are willing to come here, and it shows that this organization actually has a plan.  For the first time in a long time, there are real rumors of high-level players coming here.  Herrera isn't the only one.  Ferriera coming here was huge, as well as a goalkeeper like Steve Clark.  I'm anxiously waiting to see what Zeka can bring to the table and if he can be one of the pieces we've been missing for a while.  From everything I've read and seen, he's a high energy back with skill.  Adding him to either side is an upgrade, at this point, it's just a decision of who sits and who you want to pair him with.  (Writer's note:  I'm also fairly hesitant that he's the next Jose Bizama, and I'm sort of sitting and waiting for this to play out)  The rumors of guys like Thiaguinho (Thiago Fernandes) and even Diego Lainez, no matter how far-fetched, are awesome.  Pat Onstad, Asher Mendelsohn, and Ted Segal have lit a fire under this franchise, and I'm hoping this is more than kindling with no logs.  The fanbase is starting to notice, the city is beginning to get excited, and I hope this turns into an "out of control natural disaster" sized fire that continues to burn.  The formation of the Dynamo Dos, the hiring of a technical director, and giving the Dash their own president, all speak of a professional organization willing to do what it takes to succeed.  Now let's get it going.

The Good:

Goals Against

The defense will actually make appearances in all three categories, but the fact that the Dynamo have only given up 1 goal in the first two games is definitely an early positive.  They've done that mostly by playing with a deep midfield, holding possession, and adding a goalkeeper who can make difficult saves. Through the first two games, they have only allowed 7 Shots on Target, which is good for a tie for 12th MLS and a slight uptick per 90 over last year's production (4.5/90 in 2021).  They've seen a slight improvement in shots against (13.09 in 2021; 11.5 in 2022), and they've been able to hold possession better (46.8% in 2021; 51.8% in 2022) which is giving their opponents fewer opportunities with the ball. Steve Clark has also been extremely solid in the net, saving 85.7% of the shots in front of him.   While there is some concern for the defense going forward when we look at the numbers (more on that later), holding two of the better teams in the Western Conference to 1 goal is also an encouraging sign.

Mattias Vera

I don't think I've made it a secret, I love watching this guy play.  Vera has been a solid workhorse for the Dynamo here in the early going, playing every minute of both games while leading the team in Tackles, Tackles + Interceptions, is second in balls recovered (16) and is being his usual, highly efficient self in the passing game.  He's been a bright spot in the midst of a very disappointing run by the midfield.

Steve Clark

Clark has been nothing more than what you expect from an experienced veteran with a pedigree for winning.  Clark has saved 85.7% of the shots he's faced, and it took a pretty good rocket off an unfortunate deflection to beat him.  While Clark's net protection has been really good, his distribution has been spectacular.  Clark is completing 85.1% of his passes, including 55% of his balls launched downfield (for comparison, Maric was 30.1% and Nelson was 30.8% last year).  His passes are normally on the money to the right people in transition.  Clark has been a solid addition to the back end of this defense.

The Bad

The Midfield

While it hasn't been all bad from the midfield, the problem still remains that we simply can't get the ball out of the midfield.  The starting lineup of Memo Rodriguez, Darwin Ceren, and Mattias Vera leaves no creativity, or the ability to take on a defender and beat them with the ball at their feet.  Both Real Salt Lake and Sporting K.C. took a page from every team we played last year's playbook and pressured the midfield heavy.  The Dynamo currently rank 24th in successful dribbles (43%) which is actually worse than last year (20th, 55%).  While the passing percentage has seen a massive improvement over last year (77.8%: 24th in MLS; 2021, 83.4%: tied for 2nd in 2022), the tendency is to always take the easy release back to Steres or Parker instead of aggressively looking upfield.  The midfield isn't connecting up to the forwards hardly at all.  Daniel Steres currently has almost the same number of touches (172) as Fafa Picault (70), Corey Baird (49), and Sebastián Ferreira (54) combined (173).  The Dynamo rank dead last in touches inside the opponents' penalty box (20) and 24th in progressive passes (44). The attack is noticeably better when Coco and Quintero are subbed on, but for the better part of the first two games the midfield has mired down any attacking chances with poor touches, backward passing, and the inability to play direct consistently. 

The Use of DP's:

Why one of our DP's has started both games and played 170 minutes, another (Quintero) has been our most dangerous playing going forward but seen only 46 minutes, the third has yet to make an appearance.  Over the last two years, it seems like one of the worst things a Dynamo player can be labeled is Designated.  Daniel Steres has been.....OK, but Teenage Hadebe needs to be in the lineup.

The Ugly:

The attack:

Apparently, being "proactive" is synonymous with "boring" and "punchless". 15 shots (24th), 5 on target (tied for 23rd), 0.8 XG (last) and 0 goals (last) through 2 games.  Sebastián Ferreira has managed 1 shot in the first 180+ minutes of action.  The Dynamo rank dead last in Shot Creating Actions per 90 (9.00) and the only real chances at goals in the early going have come through Darwin Quintero.  His shot off the crossbar in Week 1, and his chipper that he hit wide left against Sporting K.C. are the only serious threats to the goal to date.  Fafa has had trouble getting behind the defense or finding the ball in space, and Corey Baird has offered virtually nothing.  Tyler Pasher's ratios are better, but it seems like Tyler Pasher doesn't figure into Paulo Nagamura's plans.  Quintero and Pasher rank 1-2 on the team in shot-creating actions per game, and key passes per game, two categories in which the Dynamo sit bottom of the league.  The adding of Hector Herrera isn't going to fix this, and Paulo has to find a way to unlock this attack and get something going forward.   All of the numbers are roughly half of what last year's anemic attack managed to muster.   One note that Paulo should have taken from Tab, is that without Quintero, Pasher, and Fafa on the field, this team can't generate shots.  Vera, Memo, and Darwin Ceren aren't the kind of midfielders that can break lines and create chances for themselves or their teammates. This midfield has completed one pass this year between defenders into open space, and that one came from Zarek Valentine.  Zarek isn't the kind of full-back that can get the ball down the sideline and cross it into the box. We need to get Zeca on the field ASAP and figure out how to get more minutes out of 34-year-old Quintero.  As far as Pasher, if he isn't the option then we need to find another option for RW.  Baird has had trouble finding space, he's had trouble finding the ball, and he's done nothing with the touches he's gotten.  He's managed 1 shot (off-target), 1 cross (incomplete), and is creating 0.58 shot-creating actions/90.  His receiving % (passes to/times received pass) of 61% ranks 2nd worst on the team among regulars, right behind Ferreira.  Sebas has had absolutely no service, and often times is finding himself dropping deep in the middle third to get the ball, with no options to pass to.  He's managed only 25 touches in the attacking third, which is behind Fafa (27), Coco, (29), Zarek (29), and Memo (33).  The fact that Zarek, (who didn't come on until half-time of the 1st game) and Coco (who hasn't made it in the first half of a game yet) have more touches in the attacking third than our striker who was the biggest transfer deal in the history of our franchise shows you how bad this midfield has been at creating space for him and giving him service.  He's often found 1 vs 3 or 1 vs 4, and commands both CB's on most occasions.  Because there is a total lack of counter opportunities right now, Fafa and Baird haven't been able to take advantage of open space, and our midfield has done nothing to take on defenders and draw them from him.   Houston has to be better in the final third, if we are going to slow play and wait for opportunities, we need guys who can create and take on defenders in this area. 

Card Count:

Through 2 games, the Dynamo have racked up a league-leading 7 yellows.  While no one is in danger of suspension yet, Mattias Vera already has 2.   

Other Notes

While I don't have any general feeling about it yet, it's nice to see Thor out there the first two games.  While he has yet to do anything of significance, I think that it shows dedication towards developing these guys, and it's nice to see a draft pick get time.  I wish we were in a position where we weren't worried about throwing young kids out there every game, but at 20 years old with his size and athleticism, we have to give him every opportunity to develop.  Saying that, playing him in every game also makes this more of a rebuilding year than I'd like.  

This is most likely going to be tuff sledding, even after Hector Herrera gets here in July, so let's dig in, buckle up, and try to enjoy the ride.  It might take more pre-game time at Pitch 21, but I'm here for it.

Thanks again for reading.

Remember to #HoldItDown and stay #ForeverOrange

Brian