A horrible first half gave way to an improved second that wasn't enough to make up the difference as the Dynamo lost 2-0 in front of hundreds of disappointed traveling fans in Frisco.
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
This was a game that had it all: a weather delay, constant rain, large traveling support and a predictable performance from both sides that lead to a predictable result. Just before both teams were set to warm up for the match, an incredibly powerful thunderstorm rolled through Frisco, Texas that dropped temperatures significantly, and brought with it high winds that sent the rain blowing sideways with those drops being of the thick kind that nearly stung on the way down. After an hour delay, the game kicked off with the rain still falling, though the wind had died down. From the opening kick, the home side looked the livelier of the teams.
FC Dallas' midfield used their speed and one or two-touch passing to keep the Houston Dynamo off balance early and throughout most of the match. Despite some early pressure, the Dynamo defense did well to prevent many dangerous shots with some emergency defending. Unfortunately this did lead to a lot of fouls being called against the road side. Before the night was up they would be whistled for 14 fouls (Dallas was dinged for an even dozen). A player who had a poor night was defender Jermaine Taylor, who had trouble keeping up with the runs of Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz, while also dealing with the physicality of David Texeira.
The Hoops opened the scoring in the 33' when Castillo whipped in a ball from the left flank that smacked off the leg of Taylor, rolling into the corner of the net. It was an unfortunate ricochet from Taylor that he probably knew little of. The half didn't get any better for the Dynamo. Castillo won the ball along the flank, muscled Raul Rodriguez away before sending a pass to Diaz near the top of the box. Diaz sent a one timed pass towards the streaking Castillo, having caught Taylor ball watching, who sent a shot past a diving Tyler Deric for the second goal.
When the Dynamo players walked off the field, they had their heads down. Whatever manager Owen Coyle told them during the half seemed to add a spring into their step as the team came out of the break doing a much better job of controlling the ball. Some good possession lead to a few chances, eventually, but the offense just couldn't click. Even with the Jamaican forward Giles Barnes back in the side chances were few and far between. Part of the immobility of the offense stemmed from an early injury in the match. Rookie midfielder Rob Lovejoy was given the start on the left flank but had to leave after only 29 minutes due to a hamstring injury he suffered after an impressive run into the heart of the defense. Brad Davistook his place and wasn't able to provide the speed the team needed to counter the home side. His service was good on set plays, when they really needed sharper balls played into the box.
Frequently DaMarcus Beasley and Rodriguez were forced to push high to help find some offense, leaving space for Dallas to exploit on the counter. Perhaps one of the brighter moments of the match was the substitution of young striker Mauro Manotas, who was given a good 10 minutes to make a mark on the match. The U-20 Colombian International had a chance to give the Dynamo the lead but mishit his header in a play he'll want back. Manotas was lively in the offense and his integration into the squad looks to be complete so fans will be given more chances to see him develop.
With the win, Dallas retains El Capitan and ties the overall series record at 5 apiece. Not only were fans extremely frustrated with the team's performance on the night, they were also upset when the players left the field for the locker room. The managing editor of Generation Orange, Leo Ponce, described it in detail, which resulted in Dynamo coach Owen Coyle responding on Twitter. All we'll say here is that it's disappointing to see the team fail to acknoledge the over 400 fans who made the trip up to Frisco. Only three players came over: goalkeepers Tyler Deric and Joe Willis and Jermaine Taylor. Hopefully the team will show their appreciation better during the next road trip.
In the mean time the club has a quick turn around with an Open Cup match against the Colorado Rapids on Tuesday before hosting the Chicago Fire on Saturday. With the club sitting at the bottom of the standings, and the memory of last summer's horrid slide still fresh in the fans' minds, expect Coyle to rely heavily on depth in the Open Cup to prepare for the weekend.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário