Don’t look now, but forward Dominic Oduro is pushing to become the first Dynamo player not named Brian Ching to lead the club in scoring.
Ching leads Houston with MLS goals in 2010, but Oduro has netted seven in all competitions to tie Ching for the overall lead, with Oduro and Brad Davis each sitting on five MLS goals with two games remaining in the regular season. Oduro has been decidedly hotter of late, scoring three goals in his last four games heading into a matchup on the road against San Jose on Saturday night.
“I’ve been working really hard and working on my finishing, and I think that’s helped me out in games,” said Oduro. “I think I’ve gotten some good motivation from my teammates. It’s unfortunate we haven’t won games at the end of the day, but the way we’ve been playing I am encouraged from it and it’s been working on the field.”
[inline_node:307008]Though there is no doubting that he has game-changing speed, Oduro’s efficiency in front of goal and his ability to handle the physical nature of MLS have been issues that have plagued the forward over his career and limited his starts.
But down the stretch of this season, the Ghanaian seems to have a newfound determination to fight through physical challenges rather than try to draw a foul. His reward has been his recent improved form. After stints in both Dallas and New York, he is hopeful that he has finally settled in with the Dynamo and will be a part of the team’s plans next year.
“I believe in this team, and we’ve played well, but it’s just been unfortunate,” noted Oduro. “I am trying to work hard, and we’ll see what happens next year.”
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSsoccer.com. Questions or Comments can be sent via email to dwaincapodice@gmail.com.
