When Houston Dynamo center back Bobby Boswell looks ahead to the 2012 season, he has set many goals, both for himself and for the team. There is one goal, however, that is of the utmost importance to him.
“I want to beat Geoff Cameron in goal scoring so I don’t have to hear him call himself the Golden Boot winner anymore,” Boswell said. “If I can beat him in goal scoring, then I can put an end to that.”
Boswell and Cameron finished 2011 with five goals apiece, tying Will Bruin and Brian Ching for the team lead. Of those four players, Cameron had the most assists (5) and was awarded the Golden Boot award. It’s an impressive feat considering Boswell played the entire season at center back and Cameron played seven games as Boswell’s partner on the back line.
“In past years I have been unlucky, hitting crossbars or seeing balls cleared off the line, but last year I was fortunate to have some of those bounces go my way," he said. "We get a lot of corner kicks and free kicks in general and we are dangerous because of Brad [Davis’s] great service. We have a pretty big and aggressive team in the air and that make it difficult for other team’s to defend us on set pieces.
Although the Dynamo return 18 players from last year’s Eastern Conference championship squad, there is still a gap in leadership left with the departure of Ching to Montreal and Eddie Robinson to the Dynamo front office. Along with veterans Davis, Cameron, and Corey Ashe, Boswell - who is entering his eighth season in MLS - will be called upon to help fill that void.
“I think with age comes experience and every year you are still playing is another year you have been in this league," Boswell said. "Even today, guys are asking me if I played for D.C. United because they remember watching them when they were in middle school. I think I’m starting to get a little bit of the ribbing that I gave Pat Onstad and some of the other guys that are 100 years old.”
