After Houston’s 2-0 home victory over San Jose last weekend, the Dynamo tied the MLS record with 34 consecutive home games unbeaten in all competitions. With the new record in their sights, the Dynamo got some love in this week's power rankings from MLSsoccer.com and Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey. Both sites had the Dynamo in their top spot after the fifth week of the MLS season.
MLSsoccer.com had this to say about Houston:
Got to give it up for the Dynamo: They've weathered preseason injuries, a disappointing CCL elimination, some set-piece worries (we're not 100 percent convinced those are gone) and international call-ups all before the calendar even turned to April. And with all that, they're 3-1-0 – and heating up.
But not everybody agrees that Houston’s current form deserves the top spot in the power rankings. Both ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle and Yahoo Sport’s Zac Wassink placed Houston in the fifth spot in their respective rankings. According to Wassink:
Houston's next three games include trips to Portland and Toronto surrounding a home match against lowly Chicago. The Dynamo could be atop MLS power rankings by the end of April.
Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated’s Avi Creditor did not move the Dynamo after their home victory, keeping them at the No.3 spot, but did emphasize Houston’s attacking force:
The manner in which the Dynamo scored in a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes was a testament to their attacking quality. On one side, Oscar Boniek Garcia used a tremendous individual effort to get by All-Star defender Justin Morrow and send an accurate cross for Will Bruin. On the other, Brad Davis put in his trademark pinpoint service for Giles Barnes. This dynamic team can come at opponents from myriad ways and angles.
Houston will look to win their first road game of the year when they travel to JELD-WEN Field this weekend to take on the Portland Timbers.
