While the results may not all be filed away in the win column, the Houston Dynamo are a team playing with a lot of confidence, and it was on display in the dying moments of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution.
At the end of their fourth match in 11 days, Houston were lively well into the final stages of the match. When the outcome was up for grabs, the Dynamo showed resolve, fighting for and getting a point-saving goal late.
WATCH: NE 2, HOU 2
“The guys showed great character,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear told MLSsoccer.com. “I was happy we didn’t lose the game because I would’ve been disappointed.”
A big part of staving off that disappointment and having those fresh legs late was Houston’s control of the ball. The Dynamo had possession for 63 percent of the game, thus forcing the Revs to chase the game while Houston dictated the pace.
“We’re a team that’s playing well and has confidence and it showed tonight,” Dynamo captain Brian Ching told MLSsoccer.com after the match. “We did a real good job keeping the ball. Yes, we could’ve been more creative around the box, but I thought we played well.”
Bruin matches 2011 output
After starting with a bang in the first month of his rookie season, Will Bruin struggled to net goals after a four-goal April. The sophomore striker got off to a similar start in 2012 but his goal Saturday night could be a sign that the 6-foot-2 forward will be able to hold his hot streak a little longer this go-around.
Kinnear also expects Saturday’s performance to help Luiz Camargo – whose equalizer was the first goal in his MLS career – and springboard both him and Bruin going forward.
“I'm sure it's going to give both guys confidence as we continue the season,” added Kinear.
Not all positive
Houston was happy to come away with a point out of Saturday’s match, but for all their possession and the two goals, two misplays cost the visitors a full share of the spoils and the course of events did not fall on deaf ears in the Dynamo locker room.
“We had a few mistakes and they capitalized on them,” Ching said. “We outplayed them and now it’s a matter of cutting down the mistakes and creating a little more going forward. I think it’s a game that I feel like we should’ve won if you look at the way the game went.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
