In talking with Dynamo players and coaches after training on Monday, the word playoff was thrown around quite often. OK, maybe it was me asking them if Wednesday's match reminded them of a second leg of a playoff series, but since no one refuted the statement that counts, right?
Regardless, although the Dynamo are only one game into their MLS season, Wednesday's Champions League match against Santos Laguna is the type of situation the Dynamo have excelled in over the past seven years. Few coaches around Major League Soccer have been able to navigate a team through a home-and-away series better than Dominic Kinnear.
Since 2006, Kinnear and the Dynamo have participated in 12 home-and-away series. That stat includes the MLS Cup playoffs, CONCACAF Champions League and CONCACAF Champions' Cup. In those 12 series, the Dynamo have advanced eight times. Two of the four series losses came in the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a third coming in the Champions League and the fourth coming in the 2008 Western Conference semifinals.
In two of those eight wins, the Dynamo have closed out the series with a result on the road, something Houston will have to do on Wednesday if they want to remain alive in the 2012-13 Champions League.
| Dynamo in two-legged series (8-4 record all-time) | ||||
| Year | Opponent | Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | vs. Chivas USA | L 2-1 | W 2-0 | Western Conference Semifinals |
| 2007 | vs. FC Dallas | L 1-0 | W 4-1 | Western Conference Semifinals |
| 2007 | vs. Puntarenas | L 1-0 | W 2-0 | CONCACAF Champions Cup Quarterfinals |
| 2007 | vs. Pachuca | W 2-0 | L 5-2 | CONCACAF Champions Cup Semifinals |
| 2008 | vs. Municipal | T 0-0 | W 3-1 | CONCACAF Champions Cup Quarterfinals |
| 2008 | vs. Saprissa | T 0-0 | L 3-0 | CONCACAF Champions Cup Semifinals |
| 2008 | vs. New York | T 1-1 | L 3-0 | Western Conference Semifinals |
| 2008-09 | vs. Atlante | T 1-1 | L 3-0 | CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals |
| 2009 | vs. Seattle | T 0-0 | W 1-0 | Western Conference Semifinals |
| 2011 | vs. Philadelphia | W 2-1 | W 1-0 | Eastern Conference Semifinals |
| 2012 | vs. Sporting KC | W 2-0 | L 1-0 | Eastern Conference Semifinals |
| 2012 | vs. D.C. United | W 3-1 | T 1-1 | Eastern Conference Finals |
| 2012-13 | vs. Santos Laguna | W 1-0 | ??? | CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals |
READ MORE: Dynamo with strong record against teams from Liga MX
