Two games into the 2016 MLS season and the Houston Dynamo are playing a style of soccer perhaps unfamiliar to its fans: The Dynamo attack is dangerous and opportunistic; they lead the league in goals, with eight, and are second in assists with six.
The early outburst has turned BBVA Compass Stadium into a rock concert for the first two games and the excitement felt by the fans is felt by Dynamo players as well.
“There’s a different excitement around this team. There’s a different feeling in the locker room and out in the training field at the game and the atmosphere at the stadium,” said forward Will Bruin, after Tuesday’s scrimmage against the Rio Grande Valley Toros.
Dynamo defender David Horst – who scored in Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of in-state rivals FC Dallas – has a good view of the new Dynamo attack.
“We have a lot of confidence going forward," Horst said. "It’s just something we haven’t had the last couple years, was that confidence to go forward.
“We had great players potentially but we didn’t have that identity and that style. When you bring in guys like Chaco Maidana and Andrew Wenger, these guys really cement our style of what we want to do.”
Ricardo Clark – who was part of the Dynamo during their MLS Cup-winning seasons in 2006 and 2007 – thinks this version of the Dynamo has the potential to be special but added that the team still has to prove it on the field – though he thinks it’s coming together at the beginning of a long season.
Bruin seconds Clark's comments:
“It’s been two good games, two good showings but most of all we need to have consistency, especially after Saturday’s win against Dallas, we can’t get too high.”
The Dynamo’s next pair of tests – back-to-back road games – will be a litmus test of sorts as they seek to atone for last year’s road woes; they lost 10 of 17 road games in 2015.
The first opportunity to “prove it” will be Saturday against Supporters' Shield holders New York Red Bulls (6 p.m. CT; ROOT SPORTS Alt.).
“We have to have that mentality and these two road games coming up are going to be huge for us to see where we are,” Horst said.
“It is the beginning of the year, but if at the end of the year we want to be a playoff team, and a championship team, we have to show that consistency now and build towards that.”
