The Houston Dynamo suffered their worst loss of the season on Saturday night at expansion side Atlanta United FC. Here are three things to take away from the 4-1 loss at Bobby Dodd Stadium:
1. Cubo is money on penalty kicks
Let’s begin with a positive. The Dynamo were awarded with a penalty late in the match and Erick Torres was money to make it five-for-five from the spot this season, extending his 2017 tally to nine goals.
Some may look at this as a way to discredit his performance this year, but a forward will take goals any way they come. They're not gimmes either, the only other penalty attempt this year for the Dynamo was a missed attempt by Mauro Manotas in the home win against Orlando City.
Penalties in soccer are like free throws in basketball, they’re free shots and you expect your big name players to make them. In the Dynamo’s case, they have that boxed checked.
2. The Dynamo need to find more creativity in midfield
When we look at the entire body of work, Alex has been the only consistent provider from midfield. The 28-year-old Brazilian is having his best year with six assists, with forward Romell Quioto (2) the only other player with multiple assists this year.
It’s no coincidence that the Dynamo have won every game that Alex has flourished and have struggled on the road, games where the Brazilian has been contained or limited. Now the Dynamo must look for another dependable provider to shoulder the load and set up opportunities, especially when the opposition limits the transition opportunities where Alex and Houston have thrived.
Whether that comes from a player already on the roster or the summer transfer window is to be seen, but more creativity and ideas are needed so teams can't simply key in on Alex. Doing so will make life much easier for the Houston Dynamo.
3. The road is going to make or break this season
The Dynamo have not won more than three games and lost at least nine in each of the last three seasons. Coincidentally, the team didn’t make the playoffs those three years.
The last time the did Dynamo feature in the postseason was 2013, a year when they won five games away. No, it’s not easy to win on the road in Major League Soccer but the team has to accumulate points away and hasn't been able to do that through five games.
In the end, all the good work the Dynamo have built at home could go to waste if they don’t combine it with good road performances. I’ll remind you that the Portland Timbers, who were the defending champions, missed out on the playoffs on the final day of the season last year when all they had to do was win just one game on the road. Instead, they finished with a 0-6-11 record away from home and their 12 wins in Portland left them on the outside looking in.
