3160ym19115032579215522666">The Houston Dynamo’s six-game unbeaten streak came to an end on Saturday night at the hands of Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Romell Quioto3160ym19115032579215522669"> scored the team’s only goal in the 51st minute, ending a three-month scoring drought.
3160ym19115032579215522674">The loss drops the Dynamo to a 0-6-1 record in Vancouver and 3-22-12 all-time in matches played on artificial turf. Here are three things we learned from the loss:
3160ym19115032579215522679">1. Resting up for the home stretch
Alberth Elis3160ym19115032579215522686"> was not eligible for this match due to yellow card accumulation and, before the match, we learned that Erick Torres3160ym19115032579215522689">, Vicente Sánchez3160ym19115032579215522692"> and Ricardo Clark3160ym19115032579215522695"> did not travel with the team to Vancouver. These absences meant that players responsible for 20 of the team’s 42 goals this season were out.
3160ym19115032579215522700">The good news is that Romell Quioto found the back of the net again3160ym19115032579215522703">, ending a drought dating back to the May 6th home win against Orlando City. Mauro Manotas3160ym19115032579215522706"> provided the assist but was only able to generate one shot for himself the whole night.
Even without those key pieces, the Dynamo put together one of their stronger road performances in the second half, though they weren't able to overcome their early mistakes. Still, head coach Wilmer Cabrera has shown complete trust in the depth of this team to get the job done, allowing players to stay fresh as we approach the fall.
3160ym19115032579215522716">2. Cabezas, DeLaGarza out for Texas Derby
3160ym19115032579215522721">Unfortunately, this loss hurt in more ways than one. Three players to watch heading into the game were Alex3160ym19115032579215522724">, Juan David Cabezas3160ym19115032579215522727"> and A.J. DeLaGarza3160ym19115032579215522730"> as a yellow card would leave them out for the next game.
3160ym19115032579215522735">Cabezas and DeLaGarza both collected yellows in the second half and the timing couldn’t have been worse. Now the team heads to Dallas on Wednesday without two of their more influential players on defense.
3160ym19115032579215522740">The Texas Derby will be one of five matches on Wednesday involving playoff implications in the Western Conference. A loss could drop the Dynamo from second to sixth place heading into Saturday’s home bout with first place Sporting Kansas City (8 p.m. | TICKETS), who come into Houston on a full week’s rest.
3160ym19115032579215522745">3. Road results still lacking
The Dynamo had been able to pull results from their previous three road matches. Positive strides, yes, but more impressive based on the circumstances rather than the level of the opponents.
Vancouver is a viable contender to make the playoffs, as are the four remaining teams the Dynamo have to face on the road. If the team wants to walk away with results in Frisco, San Jose, New York and Kansas City, they will need to play with better discipline and be more aggressive in attack.
3160ym1911503257921552_2758">The 1-8-4 record on the road hasn’t been a devastating issue because of the Dynamo’s unbeaten record at home this season, and the performances – if not the results – have improved as the season's gone along. We’re getting into crunch time, however, and getting positive results on the road will be key to wrapping up a playoff spot for the first time since 2013.
