With the Dynamo set to begin the 2013 season in just 20 days – against D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium on March 2 – we will count down the 20 days with a Dynamo-centric countdown to opening day.
Each day, we’ll post a short description of what makes the number significant. We encourage you to post your own Dynamo-related numbers in the comment section below.
We begin the countdown with number 20:
20: The number of combined goals and assists for Brad Davis each of the last two seasons.
Davis has reached 20 each of the last two years, with 8 goals (a career-high) and 12 assists in 2012, after the dynamic midfielder reached 20 with 4 goals and 16 assists (another career-high) in 2011. The two seasons represent the best two of his career, and with his recent appearance for the U.S. national team and subsequent trip to Honduras for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier, it is clear Davis is showing no signs of aging.
What makes Davis’ achievement each of the last two years most impressive is that no other player in Dynamo history has ever recorded 20 combined goals and assists in a single regular season. With household names like Brian Ching, Dwayne De Rosario, Stuart Holden and most recently, Will Bruin, it would seem like one player would’ve cracked 20 in a season. Some players have come close. The closest: Brian Ching, who reached 18 with 13 goals and 5 assists in 2008; Dwayne De Rosario, who hit 16 with 11 goals and 5 assists in 2006; and Will Bruin, who reached 16 as well, with 12 goals and 4 assists in the 2012 regular season.
Perhaps most impressive is that Davis holds four of the top five combined totals in team history, with Ching’s 18 in 2008 the only other season in the top five. Davis reached 17 in both 2009 and 2010, with identical seasons of 5 goals and 12 assists.
Will any Dynamo players crack 20 in 2013? Could it be Davis? With a full season of midfield partner Boniek Garcia helping pull the strings, it could happen. What about Bruin? With 16 in 2012, and four more goals in the postseason, he is knocking on the door. Don’t forget about Garcia, who made it halfway (10), with 4 goals and 6 assists in exactly half a season (17 games) in 2012. The Honduran seems primed for a big year in orange.
Best combined total of goals and assists in regular season, Dynamo history:
Player – Total – Goals, Assists – Year
Brad Davis – 20 – 8 goals, 12 assissts – 2012
Brad Davis – 20 – 4 goals, 16 assists – 2011
Brian Ching – 18 – 13 goals, 5 assists – 2008
Brad Davis – 17 – 5 goals, 12 assists – 2010
Brad Davis – 17 – 5 goals, 12 assists – 2009
Will Bruin – 16 – 12 goals, 4 assists – 2012
Dwayne De Rosario – 16 – 11 goals, 5 assists – 2006
Return to this blog on Monday for number 19 on our countdown to opening day.
