Houston Dynamo Season Preview

Losing a championship game can be the hardest thing for an athlete to go through. After a great regular season and playoffs you get so close to the ultimate goal and you come up short. This is what the Dynamo were faced with last year as a late season surge came up just short in a 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup Final. The same nucleus from last year’s Eastern Conference Championship team returns, including a healthy Brad Davis, looking to capture the franchise’s third MLS Cup. With the opening of the beautiful BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston it promises to be an exciting season for the Dynamo. Can the team on the field live up to the off field hype? Let’s start with a positional breakdown of the team.

Goalkeepers

Tally Hall

Tyler Deric

Erich Marscheider

Hall is the clear starter in goal for the Dynamo as he comes off his first full season as a starter. An all star last season, Hall is a great shot stopper and his command of the defense is stellar. Deric comes off an offseason of legal problems but the Dynamo believe in him. The former academy player will likely see some significant action this season with the amount of fixtures the Dynamo will likely play. Marscheider, a 19 year old born in Austria but raised in the US, is someone who has impressed the Dynamo in workouts and was signed this week to be the third string keeper.

Defenders

Corey Ashe

Bobby Boswell

Geoff Cameron

Andre Hainault

Kofi Sarkodie

Jermaine Taylor

Warren Creavalle (rookie)

Oscar Recio (trialist)

At the end of the 2011 season, the Dynamo defense became the driving force behind the run to the MLS Cup Final. The backline gave up just 3 goals in the last 5 regular season games and conceded only 2 goals in the playoffs. Corey Ashe moved from midfield last year and became an all star at left back. After Geoff Cameron was moved back to center back, the defense found its groove as his pairing with Bobby Boswell is a strong one in the middle. Andre Hainault, a natural center back, took over at right back in the middle of the season and excelled.

The problem for the Dynamo defense this year will be international duty. Cameron, Hainault and backup Jermaine Taylor are all fixtures on their national teams while versatile backup Kofi Sarkodie has been called up to the US U-23 team and could be chosen to play in the Olympics this summer. If Cameron and Sarkodie both go to the Olympics, rookie draft pick Warren Creavalle could be pressed into duty early. Twenty-two year old Mexican defender Oscar Recio is also on trial with the team and could be signed because of the possible lack of depth in the defense. Midfielder Nathan Sturgis has also seen some preseason action at both center back and outside back. His versatility will be key in the middle of the season when players are out and the fixture list is congested.

Midfielders

Luiz Camargo

Colin Clark

Brad Davis

Adam Moffatt

Alex Dixon

Josue Soto

Nathan Sturgis

Je-Vaughn Watson

Eder Arreola (rookie)

Brian Ownby (rookie)

The Dynamo midfield goes as Brad Davis goes. The MVP runner-up from last season was hurt in the Eastern Conference Final win over Sporting Kansas City and missed the MLS Cup Final loss to LA. Davis is still working to get back to full strength and has just recently been given clearance by doctors to return to training. Expect Dominic Kinnear and the Dynamo staff to take it easy with Davis this preseason. He will likely get some limited action in the lead up to the season and should be ready to open the regular season on the left wing. The additions of Luiz Camargo and Adam Moffat in the middle of last season both shored up the central midfield and allowed Cameron to move back into the defense. Both Camargo and Moffat are more defensive minded midfielders but both have shown flashes of offense, most notably Moffat and his long range shot ability. With the trade of Danny Cruz to DC United, the right wing position will likely be taken over by Colin Clark. Clark’s pace and creative ability complements Davis well and is a nice balance to the defensive central midfield. Nathan Sturgis was brought in this offseason in a trade with Toronto FC and his versatility will be key as he can play anywhere in the midfield and the defense. Jamaican Je-Vaughn Watson could be lost in the middle of the season to international duty but his offensive ability can bring a spark to the central midfield. Former academy players Alex Dixon and Josue Soto will likely see more action this season and could shine when given their opportunity. Dixon showed flashes last season, his stoppage time goal to beat RSL, and his continued growth is a key factor to watch in 2012. Rookies Eder Arreola and Brian Ownby will try and stick with the team in what could be a tough challenge given the already congested midfield.

Forwards

Calen Carr

Brian Ching

Will Bruin

Macoumba Kandji

Cam Weaver

Colin Rolfe (rookie)

Emerson Sato (rookie)

With the reacquisition of Brian Ching, the Dynamo have one starter penciled in at forward. As discussed in a previous article (link) Ching is the heart and soul of the Dynamo and he will once again take his spot up top to start the 2012 season. Who starts alongside Ching is the big question this preseason. At the end of last season it was Calen Carr, back from concussion problems, who saw the majority of the time at forward opposite Ching. Carr’s ability to get behind defenses is obviously something Kinnear likes and we could likely see this pairing again this season. Second year player Will Bruin has been in great form this preseason and will push Carr for the starter job. Bruin is a similar player to Ching in that his size makes him a presence in the air. If he continues to round out his game he could be a key player in 2012. Another player who will press for a starting spot is the newly acquired Macoumba Kandji. Kandji comes over from the Rapids with a history of injuries but if healthy could be a diamond in the rough. Kandji has great speed, something the Dynamo don’t have a lot of up front, to go along with size and strength. Kinnear obviously likes the player having traded for him so we will surely see a lot of him on the field as 2012 gets underway. Cam Weaver is also still on the roster and with these 5 forwards all legitimate MLS players, a trade could be on the horizon involving one of them. First round draft pick Colin Rolfe will likely be brought along slowly because of this logjam and Brazilian Emerson Sato is a long shot at making the team.

Starting XI vs Chivas USA

Hall; Hainault, Boswell, Cameron, Ashe; Clark, Camargo, Moffat, Davis; Carr, Ching (c)

In my opinion, the season starts almost identical to how it ended as far as the starters go. The differences in this lineup from the one that played the 2011MLS Cup is Ashe moves back to left back from left midfield (where he replaced the injured Davis) and Clark goes into right midfield for the departed Danny Cruz. The only possible change I could see to this lineup would be either Bruin or Kandji starting at forward in place of Carr. This will all depend on how the remainder of the preseason plays out.

The 2012 season will be powered much like the 2011 season was, by the left foot of Brad Davis. If Davis can return fully healthy, the Dynamo will be one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. The season will start with 7 straight road games as BBVA Compass Stadium is being completed. Last year Sporting Kansas City faced a similar issue to start their season but rebounded well to finish first in the Eastern Conference regular season. If the Dynamo can manage through the first 7 games, they will get to finish the season with mostly home games in their brand new downtown digs.

Like most MLS teams, the Dynamo roster will feel the effects of summer international tournaments but the team has good depth and good young players who, when given the chance, will be able to jump on the field and help the team not miss a beat. Dominic Kinnear has such a great system that the players buy in to, that missing guys doesn’t hurt them like it does other teams.

Given no major injuries to any key players I can’t see why this team can’t compete for an MLS Cup title. The Western Conference is tough but if the Dynamo can make it out of the East, anything can happen in a one game final. The season will have an added bonus for Dynamo fans as the team returns to the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time since 2009.

(image courtesy of houstondynamo.com)