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Here’s what we learned from the Houston Dynamo’s 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Vancouver Whitecaps.
1. Houston Dynamo dominate possession but fail to capitalize on it
The Dynamo enjoyed the bulk of possession against Vancouver and it wasn’t even close. Houston had 67 percent of the ball compared to the Whitecaps 32 percent. The possession aided the Dynamo in getting plenty of shots. Houston had 29 shots, seven of which were on target while eight were blocked. But despite having a long spell of possession, scoring opportunities, and being the better of the two sides, Houston failed to make use of it all.
Vancouver clearly sat back and let Houston have the ball and it played right into its hands. With teams having more video on how the Dynamo like to play, it won’t be a surprise if more teams sit back this season and let Houston have more possession of the ball. Until Houston can prove it can translate possession of the ball into goals, teams have a game plan to use against Houston.
2. Tomás Martinez a bright spot in Dynamo season debut
Martinez, who was suspended for the first game of the season, made his season debut against Vancouver Whitecaps and was one of the bright spots for the Orange. The Argentinian playmaker nabbed his first assist of the season when after some stellar skillful moves in the box played a pass to Alberth Elis, who scored his first goal of the season. The start was the sixth of his Major League Soccer career and his 10th overall game.
Despite his stellar play against the Whitecaps, Martinez said after the game his performance means nothing if the team doesn’t get the win.
3. Another Dynamo injury forces an early substitution
In the first MLS game of the season, it was Dynamo midfielder Juan David Cabezas who had to leave the game early with a muscle injury. In Saturday’s loss to Vancouver, it was centerback Philippe Senderos who had to be subbed off at halftime with a muscle injury. There’s no way to know if the Senderos substitution played a part in Vancouver’s second goal. But it’s noteworthy to point out that Kevin Garcia, who entered the game for Senderos, played right back as Adolfo Machado, who started the game at that position, had to slide to centerback with Sendero’s early exit. The season is only two games young but Houston may already have to dig deep into its depth chart.