D.C. United is one of the league’s big dogs; it’s been that way since Bruce Arena (playing a little fast and loose with the roster rules, it should be said) put together those early, wow-wow MLS Cup winners of the late 1990s.
So no matter how far we stray from United’s salad days, a 4-0 loss for one of the league’s high-profiles clubs, plus a manager whose job is in real danger, are going to be big talkers. But …
We really should say some words about what Dominic Kinnear’s Houston Dynamo just accomplished. Because a team that has never been great shakes on the road (except for the playoffs, of course) has just pulled off a stunning road double.
Firsts was the 1-0 win at the LA Galaxy. That was on Sunday, followed by a cross-country road trip into the nation’s capital, which ended with Houston atop the Eastern Conference standings based on points-per-game.
Six points on the road over four nights? That’s like the best meal of your life … and the owner comps your food!
Wednesday’s 4-0 win was anything but a fluke. Kinnear’s men, guided by Will Bruin’s two goals and two assists, were all over a listless and lethargic United from the opening. Aside from scoring twice in the first half-hour, the Dynamo hit the post one and forced a very nice save from United ‘keeper Bill Hamid.
Meanwhile, tidy in the back, Houston didn’t allow a good scoring opportunity for the home team until after the break.
By the way, U.S. international Ricardo Clark was out of the Dynamo lineup for this one. But as we keep telling you, the Dynamo midfield is Major League Soccer’s deepest; in came Brad Davis to partner with Adam Moffat in the middle. With Andrew Driver, the hero of Sunday’s win in L.A., able to fill the left side more than adequately, the visitors’ midfield was at full rev for Wednesday’s ambush.
