A break from their MLS schedule for SuperLiga 2008 has given the Houston Dynamo a chance to regain the form that led to championships the last two seasons while facing some of the best competition North America has to offer.
But the first two games -- a 4-0 win against Atlante FC last Saturday and a 1-0 loss to CD Guadalajara Tuesday night in front of a near sellout crowd of more than 28,000 at Robertson Stadium -- have been a microcosm of the Dynamo's 2008 season.
The Orange have scored four goals, allowing just one, and despite Tuesday's setback have been able to overcome injuries to several key players to be on the verge of advancing to the semifinals.
The Dynamo played both games without an injured Richard Mulrooney. They played both games without leading scorer Brian Ching. And against Chivas, they were without the services of Dwayne De Rosario (suspended) and Stuart Holden, who said he injured his groin late in Saturday's game.
But Tuesday's 1-0 loss was a great example of how the team has learned to adapt to a displeasing offering of chance from the soccer gods.
Guadalajara won the game in the 71st minute when Omar Arellano raced past defender Pat Ianni to collect a loose ball. Arellano then beat Houston 'keeper Pat Onstad with a precise shot from just inside the top of the box.
Dynamo boss Dominic Kinnear called it a fluke play and said his team should be proud of the soccer it played against a very good Mexican side.
"It was a fluke. We try to play it through the middle and Bobby (Boswell) goes to try and intercept and it goes by him," Kinnear said. "It goes through and they get it and get a good shot on goal. I think we defended well tonight, overall. They had some looks but nothing great. Overall, they were the more technical team probably, but we had better chances tonight."
In the first half, the Dynamo, still adjusting to a 3-5-2 formation, were caught running around at times, trying to adjust to the lightning quick speed of Arellano.
But Ianni, who owned up to his miscue in the second half, said the team got going after working out a few bugs.
"It was just a breakdown at midfield that led to the goal," Ianni said. "I should have just stood my ground I guess. But overall I thought we played OK.
"We got the 3-5-2 going, and even though it is something ... we don't normally play, we have been playing this way since we were little kids so it was no big deal."
Kinnear said there was a specific reason why they wanted to use the 3-5-2 Tuesday, and his team's play in the first half backed up that reason with the team trying to control the Chivas speed.
"We played a 3-5-2 tonight because we did want to sit back and let them dictate play," Kinnear said. "But our guys figured it out, played well and should be proud of themselves."
The Dynamo played well. They kept it tight and they had a few late chances to knot the score when play got desperate on both sides.
Guadalajara had two goals waved off for offside, but if the Dynamo have any regrets, it was that they could not get the 1-0 lead they desperately needed in the minutes before Arellano's winner.
Good chances in the 56th minute by Wade Barrett and Franco Caraccio were blocked by Chivas goalkeeper Ernesto Michel, who along with Arellano could be considered co-man of the match.
For Caraccio, the nightmare replayed itself in the 63rd minute as his header off a beautiful right-side cross from Brian Mullan ended up getting pushed aside by a Chivas defender.
"That is just the way things are going for us," said midfielder Brad Davis. "We scored four the other night against Atlante and then tonight, we had three good shots cleared off the line.
"We really limited their chances, but now we have a good attitude knowing we can compete with and did compete with two really good Mexican teams. Now we just need to go to D.C., play a good game and take care of things there."
The Dynamo still control their own SuperLiga destiny. There were tested well in Houston this week, and a win against D.C. United on Saturday should give them a springboard into the next round -- and even back into the league wars.
Andrew J. Ferraro is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
