Although the club only has one loss in its last five games, Houston Dynamo players know that the team's level of play has not yet reached its full potential. This weekend, however, the team will need to give its best effort against the New York Red Bulls, a team that has not had the greatest of seasons, but is at the same time capable of delivering a very unpleasant surprise to any team in MLS.
After nine games played, the Red Bulls sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with a 1-2-6 record. But Dynamo players know better than to underestimate a team hungry for success.</p>
"The fact that they have only won one game this year puts them under pressure to come out and perform," said forward Alejandro Moreno. "We'll go in trying to maintain the same momentum that gave us a victory against Los Angeles. We just have to play organized, and take advantage of any opportunities that come our way."</p>
Five of New York's nine points have come from home games, where the team plays in artificial turf. For Dynamo players, playing in this type of surface for the first time this year does not represent a disadvantage.</p>
"They have to play on that turf just as well as we do," said midfielder Brad Davis. "They've played all season at home in that surface, so in a way that gives them a little bit of an edge, because they're familiar with it. From our end, we will approach this game the way we play all others: with the mentality that we are the better team, and that we will leave that stadium with the win."</p>
To win, Dynamo obviously need some scoring. Although the team is fourth in the league in goals scored per game (1.70), its forwards have not accounted for much lately. Defender Ryan Cochrane salvaged a tie for the team in New England, and another defender, Eddie Robinson, scored the game-winning goal against Los Angeles. Should this be a reason for concern?</p>
"It's a concern, because you always want your forwards scoring at the end of the game," said midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. "We are lucky that the goals are falling our way right now, but I am also confident that starting this weekend one of (our forwards) may get hot and score a hat trick. We're encouraging them, giving them the support they need, and we're sure they'll pull through for us this weekend."</p>
A victory would bring Dynamo even closer to re-capturing the top spot in the Western Conference. FC Dallas will face Chivas USA on Sunday, in what promises to be a complicated game. With only four points between the Hoops and Dynamo, Houston players know that this may be their chance to show their true grit.</p>
"We are finally starting to gel as a team", said De Rosario. "This Saturday we will go in there, and keep that streak rolling. We will do what we do best, what we've been working on all week, and we should come out successful." </p>
