For one Houston native with FC Dallas -- left back Chris Gbandi -- this weekend's match with Dynamo will represent a missed opportunity, as he will be away on national team duty. But for Arturo Alvarez, the rematch with the reigning MLS Cup champions will hopefully provide a chance of a different sort.
Thus far in 2007, Alvarez has appeared in seven matches, three of those starts. In his most recent start, against Real Salt Lake in Frisco on May 20, he netted his first goal of the year after getting his first start of the year up top.
With captain and last year's leading scorer Carlos Ruiz likely absent from the team for much of June while playing for Guatemala in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Morrow expects others, including Alvarez, to pick up the offensive slack left by his departure -- and the first chance will come in Sunday's battle for "El Capitan" at Robertson Stadium.
"He (Alvarez) has to step up," Morrow said. "I spoke to him and Dominic (Oduro) before the Chivas game (on Saturday). They both played against Salt Lake and did very well. That's how I want the competition on this roster -- where guys are going to step in and everyone feels like they are competing for a spot.
"Arturo certainly is capable of doing that. We're going to need him and everybody over the next six weeks as we're losing players. Everybody has to step up and play a big role."
The last time Alvarez stepped onto the field against Houston, on Sept. 2, 2006, he netted the game-winner for FCD in the 86th minute in a 1-0 win at Pizza Hut Park -- the Hoops' only success against their in-state rivals last season.
Alvarez had entered the match in the 64th minute and was just the offensive spark the Hoops were looking for against a Dynamo team that had been playing a man down since the 31st minute when defender Eddie Robinson was sent off after receiving a second yellow card within a minute.
That goal was especially sweet for Alvarez, who before coming to FCD in a trade involving current Dynamo midfielders Brad Davis and Richard Mulrooney in 2005, had played for San Jose in both 2003 and 2004 and still had close ties to a number of the Houston players.
"I'm looking forward to going back home and playing in front of my family and friends," Alvarez said. "(FCD head coach) Steve (Morrow) hasn't done the lineup yet but hopefully, I will start. If not, I will get some playing time and I am looking forward to it."
On Saturday, FCD failed to beat Chivas USA for the fourth consecutive match, falling to them 2-1 at The Home Depot Center. Coming off that disappointing road result and facing the reigning league champs should give Alvarez and the rest of the Hoops enough motivation come Sunday.
"It would be good to show how good we are and that we deserve to be where we are," Alvarez said. "It was a disappointing loss to Chivas this past weekend. A good win would definitely give us our confidence back that we had and should have."
Alvarez admits that his side will definitely miss Ruiz, but that with FCD's depth, they will be fine in his absence.
"We're definitely going to miss him," said Alvarez. "He's a great player and goal scorer. We have enough guys to cover for him and I think we will. I think we should be fine for this game against Houston."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
