three goals in three games with three victories to show for it; that is a trifecta that we can all enjoy. That is the type of production and efficiency that we were counting on from Joseph. The sheer speed that he brings to the point of attack has been a great asset for our offense. In basketball, coaches always say tht "you can't teach height." Well, in soccer you can't teach speed, and Joseph's speed and anticipation away from the ball will continue to be a major part of the Dynamo attack. Keep in mind that Joseph is only 26 years old! We should be enjoying his skills and style of play for years to come.
Youth is also being served with the strong play of Stuart Holden and Corey Ashe. Each is 21, and both have been instrumental in providing the spark in the second half that every MLS club needs. They bring a lot of pace to the game and as we go through the long, hot summer both Stuart and Corey will become increasingly important to the success of the team. I also have to mention Pat Ianni (age 22), Zach Wells (age 26) and Chris Wondolowski (age 24), who have seen their playing time bumped up due to the absence of Dynamo's international players.
Losing the services of players as skilled and talented as Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Ching, Pat Onstad and Ricardo Clark would be a real blow to most MLS franchises. The work that Dominic Kinnear and his staff of John Spencer and Mike Toshack have done in guiding the team to three straight vctories without the nucleus of the aforementioned players is nothing less than remarkable. Yes, other franchises (like Toronto FC) have been hit hard with call-ups for Gold Cup (and soon for Copa America) but I have to believe that no team was hit as hard as Dynamo. Dom has done a masterful job in keeping the intensity and focus at the right level and in getting the younger guys poised to play. Just as in other sports, the depth of the bench is critical in a season as long as that of MLS.
Speaking of Gold Cup, what a great opportunity we have to see some great soccer at Reliant Sradium this Wednesday and Sunday. Hugo Sanchez and "El Tri" face some serious pressure to qualify for the quarterfinals. Anything less than a victory against Honduras would be a problem for the rookie national team coach. Rest assured that Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Pavel Pardo and their mates will be highly motivated to get to the next round. There will certainly be a lot of passion in the stands at Reliant so go out and enjoy some great soccer.
