Although the Dynamo were without national team stars Brian Ching, Dwayne De Rosario, and Pat Onstad in Thursday's game against New England, Houston also welcomed midfielder Brad Davis back into the starting lineup for the first time in more than six weeks.
Davis had made four appearances as a substitute since returning from an adductor strain but is still regaining fitness and played the first 60 minutes of the New England match, the most he has played since the injury.
"My body feels good, I just have to get back to my fitness level," Davis said after Monday's practice. "It was a tough patch there because all we were doing was playing games for about three weeks when I was trying to come back. I needed to get some training in, and we weren't having that much, so I had to do a lot on my own."
Davis started the game as a central midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation but soon moved outside when the Dynamo switched to a 4-4-2 formation.
"The 4-4-2 is obviously where I have played most of my minutes with this team," Davis said. "It wasn't a big transition, but I like either position, and I like wherever I can get on the field and help the team."
Davis, who scored in the Dynamo's 2-2 tie with Los Angeles on April 19, almost notched his second goal of the year with a stinging right-footed shot in the 41st minute, but New England's Matt Reis stopped the shot and held onto the rebound.
"They didn't cross half-field for 10 minutes, and then one mistake by us, and they score a goal," lamented Davis. "My chance goes right at him, and it hits his chest and bounces right there when I'm waiting for a rebound. We created a bunch of chances and had even more late in the game."
The availability of the Dynamo's national team call-ups is still uncertain for Houston's Saturday match at Colorado, but Davis said the Dynamo will continue creating chances and aim to get back on track.
"We're going to put the work in out here during the week and go there with a mentality to get three points," Davis said. "We'll continue to play the same way, grind it out like this team always has, and hopefully get a goal and be able to hold them off for three points."
