Just as expected, it was a hot and humid one today at Miguel "Lito" Perez Stadium. The Houston Dynamo performed its first and only practice session in Costa Rica, under the watchful eyes of construction and stadium workers who were putting the finishing touches before tomorrow's CONCACAF Champions' Cup game.
In spite of the heat, humidity, and a hard and bumpy pitch, it was business as usual for the Men in Orange, who will be getting their first taste of International competition against a team that historically is very difficult to beat at home. It's the team's good luck at home, and the pressure generated by its small but boisterous fan base that "Lito" Perez Stadium is known as "The Pressure Cooker", or "The Magic Pot."
"It's the weather that is going to be a problem for us, no doubt about it," said Dynamo defender Craig Waibel. "It's similar to Houston, but Houston is not has humid. We can't pay attention to the crowd. We just have to be smart, play hard, and try to bring home a good result."
Constantly drinking water to maintain themselves hydrated, the Dynamo practiced for close to one hour. As it is customary, players first performed ball-handling drills, only to later break into two teams for an intrasquad game: On one side, it was Pat Onstad, Eddie Robinson, Kevin Goldthwaite, Dominic Kinnear, John Michael Hayden, Brad Davis, Paul Dalglish and Alejandro Moreno. On the other, it was Zach Wells, Ryan Cochrane, Chris Wondolowski, Craig Waibel, Ricardo Clark, Brian Mullan, and Brian Ching.
"I felt good, as this is not much different than Houston. I know that Puntarenas has a very talented roster, but we are here to do a job and to win this game. Sure, the field is bumpy and a bit hard, but that should be no impediment. We came to Puntarenas to perform, and will hopefully take home a good result," said Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario.
After wrapping up the day's practice session with set pieces, the team wrapped up for the day. As the team left the field at "Lito" Perez, it stopped to share its impressions with the local media. "Have you guys had any problems with the food or water yet?" asked one of the reporters.
"So far, so good," said Waibel with a laugh. "We've been taking care of what we eat so we can be ready for Wednesday. This game is too important for us if we want to stay alive and succeed in this tournament."
If the Dynamo wins, it will have to play against the winner of the quarterfinal series between Pachuca and Marquense of Guatemala, organizing the first leg on March 14. First things first, though. To get there, the team must knock Puntarenas out of the competition, something that, given the team's status as "almost invincible" at home, can lend itself to be a bit complicated.
"We have a very competitive team, and the rest of our guys will know how to respond to get a positive result. We won at UNCAF, but this is a different tournament where the stakes are higher. We have to come out and do things well," said midfielder Michael Barrantes in an interview with Costa Rican newspaper La Nación. Barrantes will not participate in tomorrow's game after being ejected in the UNCAF final against Olimpia.
Tomorrow's game is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT. To watch, tune in to Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español. If radio is your thing, La Norteña 850 AM and 101.7 FM will be carrying the game en Español.
Briefly, before we go...
Stuart Holden will not be ready for tomorrow's game. He is still nursing a left hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined for a few days. According to head trainer Bruce Morgan, Holden is at 80 percent of where he should be to be able to play.
Congratulations to Goalkeeper Pat Onstad, who now officially holds an "A" coaching license after passing his final exams. Well deserved for "Mr. O", as he worked long and hard to get his license.
Probable Dynamo lineup for tomorrow:
Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis, Dwayne De Rosario, Kelly Gray, Brian Ching, Paul Dalglish.
Probable Puntarenas lineup:
Bryan Zamora, Eduardo Gómez, Roberto Wong, Rafael Núñez, Mario Víquez, Max Sanchez, Rodolfo Arnáez, Kevin Sancho, Kurt Bernard, Vicente Rocela, Mario Camacho.
