A very professional performance saw the Houston Dynamo take their CONCACAF Champions League opener Wednesday against Isidro Metapan of El Salvador with a 1-0 victory. Despite an opponent that used a very conservative game plan, the Dynamo got a goal from Brian Ching in the 68th minute and held Metapan with no shots on goal on the night.
"It's a good three points and a great start for the tournament for us," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "I think you credit them for sitting deep and defending and they came with a plan to get a point and good for us that we scored a goal when we did."
In the first half, the Dynamo were clearly out of sorts and frustrated. While the team had dominated possession, they were unable to break the tough Metapan shell in the final third of the field.
"In the first half we had tons of possession, but not a ton of chances," said Kinnear. "I thought against a team that just sat in and tried to defend, we just needed to score a goal."
For their side, Isidro Metapan coach Edwin Portillo admitted to playing for a tie.
"Absolutely. While we know and are comfortable in our own field, we know the Dynamo and we have to say this with our feet on the ground here that the Dynamo are a team that can make a difference," said Portillo. "That's why our approach to this game was highly defensive."
For the scorer of the eventual game-winning goal, it was even more frustrating watching from the sidelines.
"While watching the first half, I was getting frustrated a little because we could have done better creating better opportunities," Ching said.
After the break, the Dynamo picked up their game. Stuart Holden came on for Brad Davis and the team's collective urgency ratcheted up a couple of notches. The Dynamo earned several corners and free kicks in the first 25 minutes of the second half, but were unable to convert.
Houston got the goal as two of Kinnear's substitutes paid dividends. Holden threaded a nice pass behind the Metapan defense and into the path of Ching. As Metapan 'keeper Alvaro Alfaro raced off his line to try to close down the Dynamo forward, Ching calmly slid the ball into the back of the net.
"I think Stu played a great ball and I just finished it," said Ching.
The Dynamo defense held on for its second consecutive clean sheet. While Kinnear was happy for his team's defending on the night, he recognizes that all the pressure was on his midfielders and forwards to break down the Metapan wall.
"It was a pretty easy night for [goalkeeper] Pat [Onstad] and the defense," said Kinnear. "But it was a difficult night for the midfield and forwards because that's where we needed to be sharp."
Portillo was happy with how his team had represented itself and his country on the night.
"We knew against this type of team that we couldn't go head to head against them because if we open spaces we risk losing by a rout," he said. "We want to represent El Salvador in the best way possible and we don't want to do it in a way that will have the local press back home writing negative things about it."
Kinnear was proud of the respect his players were shown, but knows full well that the return trip to El Salvador will be no easy task.
"It's nice that he thinks of us that way," said Kinnear. "It's thoroughly deserved by what this team has done in CONCACAF and SuperLiga the last couple of years. By no means will it be an easy game when we return there and we also have respect for our opponents."
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSnet.com
