One lesson the Houston Dynamo can learn from the Dynamo Dos

The Houston Dynamo are in danger of claiming the cellar spot in the MLS Western Conference for a third consecutive year. To say the only way to go is up is becoming a worn out statement. Maybe they need to take a page from the Houston Dynamo 2 team.

The Dynamo Dos in their first season as a member of the inaugural MLS Next Pro league sits three points clear of North Texas SC in the race for a playoff berth. Their destiny rest within the team. Head coach Kevin Bundy talked about the key to claiming that destiny.

"We can only control what we control. We can control our intensity, we can control the way that we want to play, we can control the things that we're trying to do – our preparation, the mentality going into the games. We can't control other teams, we can't control the referees, we can't control the field, we can't control the weather. It's really important that the boys understand that, there's a limited amount of things they can control. If we do that, at 100 percent, then we give ourselves a great opportunity and a great chance to win games."

Consider the fact that on Saturday night, they faced off against an MUNFC 2 team that was stacked with first team players from the parent side and the Dynamo 2 came away with a 1-0 win. This week they face a St. Louis City 2 which is expected to feature at least two designated players from the parent club. The DoS have moved players back and forth between them and the parent club Houston Dynamo and yet still found ways to post a winning record at home (have not lost at AVEVA Stadium), fourth most wins in the league, average two plus goals a game and given up the third fewest goals against at 0.95GAA.

The lesson here is simple. You prepare all week and then you do what is expected on matchday. Bundy said he could see it in their eyes after warm-ups. Nothing was going to deter them.

"When they came back from warmups, when they stepped on the field and the first whistle blew, I could see in their face that they understood it was up to them to get the result. We weren’t going to be worried about the referee, worried about what they were doing, but problem solving, the decisions that we made today, the communication on the field, the intensity that everybody played at that those are things that we can control. Throughout the game, you could see phases where maybe they had a little bit of possession, or maybe they had a free kick, or they had a chance. You can see the guys on the field really understand that. This is in our control, which as a staff is the most important thing.” 

Everything was up to them and they went out and played like it. This is what the Dynamo lack. They seldom execute the game plan for a full 90 minutes plus. The Dynamo 2 are hungry. They are hungry to show that they belong on the same pitch as the parent club. They are hungry to show their fans, they appreciate the support. They are hungry to be the best they can.

The Dynammo coaches and staff say all the right things but they don't deliver. The Houston Dynamo fans have been starving for a winner. They showed out when Hector Herrera arrived on July 9th and the team played like it was capable. Over 21,000 showed when one of the best in the Eastern Conference came to town in CF Montreal. Tonight, PNC Stadium will be packed tonight because LAFC is in town. If the Dynamo want to win back their fanbase, they have to take control of their own destiny. They have to be all in with the coaching staff. They have to be hungry.