The revolving door at center back for the Houston Dynamo will take another spin Sunday as the club heads into their next “biggest game of the year” without recent starter AJ Cochran.
The rookie out of the University of Wisconsin will be relegated to spectator status as he serves a suspension following his red card in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Toronto FC. Head coach Dominic Kinnear said the club’s contemplating an appeal, but in the meantime they will prepare to enter a crucial clash at home against D.C. United (2 p.m. CT; TICKETS) having to once again dip into the center back well.
“Yeah it’s been a revolving door, but I think every partnership’s been successful after maybe one or two games,” center back David Horst said. “Once we’ve gotten those one or two games out of the way those partnerships have been successful with AJ and with Jermaine [Taylor] and now with Eric [Brunner] coming in.”
The physical Horst has been the constant in the Dynamo center-back rotation with 28 starts this season, seven more than Taylor, his most consistent partner.
This time the suspension will break up a partnership between Horst and Cochran that has progressed the past the past six games. In that span, Houston has conceded just five goals and posted shutouts in three of the last four games.
“I always say it’s a team effort, and I think the more you play people on the field the partnerships get stronger,” Kinnear said. “I think that helps during this run we’ve had that we had a pretty solid lineup.”
Brunner – who’s started two games in 2014 – stepped in when Cochran was shown the door Wednesday and did well. An experienced center back, Brunner was in the middle of Houston’s push for and through the playoffs in 2013. That showed in his relief effort Wednesday.
“I tweeted out that it was one of the best wins I’ve had in my career,” Brunner said. “Even though it wasn’t MLS Cup, you saw the whole team unite and fight for that win.”
Horst and Brunner also played together in their previous stop with the Portland Timbers.
“We know each other,” Horst said. “Yeah he might not have played a lot this year, but Eric’s been around this league and been successful. He knows what to do. I don’t think there’s going to be any chemistry issues.”
Another option could be Taylor, who is slated to be back in Houston Saturday evening after he put in a full shift for Jamaica in a Friday friendly against Japan in Niigata. Turning around and starting Sunday could be a tall task.
Regardless of who lines up next to Horst, they’ll be tasked with stopping D.C. United as the Dynamo try to close a four-point gap on the final playoff spot.
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
