The last two weeks have been very good to the Houston Dynamo, as they took four points out of six in matches against the Seattle Sounders and the Philadelphia Union. A large part of Houston’s recent success has been the play of Geoff Cameron, who is starting to put his fingerprints on the Dynamo attack.
The tall midfielder scored a fantastic goal in the final 10 minutes to secure a point at Philadelphia and played a role in two of Houston’s goals against Seattle the week before. The production, coming on the heels of a surprise selection to the MLS All-Star Game, has provided a swing to both Cameron’s and his team’s confidence, something that seemed to be missing just a few weeks ago.
“I think the team is playing well, and that makes my job easier,” Cameron told MLSsoccer.com. “The team as a whole is confident, and that rubs off on you as an individual. It comes down to the guys working for one another, and you have to put yourself in positions to produce.”
That confidence is showing in the team’s improved passing and possession over the past two weeks, and no one has benefited more than Cameron. The 6-foot-3 midfielder is routinely making effective runs into the attacking third and providing the creative spark that Dynamo fans have seen in flashes and hoped to see more often.
The midfielder is connecting well with his teammates and finding space and opportunities to create for both them and himself. A big part of Cameron’s success is the quick camaraderie he’s forged with newcomer Adam Moffat.
After coming to Houston on July 21 in exchange for Lovel Palmer and Mike Chabala, Moffat has taken up a role in central midfield, turning what was a flat, four-man midfield into more of a diamond shape. With Moffat patrolling the middle, Cameron has been concentrating more on building and getting into the attack.
“He sits a little more and allows me to be the offensive guy and keep going,” Cameron said. “He looks to possess the ball in the middle and for those little through passes, which is nice for me. I can get on the ball a lot more and make things happen.”
Moffat, who had not started a league game since last fall after an offseason move from Columbus to Portland in the MLS Expansion Draft, has looked comfortable playing in front of the back line and has even fired a few long-range shots for good measure in his two starts with Houston.
“I think there’s a good balance,” Moffat said “It helps for each guy to know what he can do, and it’s good to have that balance.”
With a focus on going forward, Cameron is showing the type of attacking force he can be. While his first instinct may be to downplay his individual success, Cameron’s play and that of his club will likely go hand in hand over the final 11 matches.
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com. Follow him
on twitter at @Dynamoexaminer.
