When the Houston Dynamo take the field against FAS tonight at Estadio Cuscatlán (9 pm CT, FOX Soccer), it will be an eye-opening experience for many of the Dynamo players. CONCACAF Champions League road games are never easy for anyone, but when an American team goes south of the border to Mexico or into Central America, those challenges have always been amplified.
“I’m not exactly sure what to expect, which might be a good or bad thing,” rookie defender Warren Creavalle said.
Creavalle, along with second-year defender Kofi Sarkodie, has seen limited action in Dynamo first team games in 2012, but will be called upon to help Houston navigate a difficult stretch that includes six games in a span of 19 days.
“We are just going to go in, get our bodies prepared and be ready for this opportunity,” the rookie defender said. “I don’t get the chance to be in the [starting] 11 all of the time, so I’m just trying to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Following Monday’s training session, head coach Dominic Kinnear spoke to the media about previous trips to Central America to help paint a picture of what the Dynamo will be up against Wednesday night. There was the time the lights went out in Panama as well as the case of the missing ball boys against Pachuca. Those stories don’t include the countless other times projectiles were thrown onto the field with little cover for the players and technical staff. Regardless of the circumstances, his message to his players is a clear one.
“I tell them to not worry about it because there are going to be some things happening that you may not have experienced before and it is going to get under your skin,” Kinnear said. “It’s still 90 minutes and it’s still 11 on 11 and if you play well, you are going to give yourself a chance to win.”
