The palpable disappointment in the Houston Dynamo locker room Tuesday night – after their 1-0 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes at BBVA Compass Stadium – was not only due to the defeat, but also the way they lost.
Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle described the Quakes’ lone goal of the night, an Adam Jahn header on a quick restart, as “soft” and expressed frustration in not being able to translate a dominating possession game into goals – a problem that has plagued Houston on their current two-game losing streak and four-game winless skid.
Jahn’s goal in the 54th minute off a Matías Pérez García free kick from the right flank caught the Dynamo defense sleeping, allowing the big target forward to sneak behind the line unmarked and head in the curling ball.
“We didn’t see it quick enough, and it cost us the goal,” defender Kofi Sarkodie said. “We have to be prepared for that, line up quicker and make sure we are tuned in.”
The Dynamo controlled possession for a second consecutive game, but for a second consecutive game they had issues finding the back of the net.
“If anyone else watches that game tonight, I think they would have accepted that we were the better side and had better chances,” Coyle said in his postgame comments. “But when all is said and done, we lost a soft goal. What needs to change for possession into chances is the conversion rate. When you get good catches, you have to be ruthless and convert them.”
Houston had a chance to tie things in the 58th minute with a Giles Barnes penalty kick after Boniek García was tripped in the box. Barnes sent the kick low to the right post, but Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham made a diving deflection to preserve the eventual win.
“You don’t get better opportunities than a penalty kick,” Coyle said. “It’s hard to take, but we will take our medicine and try to pick ourselves up.”
Houston’s defense did improve Tuesday after allowing four goals in back-to-back games against Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas.
“I think we limited them to very few opportunities, but when all is said and done, you can play outstanding for 89 minutes and one lapse of concentration and that’s what affects you,” Coyle said. “We have to eradicate that very quickly because you cannot give up soft goals.”
The loss also marked a squandered chance for Houston to pick up points during a now-concluded three-game home stand. Sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference with 10 points from 10 games, they head out on to the road for three of their next four games.
“It was very disappointing,” defender Raúl Rodríguez said. “There is no way we win one of nine [points] at home.”
