After playing four playoff games in 10 days, the Dynamo get a chance to rest before the decisive second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Sporting Park in Kansas City. After the crowded schedule, here is an update of Dynamo player milestones and notes from the first four playoff games:
Milestones and notes from Saturday’s 0-0 first leg draw against Sporting Kansas City:
- Goalkeeper Tally Hall made two saves for his fifth career playoff shutout. Hall is now the franchise leader in playoff shutouts, surpassing Pat Onstad, who kept four postseason clean sheets with Houston.
- It was Brad Davis’ 25th career playoff start with the Dynamo. He is the first Houston player to start 25 playoff games.
- It was Ricardo Clark’s 17th career playoff start with Houston to pass Brian Ching for third on the club list. Davis (25) and Bobby Boswell (19) top the list.
- Clark also reached 1,532 career playoff minutes with Houston to vault Ching (1,520) for third on the club list.
- It was also Hall’s 14th career playoff start with Houston to pass Brian Mullan, Onstad and Corey Ashe for fifth on the franchise list.
- Hall (1,290 career playoff minutes) also passed Mullan (1,219) and tied Onstad for sixth on the club list.
- It was Will Bruin’s 13th career playoff game with the Dynamo to tie Onstad and Mullan for seventh on the club list.
- It was also the 10th career playoff start for Bruin, Boniek Garcia and Kofi Sarkodie. The trio passed Andre Hainault and tied Eddie Robinson, Dwayne De Rosario and Adam Moffat for 10th on the franchise list.
- Mike Chabala started the game at left back for his third career playoff game and first since 2009.
- Houston is now 9-1-2 all-time in home playoff games, the best home playoff record in MLS history.
Milestones and notes from 2-1 extra time victory at New York in second leg of Eastern Conference Semifinals on Nov. 6:
- Hall made eight saves to match a season-high (set at Montreal on Aug. 24) and improve to 8-3-2 in the playoffs in his career. He has two more career playoff wins that Onstad (6).
- Davis scored his third career playoff goal with Houston (and first since 2007) to tie Hainault for third on the franchise list. Davis’ previous playoff goal was Nov. 2, 2007, a tally in the 100th minute of a 4-1 extra-time win (and 4-2 aggregate series win) over FC Dallas in the Western Conference Semifinals.
- Omar Cummings’ extra-time series-winner was his third career playoff goal.
- Cam Weaver assisted on Cummings’ goal for his first career playoff assist.
- Kofi Sarkodie also earned an assist on Cummings’ goal for his first career playoff assist.
- It was Clark’s 175th career start in all competitions with the Dynamo. He became the third Dynamo player to reach 175 starts, joining Davis and Boswell.
- It was Ashe’s 13th career playoff start with Houston to tie Onstad and Mullan for fifth on the franchise list.
- Ashe (1,299 career playoff minutes) also surpassed Mullan and Onstad for fifth on the club list.
- It was Dominic Kinnear’s 15th win as a head coach in the MLS Cup playoffs to pass Bob Bradley for third on the Major League Soccer all-time playoff wins chart.
- The 2-1 win was Houston’s first-ever road win against New York. The Dynamo were 0-6-4 in ten previous road games at New York (including playoffs).
- Including the series win over New York, the Dynamo improved to 14-4 all-time in playoff series (includes one-game playoffs).
- Houston is now 5-6-4 all-time in road playoff games.
- The Dynamo are 4-1 all-time in playoff games that reached extra time, including the 2006 MLS Cup Final (vs. New England), the 2007 Western Conference Semifinal (vs. FC Dallas) and 2009 Western Conference Semifinal (vs. Seattle). The lone defeat after extra time was the 2009 Western Conference Final, a 2-0 home win for the LA Galaxy.
Milestones and notes from 2-2 home draw vs. New York in first leg of Eastern Conference Semifinals on Nov. 3:
- Clark scored his second career MLS Cup Playoff goal and first since 2005.
- It was also Clark’s 14th career goal in all competitions with Houston to pass Nate Jaqua and tie Geoff Cameron for eighth on the club list.
- It was Boswell’s 225th career start in all competitions with the Dynamo. He joined Davis as the second Houston player to make 225 starts.
- It was also Boswell’s 17th career playoff start with the Dynamo to pass Ching for second on the franchise list.
- Davis played 90 minutes to reach 2,076 career playoff minutes with Houston. He is the first Dynamo player to surpass 2,000 career playoff minutes.
- It was Hall’s 135 career game in all competitions with the Dynamo to pass Robinson for 10th on the franchise list.
Milestones and notes from 3-0 Knockout Round win over Montreal on Oct. 31:
- Boswell reached 20,082 career minutes in all competitions with the Dynamo. He is the second player in franchise history to amass 20,000 career minutes with the club, joining Davis, who surpassed 20,000 earlier this season.
- It was Hall’s fourth career playoff shutout to tie Onstad for the most in franchise history.
- Ashe registered the assist on Bruin's second goal for his first career playoff assist.
