The Houston Dynamo earned their second road point of the season in a 2-2 draw at LA Galaxy. Here’s what we learned after the club’s cross-country trip to Carson, CA:
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632600">1. You win some, you lose some. Sometimes you just draw.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632603">The Dynamo were moments away from picking up their first three points on the road before a Romain Alessandrini goal changed all that in stoppage time. It’s not the result the team nor fans will want to walk away with, but it’s a result that was out of their control.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632606">Given the Dynamo’s road record this season, however, a tie is a step in the right direction given the overall performance. The tie may feel like a loss and that should tell the story of how well the team played on the night.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632609">The team’s next away match will be at Colorado in two weeks, in a venue they haven’t won since 2008. Patience will have to prevail for the Dynamo and its fans going forward but, just remember, a point is still better than none.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632612">2. The team fixed their attacking output on the road
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632615">It was a huge positive for the offense to finally score on the road from the run of play. It was their run of play goal on the road since the first half at Portland in March – the other two goals scored were penalties.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632618">The team’s inability to translate their success in attack from home to away games has been a big part of why they have struggled on the road. The Dynamo scoring first allowed them to manage some of the game and overcome a defensive lapse that led to the Galaxy’s first goal.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632621">Ultimately, if the Dynamo keep scoring on the road it will most likely mean a positive results. It’s the lack of scoring that hurt them in the previous road games.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632624">3. The team still has plenty of room to improve
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632627">Wilmer Cabrera fielded his 16th different starting lineup in as many games on Saturday, 17 in 17 if you count the Open Cup. This is a result of injuries, international absences and schedule challenges that has hindered the team from having more consistency.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym19114978031523632630">As good as the Dynamo have played, that’s also comparing it to the team’s own previous road performances and a Galaxy team not at full strength. This team still has plenty of room to grow if they want to pull a result in tougher environments and against better teams.
3160ym19114978031523632594">3160ym1911497803152363_2633">Still, with one game left to reach the midpoint of the season, being above the playoff line is a good starting point and one the Dynamo can build on significantly. The team has seen a drastic upwards surge from the poor form of 2016 and the best is still to be seen.
