Playoff win latest chapter in club’s revival
In November 2013, backup goalkeeper Tyler Deric watched from the bench as the Dynamo defeated the New York Red Bulls in the second leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
On Thursday night, Deric was the starter and saved six shots on his way to a third consecutive clean sheet as the Dynamo defeated Sporting Kansas City in the knockout round.
The four years between those playoff victories make up the darkest days in the Dynamo’s 11-year history. They include three seasons without qualifying for the playoffs.
The Dynamo will get another crack at the conference semifinals beginning Monday, when they play host to the Portland Timbers in the series’ first leg at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Deric will be back in the starting XI as the Dynamo try to add to the revelation that has been coach Wilmer Cabrera’s first season in charge.
“We had this goal from the beginning of the season,” Deric said after Thursday night’s 1-0 victory. “With our results the past couple seasons, keeping it at making playoffs was good for the coaching staff. We’ve reached our goal. We have a lot more goals after this. Today was another one. We just keep pushing on to the next game.”
Cabrera’s challenge to return the Dynamo to relevance began when he was hired last October. A positive preseason followed
a massive roster overhaul. The addition of exciting players like Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto and the rebirth of forward Erick Torres highlighted a hot start to the regular season.
Through all the ups and downs, the Dynamo set their sights on getting back to the playoffs — a place that used to be their playground, considering two MLS Cup titles, two runner-up finishes and six conference finals appearances in the club’s 12 seasons of existence.
Thursday’s win over Sporting KC added to the excitement of a season that would have been largely successful without it.
“Yeah, this is very rewarding,” Cabrera said. “There’s no doubt that it’s been positive, but we are in a very good momentum. We needed to prove ourselves that we can go through this stage. It was a really tough match against a very good opponent like Sporting Kansas City, but we were at the level to this game.”
The Dynamo likely will have to be at a higher level to defeat Portland in the semifinals. The Timbers boast a high-octane attack unmatched by most teams — especially Sporting Kansas City. While Thursday’s visitors struggled to generate chances, Monday’s opponent will not, thanks in large part to MVP candidate Diego Valeri.
It is a difficult matchup, but the Dynamo’s defense has been improving over the last two months. They have secured three consecutive clean sheets for the first time since the summer of 2012.
After waiting four years for another crack at the playoffs, the Dynamo are not likely to slow down now.
“We’re all focused, and we’re all keyed in,” defender Jalil Anibaba said. “We know what’s at stake. Every single player is ready to play. It has been showing lately.”