Improvement there even if results aren’t
Atlanta United keeper Brad Guzan was stretched on a cross from the left flank as the Dynamo continued a first-half onslaught in their early March opener.
Guzan extended just enough to tap the threat away with a left fist, but Dynamo midfielder Darwin Ceren was charging as the ball bounced outside of the goal area from where he scored to open a 4-0 lead.
After such a promising start to the Major League Soccer season, the Dynamo have relapsed; losing, tying, then losing — most recently at home to New England on March 31 in a game in which DaMarcus Beasley was shown a 35th-minute red card.
But to hear the team tell it, the growth is there even if it doesn’t show in the summaries or standings.
“We have improved since last year as a team,” coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “It might not be reflected in the numbers because we have lost two games at home, but as a team, we are better. Now, hopefully, we can add a win and points that can help us to support what we’ve been doing on the field. We have to be positive. Right now with the players, we’ve been analyzing that there are little individual mistakes that have cost us points, but the level overall of the team on the field has been good, so we need to continue what we’ve been doing.” Dynamo coaches and players would have preferred to return to the field last week to continue that effort, but they say excitement remains high despite the two-week hiatus — even if it disrupts their rhythm.
“We’re happy to have a game this weekend,” Cabrera said. “It can be difficult for us to find a rhythm when we have games every two weeks, but we’re working hard, and we have a good mentality. It’s going to be a tough game against San Jose in San Jose. After all, we haven’t played in 14 or 15 days, but that’s how our schedule is. We need to go over there and make sure that we are organized, disciplined and with a good mentality, fighting the whole 97 or 98 minutes for the three points.”
Cabrera looks to avoid disciplinary issues Saturday. He also expects a better defensive performance after the team surrendered two goals each to Vancouver, D.C. United and New England.
Ceren, an El Salvadoran international, formerly played for the Earthquakes.
“I’m excited to go back to San Jose and to play there,” Ceren said. “I think it’s a wonderful place, and we both are good teams, so I’m excited. I’ll be wearing a different jersey now, but I will put all of my energy in this team, and we will try to take those three points. It’s time to put our heads up and see how we do against them because we had two weeks off while they played. Every time someone takes three points we go down in the standings, so it’s time to return to the game and I think we are ready for this weekend. We’re ready to go to San Jose.”