Focus heavy on breaking out of funk, positioning for playoffs

A strong first half of the season set up the Dynamo to make a run at one of the Western Conference’s top seeds.

A recent slide, however, has them scrambling to stay in position to make the playoffs.

With a break for the Gold Cup approaching, the Dynamo (7-74) desperately need to get back in the win column Wednesday night when they play Montreal at BBVA Compass Stadium.

They have won only once in their last eight games and have fallen from the top of the standings to fifth place — one spot and four points above the red line.

“We are in a close conference,” said Dynamo forward Erick Torres, who has scored in two consecutive games and is second in the league with 12 goals. “All the teams are close to each other on points. It’s going to be vital to get stronger during this second part of the season. We are going to have to close in a good way.”

Torres has been called up to Mexico’s Gold Cup squad as an injury replacement, but Mexico has agreed to let Torres play with the Dynamo on Wednesday before joining the national team. Mexico’s first group-stage game is Sunday at San Diego.

That Torres is playing Wednesday is pivotal. The Dynamo already will be without Hondurans Alberth Elis, Romell Quioto and Boniek Garcia.

The Dynamo have dropped in the standings because of their inability to win on the road. They are 0-7-2 away from home. Their most recent performance Saturday in Colorado — a 3-1 loss — was especially concerning.

The Dynamo had more of the

ball and more shots but conceded three outstanding scoring opportunities that the Rapids had little trouble finishing. Coach Wilmer Cabrera said it was the Dynamo’s “worst day defensively.”

That led to a video session Monday that lasted more than an hour.

“Our video sessions are always like a practice,” Cabrera said. “It’s important that we analyze, and we recognize what we have done well or what we didn’t do well. And the best way is if we have the players, they are the ones that played, so they can see themselves.

“We can coordinate. We can talk. We can ask each other, and we can reflect on that to continue moving on.”

The Dynamo could catch a break if Montreal’s Ignacio Piatti does not play because of a groin injury. He leads the Impact (5-5-6) with eight goals. Montreal already will be without five-goal scorer Anthony Jackson Hamel and midfielder Patrice Bernier, both of whom are on Canadian Gold Cup duty.

No matter who Montreal has in its lineup, the Dynamo know they need to get all three points. Although 16 games remain in the regular season, the last thing they can afford is back-to-back poor performances and put themselves in danger of falling out of playoff position altogether.

“We cannot panic,” Cabrera said. “This is not about being too emotional. This is soccer. You cannot be too emotional because you are going to suffer. We have to fix what we need to fix, and that we recognize our mistakes. We have very good players in order for us to do that.

“We’re not the best team when we win, but we’re not the worst team when we lose. Right now, we have a great opportunity to come back.”