Still searching for win No. 1
Unbeaten Sporting KC poses big challenge in road test
The winless Dynamo seek their first victory of the season against Sporting Kansas City, the top team in the Western Conference, on Tuesday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.
“We have approached the last few days with a lot of confidence,” coach Tab Ramos said. “We felt that our last game was a good one, unfortunately, obviously, we’re disappointed that we couldn’t get the result. We, I believe, lost four points in the last two games that could right now put us in a playoff spot.”
For the Dynamo (0-2-4, 4 points), their recent performances have been productive — albeit not in the points column.
They opened the MLS is Back Tournament with a lead against Los
Angeles FC before settling for a draw. They limited FC Dallas to seven shots after they mustered 27 in their previous two, earning the team’s first shutout of the year Friday.
Despite the zero in the win column, one of the Dynamo’s two losses came against MLS is Back Tournament champion Portland Timbers. The other was a startling 4-0 shutout at the hands of Kansas City (5-1-0, 15 points) in the second game of the season in March.
On one hand, the club’s recent growth and momentum has boosted players’ confidence despite its position at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. The Dynamo have generated chances, continued to improve on defense
and started to take the shape Ramos wants to see.
But in pursuing its first win, the team is operating against more intermediate momentum: its road struggles.
“I can’t fix the past,” Ramos said of the 5-35-12 road record since the 2017 season. “I think the players are prepared to do well on the road.
“I think we’re doing a lot of positive things. Obviously, at the end of the day, I’m responsible for results. So I can paint any picture I want to make it sound good, but the bottom line is we have to win games.”
Ramos draws confidence from the way his team has competed. He saw positives in its showings against the “group of death” at the tournament, which was played away from BBVA Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
“(Former coach Wilmer Cabrera) did some great things,” Ramos said. “They brought a (MLS) Cup to the city of Houston (in 2006 and 2007), and that’s important. I think we want to hold on to the good of the past and not the bad. Sometimes when you don’t get results, people seem to start moving toward the negative of the past, and that’s what we’re trying to stay away from because this is a different team.”
Forward Mauro Manotas missed the Dallas game. He’s listed as questionable again with a thigh injury, as are Victor Cabrera and Boniek Garcia.
Sporting KC enters Tuesday’s game unbeaten. KC’s 15 goals rank second best in the league, as does its nine-point goal differential.
“They defend well as a team, so you can’t just look at their back four and say, ‘OK, their four defenders are good,’…every single one of their players is willing to defend,” Ramos said. “We’re the fifth team in the league as far as shots taken, and so we are getting forward. I think it’ll be a good matchup.”