Houston Dynamo continued to impress in Week 2, and Columbus Crew SC showed cause for concern. What can we take away from the 3-1 beating in Houston?
Houston Dynamo came into Week 2 riding high from their win over the defending MLS Cup Champions. Columbus Crew SC, on the other hand, came into Week 2 needing some momentum after a draw with Chicago that had fans fearing this season was going to be 2016 all over again.
Here are three takeaways from the matchup in Houston:
3. Columbus had no shortage of shots, but Houston made them count
The match was a one-sided affair from the 2 minute mark, as Crew SC’s young keeper Zack Steffen made a costly mistake giving up possession to Quioto right outside of the penalty box. Quioto went on the easily score the first goal of the match, and an embarrassing one for Columbus.
The Dynamo went on to score another 2 goals, scoring on all but one of their 4 shots on goal. Columbus, however, couldn’t capitalize on any of their created opportunities. Time and time again Columbus fans were left frustrated watching the Black & Gold take on touch too many, or miss on solid chances.
Columbus Crew SC took 14 shots, twice as many as Houston Dynamo, but only managed to get on the board once. Ola Kamara found the back of the net early in the match, but was found offside. Outside of that, Columbus couldn’t sink a ball until extra time at the end of the match, far too late for it to mean anything.
2. It may be time for a change in Columbus
The Crew SC roster is loaded with talent, but you might not have known that if you watched this match. Embarrassing mistakes by the Crew lead to 2 of Houston’s goals, and too many touches lead to many of Columbus’s shots being blocked or possession being lost.
Again, Federico Higuain gave fans reason to argue that the designated player may be past his prime, as the man they call Pipa seemed to give away possession without much of a challenge. One has to wonder if Pipa’s time in Columbus may be coming to an end.
Columbus Crew SC already made a plethora of roster changes in the offseason, coming into 2017 with a rebuilt defense, and perhaps it’ll just take time for the new players to learn how to mesh together properly.
Most fans seem to be placing their frustration on head coach Gregg Burhalter and his refusal to change his game plan. Columbus Crew SC plays a very predictable style, and the opposing clubs more often than not seem more than capable to adapt. However, the Burhalter style never waivers, whether or not it’s effective.
Can Burhalter change or is it time to change Burhalter?
1. Houston Dynamo are building momentum
Houston Dynamo have made their game-plan clear: attack.
When Dynamo head coach Cabrera stated last week that he wasn’t concerned with possession, his plan was “we’re gonna attack”, some wondered if the attack-heavy style would sustain from week-to-week. Anybody who watched the showdown between the Crew and Dynamo can attest: it worked this match.
Columbus may have made mistakes that created goal scoring opportunities for the Dynamo, but full credit goes to Houston for not allowing a chance to go by without being capitalized on. The story coming out of Texas wasn’t Columbus’s errors, it was how dangerous the Dynamo look.
So will the full throttle attack style carry the Dynamo to their first playoff appearance since 2013? Only time will tell, but Houston move into Week 3 with plenty of momentum knocking off MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew SC back-to-back for their first 2-0-0 start since 2014.
Next: Major League Soccer: All goals from Match Week 2
What did you think of the showdown in Houston? Keep the conversation going in the comment section at the bottom of the page, and stay tuned to MLS Multiplex for all of your Major League Soccer news.