Houston Dynamo road curse hits at Real Salt Lake

Houston Dynamo tossed their road curse and got an away win two weeks before. Real Salt Lake cast the spell again and beat them at Rio Tinto 2-1 this week.

They projected to win this game 2-1. But Houston Dynamo returned from Real Salt Lake with that very score as a loss.

The shock for Houston deepens when looking at the Dynamo’s efforts. They got off 12 shots, just as Real Salt Lake. Six of the shots went on goal. F Alberth Elis in the 75^th minute guided a header past RSL G Connor Sparrow from M Romell Quioto’s cross.

That came in between a first-half score by F Luis Silva (F Sebastian Saucedo and D Brooks Lennon) and the 82^nd-minute winner by M Kyle Beckerman, assisted by M Damir Kreilach off Saucedo’s corner kick.

For Houston, three things came clear from this match.

Stats can’t win it but didn’t lose it

The Dynamo did their jobs as well as any game they’ve won. Their possession time finished just under 44%. They were 59-51 on duels won and 19-9 on tackles won.

Houston Dynamo stand 0-1-1 this season when even with the opponent on shots. They’re 4-2-2 when behind in possession. They’re 1-2-1 when trailing at the half. And they’re 1-3-1 conceding the first goal.

But statistics alone don’t explain this game.

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Stay tuned: The rivals return

RSL and Dynamo look amazingly even in this contest. They should stay that way. They meet again in Houston on August 18. They both hope to fight on that date for something higher than 5^th and 6^th places.

Then Houston Dynamo should place that extra, winning shot. But RSL will have even more finesse at that time. Stay tuned.

Interchangeable players

Houston’s 4-3-3 has seen 12 starting lineups in as many games. Head coach Wilmer Cabrera’s players have shown up for the challenges, even with a few disappointing results like this one.

Swedish newcomer D Adam Lundqvist got his chance to start at right back. D Adolfo Machado got called up for international duty.

Like his teammates, Lundqvist showed up in the position. He played 90 minutes.

During that time he registered four tackles, two dribbles and a clearance. He didn’t disappear in the offense, either. He got in four crosses and three key passes.

Next: Three things learned: Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago

With all that’s going for them, the Dynamo will lock in more and more success through the season. They will even cast off the road curse, perhaps for a streak.

They’ll just have to earn it.