Houston Dynamo
Wilmer Cabrera risked Alberth Elis in the opening league match and Elis took a beating for all 90 minutes. He only drew three fouls but the Real Salt Lake players constantly made him physically uncomfortable. Houston got a 1-1 draw, but only managed one shot on goal. The whole team looked uncomfortable, possibly due to the CCL fixture congestion.
But fixture congestion is not to blame for tepid, route- one soccer. Fixture congestion cannot explain away so many crosses or long balls to an isolated Dynamo jersey. Fixture congestion cannot even be used to explain away the attendance figures. This Houston team is thin on roster depth and the top-end talent barely moves the needle in modern MLS.