Monday Morning Centre Back: The Curtain Falls

"You can learn a lot from losing and you learn things from winning. I think if the guys look back at tape from this there gonna find out the reason why we won the game" -Dominic Kinnear

The 2010 Houston Dynamo season is done. At 9-15-6 (33 points, 7th in Western Conference) it wasn't what we expected or hoped for, but every sports fan knows you can't be great every year. There is plenty to build on for next season with how well the team played in the final month of the season and there is plenty to talk about with the inevitable roster turnover that in all honesty must happen to help refresh this team and get them back in to the playoffs in 2011. For today, let's look back at Dominic Kinnear's and a couple player's thoughts on Saturday's 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders.

Dominic Kinnear

Thoughts on the game:

"I thought we played well, it was a tough game, hard field, hard opponent, little bit of wind. It became a physical match I thought we held up pretty well going down a goal we easily could have put out heads down and we didn't."

"Both goals had some great buildup play. I was really happy for Cam to score the winner for us and really happy for Geoff to get the goal the way he did...and Tyler, two wins in a row for him to end the season out. All credit goes to the guys, like I said, the last two months I think we played our best stuff and it's just a little sad, but we knew it was coming, that we aren't training on Monday. I let the guys know I thanked for all their effort and time, it's a great group of people. It's a great way to end the season, I'm pleased for the guys that they did it this way."

On the big crowd at Robertson:

"Anytime you get a chance to play in front of a good crowd like that, it's important to come out and hopefully entertain them."

"I thought we started off the game pretty good until they scored, it was kinda their first foray in to our area. Other than that I thought we have some good attacking play. With the wind and the field, the ball was kind of running out of bounds at times for both teams. I thought we looked pretty dangerous on set pieces and our two goals were good goals for the people that don't know too much about soccer and great goals for the people who know a lot about soccer."

Oon changes coming in the off season:

"I can't even enjoy my win huh? We know it's coming, we'll have individual meetings with players later in the week, obviously we know there is a tiny trade window before the expansion draft and you release your list. Once the end of November comes I think we'll have a good idea of what we need to do personnel wise"

On back-to-back wins:

"Yeah, I've been saving that one for awhile. It's great to do what we did, I don't care what people say I know it's professional. I know the games not a conference semifinal but I'm happy we did it and I think the way we did it, we wen't about our business really well. It's nice to be able to win two games in a row, I think the guys should be proud of themselves."

Mike Chabala

On the importance of ending the season with a win:

"It's been a long season, it's been a tough one, there's been a lot of ups and downs and obviously with really nothing to play for, it shows the character and heart of this team. It means a lot to us to get a win, because you can walk away and have three months just thinking about all the bad games that you put together so to end off on two good wins, something we haven't done all season. At least you can hang your hat on that and at least look at that for the off season and something to build on for next season."

On Tyler Deric's performance:

"I'm proud of him. He's done it pretty much on his own with the help of Tim Hanley and obviously with Tally and Pat, two great goalkeepers. He got an opportunity, got a shutout, kid made some incredible saves today. I think anyone in this locker room will tell you when we do shooting, he's one of the best shot stoppers. He put it together, did well, and I'm proud of him so we'll see what happens next season, maybe he'll be fighting for the #1 spot."

Tyler Deric

"It's just tough, I wish we could take this on to the playoffs. I just thank my team for coming back to win 2-1, it's really big for the guys and good looking forward to next season knowing that we ended on a good note."

On his save on Nat Jaqua:

"I honestly didn't know much about it, I just was trying to put myself in a good spot and luckily it hit me in the arm."

Geoff Cameron

"I think it showed our passion for the game and even though we had a s****y season and things didn't go out way, we finished it strong. Now we can look forward to next year. Just looking around the room, everyone put the effort in this year, we had out ups and downs, it's just really unfortunate that we didn't make it to the post season but the team came together. Some teams can just throw in the bag and take it for what it is, go out and not play hard but I thought we showed today that we gave it all we had on the field and tried to put on a good show for the fans and I thought we did that today."

Brad Davis 

"We fought to the end, I'm pretty proud of the guys, proud to be part of this team, happy to end of a good note because I think this past month and a half we've learned a lot about ourselves and a lot about this team and hopefully we can come back next year and turn it around."

Cam Weaver

"We're happy the way we finished the season and the last game but it still doesn't hide the fact that the entire season, we're still disappointed with not continuing to play next weekend. I think a lot of guys are saying, wow we've played well the last two games, this is the first time we've won back-to-back, why can't we keep playing? You can't just pick and choose when you go on those runs, it's obvioausly way to late but we'll head in to the off season with some confidence and I'm sure players we'll be working hard to improve their games. The guys who are back here next year will work on reversing the things that happened this year."

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At the end of Tyler Deric's time talking to the media, Bobby Boswell shouted across the locker room, "I Love You Tyler!"