Looking for Left Backs, Part 2

Two weeks ago, the Houston Dynamo had many questions that needed answering, and most of them revolved around the position of left back. Corey Ashe had seen yellow at Red Bull Arena, and added to the yellow from the knockout match, he was suspended for the first leg against Sporting Kansas City. There were many options, but it seemed that the somewhat logical option, the backup Mike Chabala, wasn't who people wanted to see.

Dynamo fans were worried about his lack of playing time, plus the fact that he would be going up against one of the premier midfielders in the league, Graham Zusi. They might not be natural left backs, but fans were almost unanimous in wanting to see either Warren Creavalle fill in at left back, or Kofi Sarkodie move across the back line with Creavalle filling in at right back.

Well, as it turned out, Dominic Kinnear knew better than all of us. Chabala not only started, he held his own against Zusi. The runs that we all feared we'd see never materialized - whether that be from Chabala's defense or from general tiredness. Even better, he contributed something that the Dynamo haven't had much this season, the long throw into the box. Nothing was scored off of any of them, but it was a dangerous weapon that always carries a chance of catching a defense off-guard (something the Dynamo have discovered to their detriment, many times.

Now, two weeks later, we have an eerily similar question. Ashe will be available, but do you want to see him start? Could the added offense qualities of Chabala be enough to balance whatever he might lose in defense? Or would you rather go with a known defensive quality in Ashe, at the cost of offense?

It's another potential dilemma, but you get the feeling that Dom will figure it out - if he hasn't already. As for you, DT readers, what would you do in his shoes? Would you start Ashe, Chabala, or somebody else?