Houston Dynamo vs Philadelphia Union: Player Ratings

Houston Dynamo Player Ratings:

Tally Hall (6) - Hall recorded a shutout and 3 saves and was able to keep a makeshift backline fairly well organized. Things were a little chaotic in the back at times, but overall a good effort by the Dynamo keeper.

Warren Creavalle (6.5) - Creavalle moved to RB to fill in for Kofi Sarkodie who was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. Creavalle looked much more comfortable than his previous game at RM, and moved the ball well up the field. Creavalle was my choice over Sarkodie at RB last year, which is a position that I have changed, but it is nice to know Creavalle still puts in a great effort there.

Eric Brunner (6) - 3 CBs on the field? Sort of, Taylor moved to LB and Brunner paired with Boswell in the middle. Brunner put in another consistent performance and even helped deflect a ball from Connor Casey that was a sure sitter - a deflection that was so good it was unseen by the officials!

Bobby Boswell (5.5) - Boswell looked to anchor the backline which had some key players missing, and mostly did just that. He was calm, composed out of the back, and moved the ball well up the field. However, at times was caught flat footed which Boswell can't do because he isn't fast enough to catch up. That usually isn't an issue with him, as he's very smart in his positioning, but it happened a few times too many for my liking.

Jermaine Taylor (6) - Taylor filled in for Corey Ashe at LB who was away with the USMNT. Taylor played better than he has in awhile which is comforting. It's also nice to see Taylor move up the field and become involved in the attack more. While Taylor is no Corey Ashe, he is deceptively quick which helped prevent a number of potential threats on goal.

Ricardo Clark (7) - The game's only goal scorer found the net in the 59^th minute after Giles Barnes found Jermaine Taylor out wide (see what I mean about Taylor being involved in the attack) and Taylor sent in a cool cross that Rico redirected into the net. This came just shortly after Clark missed an easy header and good thing he redeemed himself and helped the Dynamo get 3 points at home.

Adam Moffat (6) - Though not paired side by side with Clark this time, Moffat was up to the challenge of dispossessing players in the center of the field, and helped set up a few counters. He still looks more comfortable with Clark next to him and not in front of him though.

Oscar Boniek Garcia, MotM, (7) - Boniek is back! It was great to see our designated player back on the field, and he brought with him his usual creative and energetic traits that make him a threat. He was part of nearly every offensive play, and stole the ball a few times in the attacking third producing chances out of nothing. Boniek will be a big part of our ride back up the standings.

Andrew Driver (6.5) -Driver filled in for Brad Davis who is still out with a hamstring injury (nasty those hamstring injuries aren't they?) and Driver continued to be a thorn in the side for opposing teams. He linked up very well with the midfield and forwards, but one couldn't help think took a touch too many here and there and should have passed the ball rather than shoot. Still, he was able to create many, many chances for the Dynamo and his shoot first approach when the Dynamo has now scored 3 goals in 8 games is ok with me.

Giles Barnes (6.5) - Giles Barnes didn't seem to miss his usual striking partner Will Bruin too much. Barnes was very active on the offensive side of the ball, and was credited with an assist. One thing to note, Barnes drifted centrally a lot this game and allowed other players to move up which really shows how effective he can be as a center attacking midfielder. He did a lot of playmaking and partnered well with Boniek.

Omar Cummings (6) - It was great to see Omar Cummings get the start. He's healthy and that's great news for the Dynamo as they have a busy month in August coming up. Cummings showed his speed and passing abilities, but his usual terrific touch wasn't quite there. I'm sure it will be back though.

The Subs:

Cam Weaver (6) - Weaver came on for Omar Cummings in the 69^th minute and provided his usual strong hold up play and ability to win balls in the air. One thing we also learned was that Weaver is a strong passer when he wants to be as well.

Jason Johnson (6) - JJ came on for Giles Barnes in the 76^th minute and came very close to finding the net and ensuring a Dynamo victory twice. A busy month of August means that Johnson will find playing time, and each game he plays he gets very close to opening his Dynamo scoring account.

Alex Dixon (-) - Dixon came on in the 83^rd minute for Andrew Driver and Dixon mostly had to do defensive duties due to a Philadelphia team looking to steal a point at BBVA. Dixon didn't see too much of the ball so I didn't think it would be too fair to give him a rating.

Dominic Kinnear (6) - Yes we won, yes we got the shut out, but there were so many opportunities for the Dynamo to have put this game away. The Dynamo was incredibly active on the offensive end but still could only produce 1 goal. Still, Boniek's presence, the return of Sarkodie, Davis on the mend as well as Carr whom is projected to be about a month away from being able to play (yay!), and Cummings being more or less 90 minutes fit are all great news for the Dynamo. I think our summer slump could be over /knockonwood