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The Dynamo’s season entered survival mode during Sunday's clash with the Chicago Fire at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The 2-0 win kept Houston’s hopes up, keeping the Dynamo in sight of the Eastern Conference’s narrowing playoff race. The Dynamo trail the New York Red Bulls and the final playoff spot by five points with a game in hand ahead of next week’s crucial match up at Red Bull Arena.
While the Eastern Conference tenses up, the nerves of managers across the MLS Fantasy community are flaming with only three rounds to go. This past week left a lot of managers questioning their past choices creating interesting dilemmas for the rounds to come.
Take a bow, Boniek Garcia. The Honduran is an easy choice for the MLS Team of the Week thanks to his team-high total of 10 points in round 29. Boniek’s 67th minute volley earned him a nomination in the AT&T Goal of the Week, and his sublime swerve pass in the 37th minute to Giles Barnes was one of his four key passes that helped attribute to his two-point attacking bonus.
The Dynamo connection in MLS Fantasy was strong for the managers who’ve relied on defenders Kofi Sarkodie and David Horst all season (I know mine was). Sarkodie (selected by 17.1%) was good for nine points thanks to an assist on Boniek Garcia’s volley while Horst (21.2%) made 12 CBI’s for a defending bonus of three in his game total of eight.
The 0.7% of managers who decided that Tyler Deric’s clean sheet last week against the Philadelphia Union was enough to earn him a start on their rosters this week reaped the benefits with what was I believe to be his strongest showing of the season, most notably turning away Quincy Amarikwa’s 39th minute effort.
LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan topped the list of highest-earners in round 29 with a total of 21 points from a goal and three assists in the Galaxy’s 4-0 smash of the NY Red Bulls. Sounders striker Obafemi Martins followed through on the captain choice of many managers with 20 points in a double game week that was disappointing for the Sounders back line in a 3-1 loss to FC Dallas and their 4-2 win over Chivas USA this past Saturday.
Diego Valeri’s yellow-card accumulation will leave the MLS Fantasy top five point-getter out of the lineup for the Portland Timbers next weekend against the San Jose Earthquakes. With the Chicago Fire having the only double game week, I wouldn’t rely too heavily on a team that’s winless in their last four games and trailed out of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Fire’s Harrison Shipp has only 3 goals in 20 games since putting up a hat-trick in the Fire’s 5-4 win over the Red Bulls on May 10. Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, Chicago’s top point-earner this season, could be an interesting choice with a double game week against the Philadelphia Union and Montreal Impact. Johnson might be the only flame on a Fire team with not a lot left to play for this season.