Player Ratings: Houston Dynamo vs New England Revolution

5 quick observations about this one:

1) Poor marking and good transitions by New England through the middle all played a huge role in New England's comeback.

2) Cummings and Barnes worked well together creating chances, but a lack of support led to only 1 goal.

3) Garrido and Boniek showed their wear from international duty.

4) Defensive errors again popped up, highlighting the Dynamo's top priority in the off-season.

5) Dom kept at it until the end. He never gave up on this game despite being out of the playoffs which shows his true competitive character. We'll miss you Dom.

Houston Dynamo Player Ratings:

Tyler Deric (6) - Deric did well making initial saves, clearances, and punches on the ball, but some of these weren't cleared completely from danger which allowed the Revolution to pounce on a few second chance opportunities.

Kofi Sarkodie (6) - Sarkodie passed the ball way below his usual rate as he gave the ball up numerous times. He made up for it though with his defensive efforts. Sarkodie was able to intercept the ball 6 times on his side of the defense and he made a few good tackles and a great goal line save which unfortunately found its way into the back of the net shortly after the save.

David Horst (5) - Horst has really improved how he moves the ball out of the back, and he rarely gave the ball up against New England (although he did have one really bad giveaway). Horst was able to make several defensive blocks inside the 6 yard box and he cleared the ball away from our goal often. However, Horst was caught ball watching/following the ball on Lee Nguyen's first goal. Horst should've marked his man who was left wide open to open up New England's scoring.

AJ Cochran (5.5) - Cochran rejoined the Dynamo lineup after serving his red card suspension. The two center backs didn't immediately get back into the rhythm that they shared, but both were able to clear the ball away from danger. Cochran moved the ball pretty well out of the back, but some of the long ball efforts went to the Revs rather than intended targets.

Jermaine Taylor (6) - Taylor took the starting left back position over Corey Ashe while DaMarcus Beasley nursed a hamstring injury from Sunday's game against D.C. United. Taylor was arguably the best defender up the field as he was able to create a few very dangerous opportunities from runs down the line.

Luis Garrido (4.5) - To me, Garrido really showed that time he spent with the Honduran National team wore on him. Visibly exhausted and as if he had dunked his head in water (he was sweating a lot), Garrido struggled to dictate the midfield the way he was used to. Many of his challenges were sloppy and he should've seen a red card for his elbow to Lee Nguyen's neck.

Ricardo Clark (6.5) - Clark looked a bit more offensively oriented in the midfield, something he's accustomed to with Garrido behind and next to him, but he should've dropped back to help defend more often than he did. Clark moved the ball well and had a nose for goal as he took several shots, but only one of his four was on frame.

Brad Davis (6.5) - Set piece service proved to create some good opportunities for the Dynamo, and Davis was able to provide a few other key passes, but the final effort at goal was just not there.

Andrew Driver (5.5) - Driver made a few very good runs to open things up for the Dynamo, but Driver really wasn't as involved in the passing/possession game as his replacement, Boniek. Driver had one very good look on goal as his shot was deflected, but nearly curled its way into the goal.

Giles Barnes (7) - Barnes did a lot of intelligent things with the ball as he helped earn the Dynamo corner kicks, he transitioned the ball into the offense easily, and earned free kicks. His goal is proof of the intelligent runs he made as he took Cummings's shot, which goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth couldn't hold onto, and placed it in the far corner.

Omar Cummings, MotM, (7.5) - The veteran striker did just about everything a forward can do except score. Cummings stretched the defensive lines with his runs, and he beat players on the dribble, won 50/50 balls, and was able to create shots for himself and others. Omar Cummings touched the ball in nearly every dangerous offensive opportunity the Dynamo had.

The Subs:

Oscar Boniek Garcia (6) - Boniek came on for Andrew Driver 15 minutes into the 2^nd half and Boniek brought more creativity to the midfield which helped the Dynamo control the pace of the game more. Boniek's international duty likely caught up with him as he did make a few sloppy mistakes including a foul just outside the Dynamo 18 yard box which led to the Revolution's game winning goal.

Servando Carrasco (6) - Carrasco came on for Luis Garrido just before the 80^th minute. While Carrasco passed the ball extremely well, he failed to exhibit his usual defensive prowess in the midfield.

Will Bruin (5) - Bruin's entrance came in the 80^th minute, and he didn't have the immediate impact that he had against D.C. United last Sunday. Bruin's passing in the final third really showed some rust in his 2^nd appearance back from injury.

Coach Dominic Kinnear (6) - This wasn't quite the way that Dominic Kinnear wanted to go out in Houston, but he never gave up and was on the sideline yelling as if his team were in the post season. Kinnear fielded a competitive lineup, but he probably should've rested Garrido which, in my opinion, was a huge reason why the Dynamo defense became overwhelmed at times. The Dynamo were able to take a 1-0 lead before half-time, but as soon as the Revolution brought on their star power, the Dynamo couldn't hang in the game.