Player Ratings: Dynamo vs Chivas USA

5 quick observations about this one:

1.)  The Dynamo went down early, but not out.

2.)  Movement on and off the ball was key to possession and chances.

3.)  Welcome back Giles Barnes and your rocket of a goal.

4.)  Bruin got goals in consecutive matches.

5.)  Brad Davis, Giles Barnes, Boniek Garcia, Will Bruin, and Servando Carrasco were all really good.

6.)   (bonus) This was a confidence boosting win over a team they needed to beat like this.

Houston Dynamo Player Ratings:

Tally Hall (5.5) - Maybe it's the 4-3-3 formation, but Hall has not had to work very hard and I think that's a good thing. He's keeping his line more organized, and isn't scaring us with poor turnovers like he did against Philadelphia. I've said this before, but it's really hard to blame goalkeepers for penalty kicks scored against them. It's just a really difficult thing to do. That being said, Hall's penalty stopping abilities could use some work.

Kofi Sarkodie (6) - Sarkodie really didn't have to move up the field a whole lot with Giles Barnes and Boniek ahead of him, but when he did it led to a good cross. Sarkodie was also there to recover the ball in Chivas' half of the field after a poor shot or cross and made good work to get a second good chance on goal.

Jermaine Taylor (6) - Taylor did really well stopping balls in and around the midfield before they got dangerous. Some of these stops (I've been watching a lot of basketball) led to very good counter attacks.

David Horst (5.5) - Had a poor header that led to the penalty kick, but for the most part did what he does best: win balls in the air. Horst nearly had a goal after a Brad Davis corner kick, but was just off. Horst as a target needs to happen more often, and now that Davis is back, that may happen.

Corey Ashe (6.5) - Ashe was the best defender for the Dynamo not because he stopped lots of runs by Chivas, but because of how good he was at sending the ball in. Ashe made several good overlapping runs and sent in very good crosses, one of which found Will Bruin who scored on the play.

Servando Carrasco (7) - Carrasco didn't have a flashy game in terms of highlights or statistics, but it was the little things that he did that made him such an able replacement for the injured Ricardo Clark. Not only did he track back and defend well, but his simple passing and touches to Brad Davis, Boniek, and Giles Barnes all worked wonderfully in pulling opponents out of position which helped create space.

Brad Davis (7.5) - Davis' slight nudge on Carlos Alvarez resulted in Chivas USA nailing a penalty kick, but Davis' presence on the field has rejuvenated this Dynamo team.  It was his goal that saw the Dynamo back into this game and he did it by getting two Chivas defenders on their wrong foot and confidently beat the keeper. A note to Chivas scouting director: Davis is left footed.

Giles Barnes, MotM, (8.5) - Barnes opened up his 2014 scoring account with a screamer. We all knew his goal would be coming soon, but none of us guessed the quality of the strike. Barnes was extremely active on both sides of the ball as he connected well with other players moving with the offense and he constantly tracked all the way back to help defend. He even managed to nail a second goal from the penalty spot, and his performance earned my man of the match nod.

Oscar Boniek Garcia (8) - Boniek's pass to Giles Barnes for his first goal was legen-wait for it....-dary. Boniek was involved in two of the goals for the Dynamo, but his movement and passing was simply beyond belief. We also got to see a bit of our complete Honduran connection with Boniek and Alex linking well while the two shared the field for a very brief period.

Andrew Driver (6.5) - Driver is putting together a string of strong outings, and has done it in a forward position the last two matches. Driver is struggling to find the net as he takes too long with the ball and must have it on his left foot, but he has found his hustle. He took on many opponents, won the ball in very good areas, covered well for Ashe when he needed to, and in this game even managed an assist credit.

Will Bruin (7.5) - After struggling to score in 5 games after his early breakout this year, Bruin has scored in consecutive matches. It was his goal before halftime that probably put the "it's over" seal on the game, and he did it by showing off his strength on the ball by turning with it and putting the ball away. Bruin also earned the penalty kick by drawing the foul that led to Chivas goalkeeper Tim Melia's sending off.

The Subs:

Mark Sherrod (5.5) - Sherrod came on the field for Will Bruin and nearly found the net, but the ball went over the top.

Alexander Lopez (6) - Lopez finally got to see some first team minutes and he did pretty well early on. He played very well with fellow Honduran Boniek, but his talents on the defensive side may be one reason why he hasn't seen more playing time.

Brian Ownby (-) ­­-Didn't play long enough to earn a rating, but Ownby's playing time will probably go up with Tony Cascio out.

Coach Dominic Kinnear (7.5) - Kinnear's team once again lined up in the 4-3-3 formation and it looked very dangerous. His team controlled the ball for most of the game and was rarely threatened to be scored on. Even when his team was down, they found a way to not only equalize but go up by 2 before halftime. My only criticism of this game would have to be how could we have not scored more when the Dynamo were up a man for 20+ minutes with Chivas's 3^rd string goalkeeper in the net. Overall this win was a confidence booster for the entire squad and was a superb road win.