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Last week Chris Canetti revealed in an exchange with a fan on Twitter that the reason Erick Torres isn't starting for the Houston Dynamo is because he didn't win the job in preseason. But what would it take for Torres to get the starting gig in Houston?
@ModestManuel I fully expect he will get a chance. The coaches' tactics to start and then the red dictated differently last night.
— Chris Canetti (@ChrisCanetti) April 24, 2016
@ModestManuel he didn't win starting job in pre-season; we were scoring & he was away w/ MEX to explain other games. His chance is coming.
— Chris Canetti (@ChrisCanetti) April 24, 2016
What about three losses in a row and the team sitting at the bottom of the league with just five points after playing eight games? The majority of those points come from a huge 5-0 week two victory over FC Dallas. The first three game saw the team go 1-1-1 but they set a scoring record as they scored 11 goals in those three games. The team has gone ice cold since then, losing four game and getting just one draw since then.
Fans wanted changes to the lineup and Owen Coyle promised changes but the shake up to the lineup wasn't the right one. The lineup went from that of a high powered offense with a defense that struggled to keep the other team from scoring to a defensive minded team that the midfield isn't capable of handling. Giles Barnes has been pushed out on to an island on his own which is the same problem that Will Bruin has had the last couple of years. If your forwards don't get the ball they can't score. While Cubo has looked good in the few minutes he has been getting at the end of games starting him won't be the answer because, again, you have to get your forward the ball for him to be able to score.
The Dynamo defense hasn't improved since last year. This team has shown that it still isn't capable of killing games which is what has killed their chances of making the playoffs over the last couple of years. As the first three games showed the Dynamo are capable of scoring this year but unfortunately what they aren't capable of doing is stopping the other team from scoring.
Houston's lone win is also their lone shut out of the season. However, Dallas actually dominated time of possession in that game 54.3% to Houston's 45.7%. They also had 12 shots to Houston's eight, but Joe Willis was able to hold off Dallas while Jesse Gonzalez failed to stop the Dynamo. When the Dynamo played the LA Galaxy they dominated time of possession 57.4% of the game but they lost 4-1.
After eight games it already feels like the Dynamo's season is slipping away. It seems overly dramatic to feel that eight games in and the team could already be out of the playoffs, but if they don't start getting some wins they are going to find themselves below the red line again this year.