Holdin Down HTown Soccer Blog

  Before we Begin…            Let’s talk about “the incident” that changed the match. In the 5 th  minute, Dynamo Right Back Griffin Dorsey takes down Left Wing Back Marco Farfan on a counterattacking opportunity. Farfan was in behind the Dynamo back line while Dorsey tracked back to provide defensive coverage. Here is where it gets (potentially) controversial. Dorsey and Farfan’s legs get tangled as Dorsey tries to catch up to provide the defensive coverage. This is where the (potential) controversy comes into play. Was this accidental or intentional? To me, it looked like incidental contact. That said, it is impossible to deny my purple (we will talk about this later) colored glasses impacting my vision. To others, it was a clear foul, including Coach Ben Olsen. If it was accidental, then play on; if it was intentional, then it is a clear DOGSO incident. We can argue intent or not for the rest of the week. Ultimately, the one who had the ultimate say was head referee Lukasz Szpala an

  Before we Begin…            …Let us take a moment to celebrate the return of both Hector Herrera and Sebas Ferreira. For the first time this season, the Houston Dynamo had both of their designated players on the field together. It was great to see the two of them on the field together and I cannot wait to see both of them playing the full 90 minutes. Let us also take a moment to recognize what Ben Olsen has accomplished without Herrera, Ferreira, and Nelson Quinones available. Entering the Austin match, the Dynamo sat in 3 rd place in the west. Olsen’s contract extension was well deserved and I am glad the Dynamo were able to find a long-term plan at manager, and secure Olsen through 2026. With that being said… A Yellow Card Has Been Issued To…             …The Angel Hernandez of MLS officials and the head referee for the match, Rubiel Vasquez. Like Hernandez behind the plate, Vasquez was just as unpredictable. Nobody knows what Hernandez considers the strike zone. Similarly,

  Before we Begin…            …Can we please take a moment to admire those clutch saves, both by Ethan Bartlow and by (as some are trying to nickname him) “Captain America” Steve Clark. Regardless of the nickname, Steve Clark proved to be a shield made of Vibranium for towards the end of the match, while Bartlow came up with a goal line save that (at the time) he had no idea would be critical to secure all 3 points. While Bartlow’s save is not eligible for “MLS Save of the Year” Award, if it were eligible, it would have my early season vote. Check out the phenomenal save of Bartlow  here  and Clark’s clutch saves (take your pick)  here . With kudos out of the way, let’s get to… The Breakdown… …coming off a heartbreaking (and somewhat controversial) loss last week to Chicago, the Dynamo looked to bounce back in the (not so infamous) “Dylan Wolpers Derby” (see  here  for details) against Minnesota. However, stealing all 3 points on the road would not be an easy task. Historically speakin

  Before we Begin…            The refs giveth and the refs taketh away. Was the penalty on Escobar softer than Charmin? Yes, it was. Should it have been called? Debatable (and not just because I bleed Orange and Purple now? Still don’t know if I can accept those jerseys until we pick up more wins in them no matter how sick I think they are). If you are going to call it ref, then all that I ask is that you be consistent. Even if it is late in the game. We will get to that later. With that being said, anyone else kind of missing the replacement refs or is that my hurt showing?! Anyways, without further to do, let’s get to… The Breakdown. With no Sebas available due to injury (can someone either wrap him in bubble wrap or perform a limpia on him please), the Ben Olsen was limited up front at the 9 (we will address this later) and decided to start Bassi as a false 9. This game was back and forth when it came to the counterattacking opportunities. Chicago started out strong and the