One word description? Scrappy: Matchweek 9 (Dynamo @ Minnessota) Analysis

 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 speaking (and as the Play-by-Play announcer Tyler Terens loved to remind the viewers) the Dynamo had never beaten Minnesota on the road in regular season play. Additionally, Minnesota entered the match unbeaten at home. To make it more difficult, Sebas, H.H., and Escobar were all unavailable for the Dynamo. But if there is one thing that I have learned about the Dynamo in the Ben Olsen era is to never underestimate them no matter the odds. This new Dynamo team is scrappy, gritty, (sometimes) ugly, but most importantly, they “got that dog in them.” The Dynamo would not go down without a fight…

Early in the match, both teams came out of the gate with a very offensive mindset. With three CBs in the back line with Dorsey playing his typical role of overlapping RB, putting Coco back in his natural 8 position, moving Bassi to a free floating 10, and having Kowalczyk play the “false” 9, the Dynamo refused to enter Minnesota to settle for a point. Minnesota, on the other hand, responded by saying “This is our house! We are going to maintain our fortress so if you want those 3 points, be prepared for a fight!”…

…and a fight is exactly what the Dynamo gave to Minnesota. Early on, both teams played a possession game, forced turnovers, and counterattacked when the opportunity presented itself. Both teams pressed high and counterpressed on a turnover. Both teams were able to break the press and created chances. And both teams came up with some critical blocks, saves, and recovery tackles at critical moments. There were some near misses by both teams and the tone was set. Both teams made it clear it was 3 points or bust this match. It was just a matter of who would land the first haymaker. The answer to that question appeared to be Minnesota when Sviatchenko went down injured needing to be subbed off. Thin in the back line already entering the match, Olsen made a potentially risky sub and Micael entered the match for Sviatchenko in the 34^th minute, despite Micael being listed as questionable for this match…

…but with high risk comes high reward. Just 4 minutes later, the Dynamo earned a corner. Bassi whipped in a beautiful ball to the box, and Micael capitalized by getting into a great position. Although he nearly missed the ball on his attempted header, he impacted the vision and attempted clearance from Alejandro Bran, leading to an own goal (on the official stat sheet) and a 1-0 Dynamo lead. Much to my surprise (mostly because the Dynamo have started slow most of the season) the Dynamo were the first to score, taking the lead into halftime…

…which Minnesota apparently took personally. I have no idea what Minnesota manager Eric Ramsay said to his team at halftime, but whatever it was, it had them motivated and ready for a second half slugfest. Minnesota threw numbers at the Dynamo, pinning the Dynamo in their own half for a majority of the second half. The Dynamo were forced to sit back as they could not effectively break the press/counterpress and were forced to clear the ball towards midfield and back to Minnesota. Despite the constant offensive assault by the Loons, the Dynamo defense did just enough to hold on for the first 25 minutes or so of the half…

…until Ramsay made some tactical adjustments to break down the Dynamo defense that looked more and more exhausted towards the end of the match. In the 65^th minute, Ramsay subs in Tani Oluwaseyi and Franco Fragapane for Teemu Pukki and Bongokuhle Hlongwane. Oluwaseyi and Fragapane made an immediate impact. In the 70^th minute, a breakdown in communication in the Dynamo defense led to great combination play leaving Robin Lod through behind the back line. With the opportunity to run towards the endline and towards goal, Lod took the opportunity to square the ball back to an open Fragapane who slots it passed Clark for the equalizer. I will break down that play in a bit more detail soon. Until then, with the match tied, the battle for all 3 points was on with 20 minutes plus stoppage time remaining…

…and Minnesota refused to let off the gas. Olsen decides to make a tactical change (whether it was due to injury, tactics, or a combination of the two) by subbing on Brad Smith for Latif Blessing, placing Smith on the left wing, and switching Aliyu to the right wing. While this did provide some relief on the outlet pass when pinned deep, very few opportunities presented itself for the Dynamo to counter and regain the lead. Minnesota, on the other hand, were determined to push numbers forward and score the game winner. That is until…

…the 77^th minute. With Kowalczyk fortunate enough to get a stern talking to after already being on a yellow just moments beforehand, the Dynamo saw their chance and pounced. Artur strips the ball from Minnesota in the middle of the field, provides a quick touch to Bassi who turns and sees Kowalczyk making the run in behind the two split center backs. Bassi plays Kowalczyk through and Kowalczyk reminded everyone of what exactly he can do despite having a poor performance the week before. Kowalczyk nutmegs the defender, creates just enough space to take the shot, and scores a golazo from outside of the box. Just like that, the Dynamo take the lead while Minnesota attempts to fight back to salvage a point. After some stressful defending from the Dynamo, coupled with “Captain America” Steve Clark making a few outstanding saves, the Dynamo hold on for a much-needed win on the road elevating them to 3^rd place in the Western Conference Standings at the end of the match week, With that being said, lets discuss…

The Defensive Miscue Leading to the Equalizer…

            Not much here regarding the goal scored by Fragapane assisted by Lod. Just seems like a breakdown in communication between Daniel Steres and Coco Carrasquilla. Watching the play, you see Lod play the give and go while Steres and Carrasquilla are tracking back. As Lod makes his pass and begins his run, Steres appears to signal to Carrasquilla to cover the run while Steres would protect the inside. I am not quite sure what happens next. You see Carrasquilla begin to track Lod, get caught flat footed, and move centrally to try and stop the cutback lane. Not sure if Coco thought he had help behind him, if he expected Steres to make the run, if this was a momentary lapse in chemistry, or if it was a case of tired legs. Even as Carrasquilla tracks back to cut off the cutback lane, he appears to be gassed, is too slow to get into the lane, and immediately puts his hands on his knees after the goal is scored. Was it unfortunate? Yes. Do things like this happen from time to time? Absolutely. Am I calling for Steres or Coco to be benched? Not even in the slightest. It was an unfortunate breakdown late in a match that was very open for a majority of the match, and the Dynamo gave up the equalizer. It is still early in the season, and I expect the Dynamo to watch the tape, discuss their defensive assignments, and learn from their lapse.  With that, lets enter…

Stoppage Time Thoughts…

            Overall, this was a scrappy match and the Dynamo proved that they are a scrappy team. Despite the injuries, lack of depth in key positions, and playing some players out of their natural positions, Ben Olsen has this Dynamo team looking good early in the season. Olsen deserves some credit for changing the culture of the locker room. Long gone are the days where the Dynamo go on the road to play for a point. Olsen has this team ready to fight, scratch, and claw their way for 3 points every match, not just at home. I am impressed with what Olsen has accomplished in such a short amount of time with the players he has available. I know it is still early in the season and the dog days of summer have not quite approached Houston yet (not to mention added games defending the Open Cup), but this version of the Dynamo that I am seeing is one that is very encouraging. Coupled with HH on the verge of return, Sebas coming back, and the (small but important) roster rule changes taking place during the summer window, I cannot wait to see what Olsen, Pat Onstad, and Asher Mendelsohn have in store for the summer. We will have to wait and see. For now, let’s focus on Broccoli FC, protecting the Shell, and continuing to make noise in the West. See you all at the game this weekend. Until then…

Signing off for now, “El Profe”