Ahead of tonight's match (7:30 p.m. CT) at Houston, SportingKC.com caught up with Dynamo broadcaster Eddie Robinson to preview the Western Conference clash at BBVA Compass Stadium.
What are your thoughts on the Dynamo's season so far?
They made a lot of changes in the offseason and brought in a lot of new players. Owen Coyle said he wanted to bring some speed into the attack because that was lacking last year and it showed. Then to start this season, the Dynamo scored 11 goals in three games and it looked like the changes worked. The problem is they only got four points from those first three games, which was concerning but they had the depth to make some changes and clean up the defensive side of the ball. Now, you look at the last five games and the problem has been offensive efficiency and the Dynamo have been giving away silly goals. They've been making very poor mistakes that you don't see that often at the professional level. If you look at where things stand, there's going to have to be some profound changes if they want to make the playoffs this year. This game against Kansas City, obviously won't be an easy one, but they've got to win it to get something positive and get some momentum going.
One of the main storylines for this match is Brad Davis returning to Houston. Can you talk about his time with the Dynamo and your thoughts on his return with Sporting KC?
I know him very well as we were roommates on the road for about eight years. He was a big part of the success the Dynamo had in the early years. His stats speak for themselves with the number of games played, goals, and assists. He took on a leadership role as those players from those early Dynamo years started to fade away including myself, Dwayne De Rosario, Brian Ching, Pat Onstad, and Craig Waibel. He had to take on more leadership and responsibility and he did that. One thing that I still think about is that when he arrived in Houston, he made a huge lifestyle change with his diet and his nutrition. He lost some weight and with the exception of the quad injury he suffered in the playoffs against Kansas City, he really hasn't had any injuries. It's allowed him to become consistent with his play. I know the fans are going to welcome him back with open arms and they're going to be excited to see him. I don't think it's going to be too emotional for him. I think he's going to enjoy it but as soon as he steps on the field, he's going to do everything he can to win the game for his team.
What are your thoughts on tonight's match?
There's going to be chances for both sides. Given the proficiency from Kansas City and having Brad Davis, you're not going to prevent this team from creating chances. The best chance the Dynamo have to win is to limit those chances. Don't give Dom Dwyer any chances in the box and make it difficult for Graham Zusi to get in and around the 18. For the Dynamo, I'm hoping to see some more changes to the team. I'm hoping to see Rob Lovejoy, the player who was a rookie last year and made a lot of heads turn with his play when he came on as a sub. I'd love to see Cubo Torres play and Maidana back in there. I think it's going to be an end-to-end game. The good news is it's not going to be too hot, probably in the mid-70s with very little humidity. I think it's going to be a fascinating game and very enjoyable. I think it's going to be won on the wings. whichever team can get their outside backs joined in on the attack, going forward and creating chances. It's going to be an exciting match and fun to watch.
