Weekly improvement
While the team may have fallen in the end, preseason games are as much about getting players real game experience as anything else. Wins and losses, at least at this point, are a secondary concern.
After the game, Dynamo 2 head coach Kenny Bundy expressed his belief that the team played better in this match than in last week’s victory over FC Tulsa.
"I think that overall it looked much better than last week, which is the goal. I thought collectively, the group put in a shift,” Bundy said. “For me, I think anytime we get to play a USL Championship team, a team that has maybe a bit more experience, it's always an opportunity to play at the professional level. So preseason or not, I thought it was a good exercise."
Working on chemistry
While Bundy was pleased with how his team played, he understands that there is still work to be done before the regular season starts. For Bundy, the most important thing that the team needs to improve upon is their chemistry as a unit.
"The big thing for me is the connection between the group. The philosophy is there. The idea is there, but I really want the group to come together collectively and fight for each other,” Bundy said. “I think we've taken great strides in that, but when you bring a group of guys together that haven't played, it always takes a little bit of time. I just really want to build that culture of the group so that in moments that are good, we're successful, and then in moments that aren't great, we can fight our way out of them."
First game at AVEVA
This match was the first one that the team played at AVEVA Stadium, the site of all but one of Dynamo 2’s home matches this season. It should not be underestimated how much of an impact this has for the team as it heads into its final preseason match.
"It's huge (to play at AVEVA Stadium). It takes it from being a preseason game to actually being a full on game,” Bundy said. “When we start to fill this place, and hopefully the fans will come out and check out what we're trying to do, when we get an atmosphere going in here, I think it will be a very hard place to come and play. That's what we want. We want people to come to Houston and be concerned that this might be one of the harder games they play all year."
Houston Dynamo 2 will next be in action for the team’s final preseason game on March 13 at 1 p.m. when they take on North Texas SC at Houston Sports Park.
