The Houston Dynamo have been here before, with an opportunity to improve their standing in the Western Conference and take their playoff hopes off life support.
The question, going into Saturday’s matchup with the Colorado Rapids (7:30 p.m. CT, TICKETS), is will the Dynamo step up and take it?
“I think our confidence has been low as a whole. The belief has been a little bit low,” Dynamo team captain Brad Davis said Friday. “I think there’s been a little bit of a black cloud there in certain situations because we have had these opportunities and it hasn’t come through for us, but that’s in the past. Honestly, we know we can go out and we can play well. We know we can compete with other teams.
“… I think it’s the confidence; it’s the belief that we can do this. For me these are some of the best times to be able to go out and play when you’re back’s against the wall. Why not come out flying? Why not?”
Against the Rapids last month, Houston missed out on a chance for a needed road win after a 2-1 loss. In the game before that, Houston squandered a two-goal lead at the Portland Timbers and failed to pick up three points off the team currently sitting in sixth place. Most recently the club failed to answer the bell at home against Real Salt Lake, a 3-1 loss, and again the next week at the Philadelphia Union, a 2-0 loss.
But Houston came away with a big win their last time out, 1-0 over Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, giving them perhaps one last chance to turn those fortunes around and make a legitimate run at a playoff spot.
“That last game gave everyone a boost, and we know we can still make the playoffs,” DaMarcus Beasley said. “We’ve just got to keep that belief and carry that confidence from Wednesday night onto Saturday. We’re only three points out with four games to go. Yeah it’s going to be difficult, but until we’re mathematically unable to make the playoffs we’re going to fight for that chance.
“We definitely have no room for error these last four games, but if we can get a good nine or 12 points out of these last four games we’ll definitely make a good case to be in the playoffs.”
A win against the last-place Rapids, a team they have not beaten in MLS play since 2009, would be a big step in that direction.
“Look at where we stand and take accountability. That’s the biggest word we can say. It comes from me straight down the line,” Davis said. “Are you going to be a solution or are you going to be a problem? How are you going to handle this situation? It’s sitting right in front of us right now.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
