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Oct 1

Monday MLS Breakdown: Houston reverts to its basic principles to shake off recent struggles

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HOUSTON The uncharacteristically limp 3-1 defeat in Philadelphia last Sunday underscored a painful truth forged over the past couple of months: Houston had lost its way.

Forget about the team that ripped off five straight wins and an eight-game unbeaten streak through June and July. The then-Eastern Conference leader stumbled through August and September and watched the results suffer accordingly. First place felt miles away after that defeat to the Union punctuated a run of one victory in seven attempts.

In difficult times like these, the potential explanations CONCACAF Champions League demands for the reserves, Geoff Cameron's protracted departure and the usual wear and tear of a long season hold little weight. Only the solutions matter.

It came as little surprise to see the Dynamo return to basics against New England in a 2-0 victory on Saturday night. No more 4-3-3, no more trying to kick it around to kick it around, no more sitting down Adam Moffat to create room for others. The time for the fluffy stuff passed when the Dynamo failed to meet the grade at PPL Park, though it could have ended before that juncture, too.

Houston thrives when it sets out to meet simple purposes. Dictate the rhythm of the match. Fight the opposition for every last blade of grass. Keep it tight at the back. Get the ball down. Spray it wide. Swing crosses into the penalty area. Threaten often from set pieces. Torment the other team at both ends of the park.

When the Dynamo players lose sight of those principles, they falter. When they uphold them for 90 minutes, they combine to present an imposing hurdle for any team in the league.

This performance against the Revolution fell somewhere between the two poles. It took a while for the Dynamo to show improvement amid the downpours at BBVA Compass Stadium. New England created the better opportunities in the first half and managed well against an aerial assault that included too many short corners and not enough menace inside the penalty area.

As a response to the mess in Chester, it fell well short of the immediate burst expected. But the reply eventually arrived in a second half more in line with expectations.

Slowly but surely, the home side ratcheted up the pressure as the second half progressed. Brad Davis popped up on the end of a header. Calen Carr blazed over the bar. Will Bruin tangled with Dimitry Imbongo as the Dynamo prepared to defend a free kick. Brian Ching climbed off the bench to link all of the play together. Bruin forced Bobby Shuttleworth into a fine low save. Cam Weaver took the field and quickly forced Stephen McCarthy into a timely block.

All of that work finally yielded the opener after 77 minutes. Ching played Davis down the right side. Davis used his right foot to square across the goal area. Ricardo Clark capped a surging run through midfield to cleverly turn the service home off the far post.

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Monday MLS Breakdown: Houston reverts to its basic principles to shake off recent struggles

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