Houston Dynamo player ratings vs Real Salt Lake
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Dynamo had another very strong defensive performance at home against Real Salt Lake in a 0-0 draw. Let’s look at how everyone performed.
Starters
Steve Clark-9
Steve was once again nearly perfect at home. He was in complete control of his box for the entire 90 minutes, making 5 saves. His catching and punching were perfect, and his distribution was great as well. Clark was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his strong performance.
Daniel Steres-8
Daniel Steres continues to impress this season with another solid defensive display. Defending Jefferson Savarino is never an easy task, but Steres made it look much easier. Steres had three tackles and two blocks for another great performance.
Ethan Bartlow-7
Ethan Bartlow continues to produce as the Dynamo’s last line of defense. Bartlow was extremely active on the ball, being second on the team in touches. He was very calm in possession, completing 92% of his passes.
Micael-7
Micael’s first MLS start was a great one, complimenting Bartlow well. Filling in for Teenage Hadebe is always a tough task, but Micael definitely held his own and looked like he belonged there.
Franco Escobar-9
Franco Escobar once again was immense for this team. Defending, going forward, and supporting the midfield, he was just incredible. Escobar again lead the team in tackles and has become a key player in an unnatural position.
Artur-7
Mr. Consistent put in another standard Artur performance, protecting the backline and keeping the midfield ticking. Artur made all his tackles in the middle third of the field, not allowing RSL to get many possession opportunities at the top of the Dynamo box, forcing them to attack Escobar and Steres all night who were not letting anything up.
Hector Herrera-6
Hector definitely was not bad, but we do have a bit higher expectations of him. Per usual, Herrera dominated possession in the midfield, leading the team in touches. Hector was alright defensively and did not create too much in the final third.
Coco Carrasquilla-5
Coco is really becoming a bit frustrating at times with his lack of end product in the final third. For a player that is not the biggest attacking threat, he does find himself in the right positions often and does not produce. His overall midfield play and off ball play was terrific as usual however.
Ivan Franco-3
At this point it is hard to figure out what Franco is great at going forward. He continues to play good team defense and does not turnover the ball a whole lot, but he just does not produce anything. Franco really needs to start contributing more to stay in this lineup once Ibrahim Aliyu is involved.
Amine Bassi-3
Like Franco, at this point Bassi is not contributing a whole lot to the offense like expected. He was brought in to be a creator and he is not creating much of anything. The final ball never seems to be there for Bassi. His shooting was also poor, not hitting the target on any of his three attempts.
Corey Baird-3
A typical Baird performance at this point. He worked very hard for the team and provided a threat in behind, but just never made anything out of it. One of the better chances of the night fell to him when he hit the bar from a tough angle.
Subs
Sebastian Ferreria-3
Sebas came off the bench for Franco with 22 minutes left to play. Like Franco, Sebas was a bit nonexistent in this game. He did have a solid half chance late in the game, but failed to put it on frame like you’d expect from Sebas.
Nelson Quinones-6
In very limited minutes, Quinones provided a solid direct threat and created that chance for Sebas late on.
Brad Smith N/A
Again, it was great to see Brad Smith get on the field, but it was only for a few minutes with no time to make an impact.
Coach
Ben Olsen-5
Ben set up the team extremely well defensively, shutting down most of what RSL does best offensively. However, with how defensive of a team RSL can be, it would have been nice if Ben went for a more attacking approach to keep the home winning streak alive.
