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Houston Dynamo eager but relaxed ahead of the MLS Cup final
With the intense media spotlight focused squarely on the LA Galaxy, Houston has quietly gone about business as usual training for the MLS Cup final.
Nov 19, 2011 8:20:00 PM
By Kyle McCarthy
Stephen Dunn
CARSON, Calif. – The attention showered upon Los Angeles in the buildup to MLS Cup has allowed Houston to shrug off the pressure of playing in a final.
Veteran boss Dominic Kinnear has leaned on the experience of guiding the Dynamo to MLS Cup victories in 2006 and 2007 to keep his charges loose ahead of the showcase match on Sunday night.
"We feel pretty good," Kinnear said after the Dynamo went through its final training session on Saturday morning. "The guys are enjoying training, which is good. Yesterday was a good day for us. Today is a normal day before (a game) and you can tell the spirits are pretty good. By no means do we think it is going to be easy, but you also have to enjoy yourself on and off the field because you know tomorrow, we're going to get very serious."
The scrutiny trained upon the Galaxy has permitted the Dynamo to mostly follow its usual routines during the week. Several additional events made their way onto the schedule, but the Dynamo players have not had to cope with the onerous burden shouldered by the Galaxy in this intense setting.
"Dom does a good job of keeping things the same as usual," Houston captain Brian Ching said. "Other than having big media turn outs like this, it's business as usual. The (MLS awards) event last night was a pretty cool deal, but after that, everybody's in bed by 10."
All of that rest may just help as the surging Dynamo plots to upset the heavily favored Galaxy on Sunday night. Houston has not lost in its past nine matches, but that fact has fallen by the wayside as the Galaxy's collection of stars has captured most of the attention heading into the match.
"We're the underdogs," Houston midfielder Geoff Cameron said. "I guess it kind of happens to all of us. But the guys are trying to keep the nerves off. There are bunch of guys who have been here before and a bunch of guys like myself that have never been to (MLS Cup). We're trying to find any way possible to relieve that stress."
Houston coaches and players will congregate for a team meeting before dispersing to meet up with family and friends tonight. The dose of levity may calm some nerves the night before the final, but Cameron said he and his teammates are more than ready to take the field on Sunday night.
"The game can't come soon enough," Cameron said. "We're all thinking, why wasn't it today?"
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Veteran boss Dominic Kinnear has leaned on the experience of guiding the Dynamo to MLS Cup victories in 2006 and 2007 to keep his charges loose ahead of the showcase match on Sunday night.
"We feel pretty good," Kinnear said after the Dynamo went through its final training session on Saturday morning. "The guys are enjoying training, which is good. Yesterday was a good day for us. Today is a normal day before (a game) and you can tell the spirits are pretty good. By no means do we think it is going to be easy, but you also have to enjoy yourself on and off the field because you know tomorrow, we're going to get very serious."
The scrutiny trained upon the Galaxy has permitted the Dynamo to mostly follow its usual routines during the week. Several additional events made their way onto the schedule, but the Dynamo players have not had to cope with the onerous burden shouldered by the Galaxy in this intense setting.
"Dom does a good job of keeping things the same as usual," Houston captain Brian Ching said. "Other than having big media turn outs like this, it's business as usual. The (MLS awards) event last night was a pretty cool deal, but after that, everybody's in bed by 10."
All of that rest may just help as the surging Dynamo plots to upset the heavily favored Galaxy on Sunday night. Houston has not lost in its past nine matches, but that fact has fallen by the wayside as the Galaxy's collection of stars has captured most of the attention heading into the match.
"We're the underdogs," Houston midfielder Geoff Cameron said. "I guess it kind of happens to all of us. But the guys are trying to keep the nerves off. There are bunch of guys who have been here before and a bunch of guys like myself that have never been to (MLS Cup). We're trying to find any way possible to relieve that stress."
Houston coaches and players will congregate for a team meeting before dispersing to meet up with family and friends tonight. The dose of levity may calm some nerves the night before the final, but Cameron said he and his teammates are more than ready to take the field on Sunday night.
"The game can't come soon enough," Cameron said. "We're all thinking, why wasn't it today?"
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