Houston Dynamo at Orlando City player ratings
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo got a goal from Hector Herrera to beat Orlando City 1-0 on Saturday night. Let’s take a look at how everyone performed.
Starters
Jonathan Bond - 6
Bond didn’t have to make any saves in the first half. He was subbed off at halftime after what Ben Olsen would later say was an eye issue.
Franco Negri - 7
The Dynamo went into more of a 4-4-2 in this match and that included Negri playing as a left back. He played much higher up the field, allowing the other three defenders to sit deeper.
Agustin Resch - 7
The rookie continues to improve. He only missed one pass attempt in this match and had nine defensive contributions.
Antonio Carlos - 7
The comination of a rookie in Resch and a veteran in Antonio Carlos helped the Dynamo post their first clean sheet of the season.
Felipe Andrade - 7
Andrade struggled in the loss at Colorado but was much better in this match. He played as a more out-and-out right back, a position he seems much more comfortable in.
Lawrence Ennali - 7
Ennali was quiet for a lot of the match but he came to life to help set up the goal. He danced past Orlando defenders into the box before getting the ball into the middle, where the goal eventually came from.
Diadie Samassékou - 7.5
Samassékou is starting to show why he was such a heralded prospect as a youngster and became a starter in the Bundesliga. He completed 19 of 20 passes and added seven defensive contributions.
Hector Herrera - 8.5
He turned 36-years-old on Sunday and Herrera celebrated his birthday in style on Saturday night. His goal, a great finish on a ball that bounced up on him, capped off a fantastic performance.
Mateusz Bogusz - 7
Bogusz didn’t get on the score sheet but did a lot of dirty work. He spent a lot of time on the left of the Dynamo attack, which is a change in what he has done in prior games.
Guilherme - 7.5
Guilherme and Bogusz both spent a lot of time on the left, attacking Orlando’s right side. He created four chances and took four shots of his own.
Ezequiel Ponce - 5
The header that Ponce sent wide in the 68th minute sums up his season. He is putting in work but when it comes to finishing and scoring goals, he just isn’t getting it done. And you can’t have that lacking from a DP striker.
Substitutes
Jimmy Maurer - 6.5
Maurer played in the Open Cup win midweek and then came on at halftime for Bond in this match. He made three saves to keep Orlando scoreless.
Sam Vines - 6
Vines is a great depth option for the Dynamo. His ability to play multiple roles is going to come in handy as this season goes on and matches pile up.
Artur - 7
It was great seeing the Dynamo captain get back on the field after suffering an injury in preseason. Having Artur back in the lineup is a huge boost for Houston.
Agustin Bouzat and Aliyu Ibrahim - N/A
Both came on late with little impact.
Head Coach
Ben Olsen - 8
Olsen has taken heat from fans for being stubborn in his tactics but he shook things up this week and it paid off. The Dynamo played “a 4-4-2 with a mid-block defensive structure” that didn’t really look like a 4-4-2 according to Olsen. We’ll see if this is a permanent change or something that was just for Orlando but it got the job done on Saturday night.
