Walking into the beautiful new BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday afternoon you could just feel the excitement in the air. You could see the joy in the fans faces tailgating in the parking lots and filing into the stadium to just walk around and take it all in. Saturday was a special day for soccer in Houston. The Dynamo were finally home.
I’ll get to the game itself shortly but first I have some thoughts on the new stadium. In a word, beautiful. Driving to the stadium is very cool as it is the only downtown soccer specific stadium in the US. You drive by a convention center, apartments, and then there you see BBVA Compass Stadium, placed between the intersections in downtown Houston. After parking and walking up to the stadium, you take in all of the surrounding tailgates and music and kids playing soccer and you get the feeling that Houston is officially a big time soccer town.
When you get in the stadium the first thing you notice is orange. There is orange everywhere. From the walls, to the seats, to the jerseys, there is no mistake that this is the Dynamo’s home. The layout of the stadium is great and all of the seating sections are very close to the field, even the second level. The steeper second level allows for the noise level to rise exponentially. BBVA Compass Stadium is a fabulous place to watch a soccer game. If you have the chance to come to Houston and see a game, do it.
As for the game itself, the Dynamo managed a 1-0 win with a fitting goal from Brad Davis, an original Dynamo. Davis’ left footed strike from 25 yards out beat DC keeper Bill Hamid to give Houston the only goal it would need to snap a 5 game winless streak. After United’s defensive midfielder Perry Kitchen went down with a knee injury the Dynamo were able to control much of the possession. Jermaine Taylor played excellent at left back and could be supplanting All Star Corey Ashe at that position. Taylor helped shut down a potent DC offense and did very well making runs forward. Keeper Tally Hall was not tested too much, thanks to great defending by the back line, and recorded his third shutout of the season.
Brian Ching had some chances in the second half before being subbed off to a hero’s ovation. Late in the second half you could tell the DC players were running on empty. The hot Texas heat could be a big advantage for the Dynamo as the season enters the summer months. The stadium is open and while the design allows for ventilation and airflow, the pitch itself will be an oven at times.
The Dynamo face a quick turnaround as they welcome to the Portland Timbers to BBVA tomorrow night. This will be the third match in seven days for Houston and the first night game in the new downtown stadium. Look for a juggled lineup from Dominic Kinnear as he tries to rest some players during this tough stretch of games. I’d imagine reserves Nathan Sturgis, Mac Kandji, and Alex Dixon could get a start as some players are rested. If the Dynamo can continue their high from Saturday they should beat the Timbers. There should be another sellout crowd as people around town saw the events on Saturday and now will want to be a part of the excitement.
(image courtesy of Anthony Vasser/Houston Dynamo)
