HOUSTON -- During their last training session before departing for New York on Thursday, the Houston Dynamo worked on a passing drill, and head coach Dominic Kinnear was right in the middle of it.
Any time during the drill there was a lack of chatter, Kinnear would quickly remind his team they were not talking enough.
Just like you might hear at a staff meeting anywhere across America, communication, pardon the cliche, is key. That was the message for the Dynamo in their last tuneup before they open the MLS Cup Playoffs against the New York Red Bulls Saturday in E. Rutherford, N.J.
Dynamo captain Wade Barrett agreed that talking to each other is a big part of what makes his team special. After all, the Orange are on a quest to become the first MLS team to win three consecutive league championships.
But there were other factors that Barrett talked about. The playoffs, he said, are a whole new season.
"Anytime you get in, you have to be disciplined and organized," said Barrett. "That is probably No. 1 for us, and as we get into this first round, every goal counts.
"And whether you are winning by one, or down by one, you have to maintain that discipline and shape. You can't just let a game get away from you, because it will just make the second leg that much more difficult. Especially in this first game, and I think it just comes down to us being organized, talking a lot and doing what we can to bring a good result back home."
Before this year, the Dynamo had entered the playoffs only as the No. 2 seed, and have never come home ahead in either of their first-round matches. In 2006, the Dynamo were down 2-1 after 90 minutes to Chivas USA, and last year, FC Dallas took control of the series with a 1-0 win in Game 1.
Houston, obviously, went on to win both series and thanks to favorable results in other playoff games, had the fortune of hosting both Western Conference Championship matches.
That experience helps the Orange realize there is no need to panic in the first half of the opening series. Even if they have to play the first leg on artificial turf, a playing surface on which their record this season is a poor 0-3-3 in all competitions.
All three losses resulted in a 9-0 scoring disadvantage, and the Dynamo have never won at Giants Stadium, losing twice and forcing one draw.
Kinnear just shrugged off the notion that turf affects his team. Dynamo right back Richard Mulrooney said he'll take that criticism any day.
"I think this year we had two games where we didn't play well, especially in New York," said Kinnear. "I think it had nothing to do with the turf; it was the way we played.
"Everyone around the league comments that they'd rather play on grass. It's common knowledge."
Said Mulrooney: "If that is the worst thing anyone can say about us, then I say let them have it. If that is our only weakness, then I am OK with it."
In their last visit to New York, the Dynamo were trounced 3-0 in a game that most players agree was easily their worst of the season. Goalkeeper Pat Onstad, who is easily one of the more vocal leaders on the team, said the team is aware of that Aug. 24 result and that the team needs to be ready for a challenging first 90 minutes of their playoff series against New York.
"We got spanked and thoroughly embarrassed up there in New York," Onstad said. "We feel that we didn't playing all that well, but having said that, they really to it to us as well.
"But we're cognizant of the fact that this is a 180-minute match. We are pretty confident that we are going to play pretty well at home, but at the same time you cannot dig yourselves too big a hole."
Barrett did not hesitate to say the match in New York in the summer has been left in the proverbial dust.
The steadfast captain almost seemed annoyed at the notion that his team -- arguably one of the best in North America in the last three years -- would let such a result rattle it just before the start of the postseason. "Actually this game has absolutely zero to do with that," Barrett said. "This is the playoffs and it's a completely new season for everyone involved, both us and them. The playoffs, hopefully, will bring the best out of both teams, and we are really looking forward to getting this thing started."
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