HOUSTON, Texas -- With only three weeks until their first competitive game, the Houston Dynamo opened their preseason this week at the Carl Lewis Track and Field Complex at the University of Houston. On Friday, they see game action for the first time when FC Dallas comes calling for an exhibition game.
Coach Dominic Kinnear didn't want to waste any time and asked the Dynamo players ahead of time to be fit for the first week, and they have responded.
"All the guys have come in very fit and ready to go," said Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis. "Practices have been very intense."
For Houston, one of the most important goals of the preseason is finding a way to replace midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. In his three years in Houston, De Rosario provided 24 goals and 11 assists, before he was traded to his hometown club of Toronto FC during the offseason.
"We are going to miss Dwayne," said Davis. "He did a lot of good things for this club. He is obviously a good player."
The first person who will be provided an opportunity to replace De Rosario is Stuart Holden, who has been instrumental the last three years with his play off of the bench and starting whenever possible. Davis said the team has faith in the young central midfielder.
"Stu has shown he can come in and play and the motto of this team is to play collectively as a team," Davis said. "... This team is going to work hard and we have the personnel to step in and win without him [De Rosario]."
In an ideal situation, the first week of practice would provide Davis, Holden and their teammates the opportunity to begin working together and gelling as a collective unit. However, Brian Ching and Ricardo Clark are away with the U.S. national team and Holden has returned from the most recent national team training camp with a slight injury.
"It's coming along. I got to rehab and take it slow. I kind of pushed it last time a little bit and now I just have to make sure I get right and get healthy for the Atlante game," Holden said, aiming toward the Dynamo's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal set for Feb. 24.
Holden expects to be out another week with injury and is looking forward to getting back on the field with his teammates.
"Once I get back, I should be back within a week and then I'll be able to train and we should get some good practice before the Atlante game," he said. Despite the injury, Holden has confidence he and his teammates will come together quickly. "We have played together the last three years. It's not going to be too hard."
The Dynamo kick off their preseason schedule on Friday morning when they take on FC Dallas at Robertson Stadium in a match open to the public (10 a.m.). The in-state rivals will face each other on Monday morning in Frisco.
"I just want to make sure we have the same idea how we play -- shape-wise, discipline, and movement on and off the ball. I don't think we will be 90 minutes fit, but we just want to make sure the habits we left from the year before carry over into the preseason game and the attitude is positive," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear.
Kinnear is wary of pushing his team too hard.
"We want to make sure we don't kill the guys ... enjoy the games as much as possible," he said.
The first week of practice and the preseason game against Dallas is just the first step in a long season.
"I think it is a year where we want to get back to things," Davis said. "It didn't end the way we wanted last year."
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