HOUSTON – Tyler Deric tried everything he could, but the damage was done.
A compromising back pass and a poor touch equaled disaster and a result-killing turn of events. And a week after putting the Houston Dynamo on his back in the season opener, Deric became the second goalkeeper in MLS history to lose a game on an own goal, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Mistakes happen, however, and there’s no question that Deric is part of the long-term solution moving forward. Last week's 1-0 home loss to Orlando City was a bump in the road, but head coach Owen Coyle is far from pulling the plug.
“Absolutely. That’s not up for debate,” Coyle said when asked about Deric’s position this week. “Goalkeepers can be heroes one week and then there can be a mistake. We know Tyler’s set for a huge career.
"OK, a mistake happened. There’s nothing we can do about that. What we’ve got to do is learn the lesson from it and look to move forward.”
As Deric’s time as the No. 1 goalkeeper takes shape, how he handles the ups and downs of being in the net will be something to watch. After all, dealing with mistakes is part of the job description.
Deric's blunder vs. Orlando came via a number of mistakes. A questionable back pass started it, followed by a poor touch and slow decision from the goalkeeper. Throw in a hustling opposing forward, and what was shaping up to be a good night turned into one Deric wanted to forget.
“A lot of little things went into the mistake. That’s usually what happens when you give up a goal, a lot of little things lead to a goal,” Deric told MLSsoccer.com. “I feel like I learned from it, but whenever you have a mistake like that or you don’t perform like you want you always want to get back on the field as quick as possible.
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“I gave myself an hour to think about the game. I do watch tape throughout the week, but I give myself an hour to be emotional and be upset – which you should be – and then after that … you move onto the next game.”
This Saturday Deric will face another big test when the Dynamo travel to face the LA Galaxy (10:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE), a team that can pick apart the best defenses with touch and skill. There is no question who will be in goal for the Dynamo, however.
“[DaMarcus Beasley] said it best in his postgame quotes. Last week [Deric] bailed us out and made some unbelievable saves and kept us in that game, and this past week he made a mistake and you own up to it,” Dynamo captain Brad Davis said. “It’s going to happen to all of us at some point throughout the year … now we’re there to pick him up.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
