HOUSTON - Tuesday night, Giles Barnes donned a full beard.
No, the Jamaican international’s not going with a new look; the beard was part of his outfit to join the ranks of Houston sports fans to back the NBA’s Houston Rockets in a playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
Beards are a regular site at Rockets games, where star James Harden – who boasts some prolific facial hair – is a leading candidate for NBA MVP. Barnes wanted to go all-out to fit in with the hometown crowd as the Rockets beat the Mavericks in their playoff series, giving Houston the upper hand in an in-state rivalry that permeates all sports.
“The atmosphere was really good. You could tell the crowd was really behind the Rockets,” Barnes told MLSsoccer.com. “It was funny: Last night, they did the ‘cool, not cool,’ camera and they always put the Rockets fans on the cool camera and then the uncool was the Dallas fans. It was incredible, the reception that James Harden got, too.”
On Friday, the Houston-Dallas rivalry will move from the hardwood to the field, with Barnes and the Dynamo set to host FC Dallas at BBVA Compass Stadium (8 pm ET, UDN in US, MLS LIVE in Canada).
“Playing against Dallas is always a good one; there’s always a bit of extra spice in it, a bit of extra tension, obviously, coming from the same state,” Barnes said. “Even though you’re 200 miles from each other, you still know that when you turn up for that game, it’s a local derby. It’s probably the closest thing you get to a rivalry like Nottingham Forest and Derby County. It’s local pride.”
That spice exists in a number of ways between the cities of Houston and Dallas. It’s a rivalry of proximity and tradition that manifests itself traditionally in all sports, most recently on the soccer field.
“I’m fully aware the rivalries … I feel I know about the rivalry, and with Dallas it’s the same thing,” said head coach Owen Coyle. “We know it’s a tough game. We know we can stand toe-to-toe. Of course it adds a little extra incentive and a little bit of spice to the game.”
When the teams do lock up on Friday night, it will be as renewed Western Conference rivals. After spending the last four seasons in the East, the Dynamo moved back to the West this season, which means three head-to-head matchups per season against FC Dallas and the chance to meet in the playoffs, as they did back in 2007.
While Houston lead the all-time series 11-8-7 in all competitions, including a win in that 2007 playoff series, FC Dallas have had the better of things lately, winning the lone regular-season meeting and eliminating Houston from the US Open Cup in each of the last two years.
With electric winger Fabián Castillo leading a potent FC Dallas attack that is tied for second in the league with 11 goals this year, Houston are well aware of the danger posed by FC Dallas and will look for their previously stout defense to return after last week’s 4-4 shootout with Sporting Kansas City.
But, for one night at least, it’s not just about what’s on the field. Dynamo players and coaches know what’s at stake for fans when Houston meets Dallas, and Friday’s meeting – the first of three between the sides this year – will surely be played at a fever pitch.
“As much as they want three points, both teams want to go out and do the best for their respective fans,” Coyle said. “When it’s all said and done, it's three points, but we know the extra spice of the state rivalry.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com
