HOUSTON – International games draw the world’s attention. And as Owen Coyle is finding out, for MLS head coaches, they pose a particular challenge.
Coyle, just a month into his first season at the helm of the Houston Dynamo, is already feeling the pinch. The Dynamo will definitely be without four regular starters due to international duty when they host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday (8:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE), and there are four injury concerns, as well.
“It’s something I’m not used to, but … there were going to be intricacies in the league that I have to learn and I’m open-minded as well,” Coyle told the media Thursday. “I love players playing for their country. I think it’s a huge honor. We want the players to do well of course, but not at the detriment of the Houston Dynamo.
“Of course, it’s a frustration, but I can’t do anything about it. What I can do something about is make sure the ones I have under my control, we’re going to get the best of them Saturday.”
Saturday Coyle's squad will be without Jamaican internationals Giles Barnes and Jermaine Taylor and Honduran internationals Boniek Garcia and Luis Garrido.
One of the players expected to step into the void left by the internationals' absence is forward Will Bruin, who has been a second-half substitute the last two matches. He would prefer the league could take a break for FIFA dates, but admitted that teams build depth in their rosters to handle these weeks.
However, the fact that there are several untimely injury concerns compounds the issue for Houston this week.
The most significant of those injury worries is a chest injury that will likely sideline Ricardo Clark. On Thursday Coyle told the media that Clark’s “more than very doubtful” for the weekend after suffering the injury in a 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy last Saturday.
“You know when he comes out in a game that Ricardo Clark’s hurt,” Coyle said of the midfielder who made 55 appearances out of a possible 68 over the past two seasons. “He’s got such a high pain threshold. He’s Dynamo through and through and he’s a valuable player for our team. Ricardo Clark’s not been able to come out so that one could be weeks.”
Joining Clark on injury watch are Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley and Nathan Sturgis.
Rodriguez missed the last two games due to a right hamstring injury that was aggravated late in the season opener. Beasley injured his left hamstring against the Galaxy and Sturgis, who scored the equalizer and showed well in his season debut against LA, tweaked his hip in the game.
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Coyle said Rodriguez “looks to be ready to come back” while he put Sturgis and Beasley at “70 percent.”
All that adds up to significant turnover in Houston’s starting eleven.
“It’s fair to say everybody’s in contention [for a starting spot],” Coyle said. “Nobody likes losing players. You want to have your best players available so you can pick your best team. We’re not afforded that luxury this week. What I do know is the lads are champing at the bit.”
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
