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Holden earning his keep for surging Dynamo
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By Pat Martin, MLS Editor
Houston, TX (Sports Network) -
Before the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the Houston Dynamo traded away veteran attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, a former league MVP candidate as well as a staple on multiple MLS Cup championship teams in Houston and San Jose.
The thinking by the Houston brass was that 23-year-old Stuart Holden could fill the role of the 31-year-old De Rosario at a much cheaper price, giving the Dynamo some cap flexibility.
But after the Dynamo scored just three goals in their first four games to start the season 0-2-2, doubts began to creep in from outside the organization.
"The whole team got off to a slow start numbers-wise," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear told The Sports Network. "[Holden] got a lot of the focus unfairly because of Dwayne leaving. The questions were all around Stuart. I thought it was kind of unfair because Dwayne was a product of the team success, and I think if the team got going that Stuart would be a product of the team success."
Stuart Holden has scored three goals in the last four games.
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That has been the case since the dreadful start, with Houston going 8-0-2 including five straight wins. The Dynamo are also currently tied with Chivas USA atop the league table at 27 points with two games in hand ahead of the Week 14 fixtures.
Holden is a big reason for the turnaround, scoring four goals and three assists while helping spearhead a Dynamo attack that is doing just enough to win games in front of a stellar defense.
"The team is playing well," Holden told The Sports Network. "It started about 10 games ago and we have got more and more confidence as the games have gone on. I think I've gotten more and more comfortable in there and the guys have played well and it has made my job easier. Now we are sitting back at the top of the league."
Holden is also outplaying De Rosario, who has four goals and an assist for Toronto FC so far this season.
"I knew there was going to be more pressure on me to put up more numbers, and people were kind of doubting the Dwayne trade I think at first," Holden said. "When I first stepped in last year, it was more a of a fill-in role.
"I'm not Dwayne, I've never said I'll be Dwayne. I'm a different player. I try to bring more things to the team all across the field and I try to get forward and that is kind of a role I'm comfortable with. I like getting into the attack and scoring goals and creating opportunities for my teammates. That added pressure comes with being a full-time starter and being in the central midfield for the team. I'm just looking forward to taking that role on and driving this team forward."
His prominent role has been underscored recently, as Holden has scored three goals in the last four games, including two during a nine-day stretch that concluded this past Saturday. Houston flexed its muscles over that span, showing off the depth that has made it one of MLS's most well-rounded teams. With a number of key players absent on international duty and to injury, the team rattled off wins at Chicago, vs. Chivas USA and at Dallas.
"It was a tough stretch for us, to play two of the top teams in the league and then an in-state rival," said Holden, who scored game-winning goals vs. Chicago and Chivas USA.
"He's scoring goals and people are paying attention to that," Kinnear said of Holden. "But his overall game has also been very good. He's an honest player, he moves the ball well, covers a lot of ground.
"Overall he is a very good player and we like having him around."
Even if it's at the expense of former fan-favorite De Rosario.
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