No result during this young MLS season raised more eyebrows than the Houston Dynamo's 5-0 thumping of high-powered Texas rival FC Dallas on March 12. For a club that has missed the playoffs for two years running, routing last's season's Western Conference champion seemed like a major statement, especially after opening the 2016 campaign with a hard-earned point against New England the week before.
Then their momentum fizzled. The Dynamo lost their next two games and heading into Sunday's match against the Seattle Sounders (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2/WatchESPN) they're languishing in eighth place in the 10-team West. The standings are misleading according to Houston coach Owen Coyle.