MLS
Griffin Dorsey interview: ‘Houston Dynamo are fighting for MLS Cup’
Reborn under head coach Ben Olsen, a decade of underachievement in Houston has been replaced with genuine championship ambitions.
A lot has changed for Houston Dynamo in the last few years. When Griffin Dorsey joined in 2021 he arrived at a team low on confidence, stumbling to another disappointing finish in the Western Conference.
The Dynamo had finished bottom of the West the year before and would go on to finish in last place in Dorsey’s first season. The team failed to make the playoffs again the following year, extending their postseason absence to a miserable five seasons.
But things have changed. Dorsey is now a key player in a Houston side harbouring genuine championship ambitions. Speaking exclusively to AS USA, Dorsey recounts the team’s rapid growth since he first touched down in Texas.
“I’ve been here through some really brutal times. Not winning many games at all, to making it to a Conference final. I think throughout that wave of ups and downs, one of the major topics has been making the playoffs.”
“It’s something that the club can build on that we didn’t have before. In the last two years, we’ve started to believe in that dream and to believe that we can win MLS Cup.”
They made it to the Western Conference final in 2023, narrowly losing out to reigning champions LAFC. Now, having secured another crack at MLS Cup, Dorsey and the Dynamo are eager to continue their upward trajectory.
Building Houston from the ground up
The first 15 years of the Houston Dynamo can be split quite decisively into two halves. When they joined MLS in 2006 Houston became the first team to win MLS Cup in their debut season, going on to defend their crown in 2007. They finished top of the Western Conference in 2008 and made it to the MLS Cup final again in 2011 and 2012. It was a remarkable start to life in the league, but it wasn’t to last.
From 2014 to 2022 the team regressed, slipping into anonymity with just a single playoff appearance in that nine-year stretch. Expectations, like the matchday crowds, had dwindled during years of underachievement. Then, in November 2022, former DC United stalwart Ben Olsen was named head coach of the Houston Dynamo. Dorsey cites this as the moment that the tide began to turn.
“Ben came in with a lot of understanding of players, personnel and MLS soccer. You look at his career as a player, as a coach, he’s got a lot of experience. Some of the previous coaches we had here were new first team coaches, so that experience and understanding was something that was huge in Ben’s arrival to Houston.”
However Olsen’s impact was not immediate and the team had to overcome some growing pains in the early months of his tenure. But as the squad began to settle into the new boss’ ball-playing, possession-based style the results quickly began to improve. In September 2023 the Dynamo lifted the US Open Cup and went deep in the postseason. Twelve months on they have proved that last season was no fluke. Houston Dynamo are ready to challenge for the biggest prizes on offer.
Dynamo development
Now in his fourth year with the team, Dorsey has carved out a unique role for himself in this free-flowing Houston set-up. The team has evolved this season, adding greater attacking spark to the metronomic midfield. But it’s Dorsey, ostensibly a right-back, who often remains the main attacking outlet.
Former Atlético Madrid midfielder Héctor Herrera is at the heart of a slick midfield unit, supported by the likes of Coco Carrasquilla, Artur and Amine Bassi. That central quartet has been the cornerstone of this Houston side, ensuring that the ball keeps moving, dragging opposition midfielders across the field and out of shape. Watching Houston play, it’s no surprise to learn that only Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy have completed more passes in all of MLS this year.
With such tight, intricate structures in the middle, Houston create huge swathes of space on the flanks. Dorsey, who came through as a wide midfielder before being converted to a right-back, is happy to take advantage of the extra room.
“We’ve got one of the best midfields in the league and as a wide guy that makes my job really fun. They do the ‘bop-bop-bop’ in the middle of the field and that allows the wide areas to be so open. Teams really respect the midfield that we have.”
But Dorsey is quick to point out that he’s no free-roaming winger. Even in a team that dominates possession the off-the-ball-work is key, particularly when you consider the quality of attacker that Dorsey often finds himself up against.
“In my position defending is first, and it’ll always be first. As long as we keep teams to zero goals, that’s what is really crucial in my position. Anytime I can add to the attack I will. But I’m defending guys like Diego Luna and Denis Bouanga, so I definitely feel like a right back in this team!”
Can Houston Dynamo win MLS Cup?
The scale of the improvement in the last two years is stark. From perennial underachievers to back-to-back playoff appearances, Houston’s attractive style of play has already seen them pick up silverware. They are now a team that few would want to face in the postseason and there’s a real hunger to continue the upward trajectory. For Dorsey, it’s that desire to progress that sets this Houston team apart from previous sides.
“With Ben, it’s always a matter of continuing to improve. One thing that I’ve got value from with Ben in our relationship is that he’s always looking for ways to push me and my abilities on the field. Whether that’s little advice here and there, sitting down and talking through things that I can improve on, or reps outside. He’s great at coaching players to not get complacent, and to keep becoming better versions of themselves.”
As Houston prepare to embark on another quest for MLS Cup they do so with real championship-winning experience on their side. Olsen won MLS Cup twice as a player during his 11-year career with DC United, even tasting CONCACAF Champions Cup success in 1998. Likewise, Houston general manager Pat Onsted played in the famous Dynamo team that won back-to-back MLS Cups in their first years in the league.
They may not be the favourites for MLS Cup but the Houston Dynamo have quietly become genuine contenders. They boast a clear style-of-play, a settled team and a smattering of top talent. As the standard of performances have risen so too have the team’s ambitions and Dorsey insists that winning a championship is the goal for 2024.
“There was a true hurdle that we got over last year by making the playoffs. What we did was super special, making it to the Conference final, so that’s the benchmark that we set.”
“This year the expectations and the desire for the team is a lot higher. If you talk to most guys in the locker room, the MLS Cup is not out of the question. It is 1,000% what we’re fighting for. You’ll hear our GM Pat talking about it and that’s what we’re here to do. For us now, it’s about finding form and fighting for MLS Cup.”