BEN OLSEN - WE SHOWED EMOTIONAL DISCIPLINE AT COLUMBUS CREW

Ben Olsen - We Showed Emotional Discipline at Columbus Crew 

Written by Sam Mbonu

Houston Dynamo manager Ben Olsen has hailed his team's goalless draw at Columbus Crew as a sign of emotional discipline in the MLS week 4 cross-conference matchup at the Lower.com Stadium.  

Ben Olsen, whose team started this season 0-2, said that getting a point against a good Columbus Crew side is a crucial point of the season as they bounce back from week two 4-1 home defeat to Inter Miami.  

“Really pleased with it, to get the first point, I thought the guys understood the game plan tonight, executed it really well, it wasn’t perfect we still have to work on some of the offensive stuff, understanding how to take a little pressure off ourselves" 

Meanwhile, on the team's defensive approach to the game, Ben Olsen said the team could do more collectively. 

"But from a defensive standpoint as far winning duels and efforts, looking after each other, bailing someone out, box defending, making plays that matters all these can add up to road points. This was a very important moment for us not to put 3 losses in a row and to have an emotional discipline response from the Miami game, so that's what we collectively asked and that's what the players asked from themselves, so I'm really pleased with the result.  

On how the away point will help build momentum. 

Olsen said   “If you look at the last two years it wasn’t the offense that put us in the playoffs, it was how we were on the defensive end and making those plays without the ball" 

On Nico Lodeiro first start, Ben Olsen said the MLS veteran did well in his first start which lasted for 60 minutes before he was subbed out for Erik Dueñas  

“It was a lot to ask of him and I thought he did well, Nico is a player that wants to be on the ball, known more for his offensive contributions than some of the work he’s been doing and some of the work he did tonight. He understood the task at hand and I thought he did a very good job at both sides of the ball, he grew into the game offensively, had some good moments, and defensively did a lot of work, I don't know if he is always asked to do that much work but he understood what the team needed of him today to get something from this match” He added.    

On Franco Escobar, Olsen said both players suffered hiccups during the preseason, and is noting serious to worry about.  

“Him and Erik, preseason is very important to get these guys through, both of them have hiccups during the preseason, and is hard to get them off the mark, he had a good week of training, no problem and we just have to keep pushing him and Erik, he will be ok, nothing serious just a muscle strain and hopefully it won't be more than just a few days potentially a week” he stressed.   

Meanwhile, Aliyu Ibrahim was dropped to the bench in Houston Dynamo's goalless draw at Columbus Crew after he started the first two games of the season, and the team lost both, but Dynamo head coach said the decision was to take some pressure off Aliyu Ibrahim.  

“We want to look at Ibru off the bench, Ibru has been putting a lot of pressure on himself, I think he is taking a lot of heat and taking a little off him right now and Nico earned it with his training habits, leadership ability so a little bit of combination of that” he argued.  

Houston Dynamo will host Real Salt Lake in a week 4 match-up at the Shell Energy Stadium.