The Houston Dynamo have very quickly evolved from the overwhelming mass of attackers and disrupters that Wilmer Cabrera fielded in previous seasons. Understanding that tactical flexibility was required for his team to take the step to the next level, Cabrera has veered away from an over-reliance on the 4-3-3 that he hammered last season.
On March 9, perhaps unexpectedly, the Montreal Impact met a solid defense in Houston. Cabrera plotted a game plan for the team to reach a different level of performance, operating at a different speed than previous editions. And he found personnel to fit a 4-2-3-1 to produce precisely that.