The Houston Dynamo lost a game they desperately needed to win on Wednesday night in Colorado. Playing the last place Rapids should have been a win. Playing a team that can’t win at home should have been a win. Instead the Houston Dynamo drew closer to the bottom of the Western Conference than they did to a playoff spot in 2015. Once again , it was a late goal that did in the men in orange.

As I look back at that game, a couple of things make me scratch my head in wonderment.

First, for all the ways I like how head coach Owen Coyle isn’t afraid to mix and match players particularly on offense, I can not come up with a good reason as to why Coyle chose to play Alex Lima at left back in favor of Rasheed Olabiyi who had started in Portland or even Taylor Hunter both of whom are natural defenders and were on the bench. Dare I say this is another game where we could have used Corey Ashe.

Now in hindsight, it’s easy to say at least sub them in late especially as the Dynamo have had a habit of surrendering late goals on the road. In 2015, the Houston defense has given up six road goals after the 75th. This in addition to seven road goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half. A very glaring problem that has not been fixed since centerback Bobby Boswell was allowed to leave for greener pastures. Overall both at home and on the road through 26 games, Coyle’s defense has surrendered 16 of 34 goals in the final 15 minutes of the first and second half combined.

I am also scratching my head as to why the Dynamo keep running Giles Barnes onto the pitch. Barnes has been used everywhere on the field this season for the Houston Dynamo. Seemingly, he has played everywhere this season except maybe left back. The 27 year old has played striker, center mid, attacking mid, and on the flanks for Houston. Add in jet-setting for the Jamaican national team this summer where he had nine appearances with three goals in Copa America 2015 and CONCACAF Gold Cup where the Reggae Boys went to the finals against Mexico. Add those nine games plus practices, plus travel with 1786 minutes and 20 games for Houston and admit it or not, there is one tired player.

The last thing I am scratching my head about goes hand in hand with Barnes and that is why do we not see more of the heralded Erick “Cubo” Torres? The Mexican international who has scored more goals than any other Mexican player in Major League Soccer rarely finds himself on the field for memorable moments. The team acquired him for his goal scoring ability so why not put him on the field against Vancouver and let’s see what he can do with the first team for 90 minutes. It’s not like Houston 2-3-2 since his arrival has been tearing it up so what could the injection of a guy with 22 goals in 44 MLS matches before his arrival in Houston anything hurt?

Houston hosts Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night August 29th with its playoffs quickly dwindling. The Dynamo trail Seattle by three points with eight games to play. Since the beginning of summer, the team is a combined 6-8-4 and will face Vancouver (2nd in the Western Conference) twice, FC Dallas, Seattle, and Sporting Kansas City once each in their final eight matches. Houston is winless against these four teams recording a 0-3-2 mark with a goal differential of minus six.

It will take nothing short of a miracle much like two seasons ago for the Dynamo to make the postseason. It will take beating a team like the Philadelphia Union on the road something Houston last did on September 14, 2013.

Houston must protect its home turf its next two home games if they want to keep their playoff hopes off life support. Can they? Yes, they can. Will they? Stay tuned.