Chris Canetti: Dynamo 'a little bit ahead of schedule'

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It has been four years since the Dynamo have been in first place, but even president Chris Canetti could not have hoped for such a hot start.

The front office in the off-season overhauled the roster after finishing last in the Western Conference in 2016. The hopes were high, but sitting on top of the table after 10 games seemed like too much to ask.

Houston, FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City all sit on 19 points.

"We might be a little bit ahead of schedule," Canetti said. "We're not counting our chickens yet being in first place 11 weeks into the season. There is a long way to go with 24 games left."

Houston (6-3-1) puts its first-place position on the line Wednesday night when it plays the first of three consecutive games away from home. The Dynamo will face the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday and Atlanta United FC on Saturday. The road swing ends on May 28 at rival FC Dallas.

The last time the Dynamo were in first place after 10 games was in 2013 when they were tied with the Montreal Impact with a 6-2-2 record.

Qualifying for the playoffs this season would be viewed as a successful rebound from last year's last-place finish. Playing seven games at home has helped that. They'll have to get points on the road over the next month if they want to stay in first place or at least near the top of the standings.

"We're pleased so far by the progress that we've made," Canetti said. "We think we've seen enough of a sample size to know that we're here to compete for long haul and that this is not just a good streak to start the season."