HOUSTON – The first half for the Houston Dynamo against Toronto FC was something out of a horror story.

Undefeated at home, the Dynamo conceded three times to a Toronto squad that had mustered just eight goals in 11 MLS contests coming into the night. Simply put, Houston was getting outworked for second and third balls and produced play that several players characterized as sloppy, prompting a call to arms from head coach Dominic Kinnear at halftime.

His message? “Play better.”