THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday, May 11, 2016, 9:30 p.m. CT
Avaya Stadium, San Jose, California
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS - 9:00 p.m. (CHANNEL LISTINGS)
650 AM / Radio.com app - 9:00 p.m.
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 9:00 p.m.
PREVIEW
Two clubs which share a common foundation meet for the first time this season when the San Jose Earthquakes play host to the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday evening at Avaya Stadium. The teams are separated by seven points in the Western Conference. The Quakes return home after a draw and a defeat on a two-game road swing, ending in a 2- 0 loss at Seattle Sounders FC last weekend. The Dynamo hit the road after putting a halt to a six-game winless run, defeating Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium.
REFEREE: Jaime Herrera. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Mike Kampmeinert; 4th: Armando Villarrea
MLS Career: First game.
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of May 9)
HOUSTON DYNAMO—None.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES—OUT: Cordell Cato – right hamstring; Marc Pelosi – left knee; Clarence Goodson – back; Mark Sherrod – left knee; Quincy Amarikwa – right hamstring; Innocent – right ankle; QUESTIONABLE: Fatai Alashe – right hamstring; Andres Imperiale – right foot strain;
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Earthquakes 6 wins, 18 goals … Dynamo 8 wins, 20 goals … Ties 1
- AT SAN JOSE (8 meetings): Earthquakes 4 wins, 11 goals … Dynamo 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 1
- RETURN MATCHES: 7/31: Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 8 p.m. CT; 8/19: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo, 8 p.m. PT (UNI)
- LAST YEAR: 5/5: HOU 0, SJ 1 (Jahn 54); 7/10: SJ 0, HOU 2 (Clark 10; Bruin 81); 8/8: HOU 2, SJ 1 (Beasley 55; Alex 76 – Amarikwa 70)
- The Dynamo won the final two meetings a year ago, winning once at each ground, claiming a 2-0 victory July 10 at Avaya Stadium, then winning 2-1 on Aug. 8 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Quakes had won the two previous meetings in the series, once at each ground, including a 1-0 win last May 5 at BBVA Compass Stadium, and a 3-0 win May 25, 2014 in the final meeting ever at Buck Shaw Stadium.
- The two teams have shared a pitched rivalry since the Earthquakes returned to the league in 2008, after the Dynamo moved to Houston from San Jose in 2006. The Dynamo have won eight meetings and the Quakes six, with one draw.
- Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. HOU: P3 W1 L2 D0 … Owen Coyle vs. SJ: P3 W2 L1 D0
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo put an end to their winless streak after six matches, defeating Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in 10th place in the Western Conference with 8 points from 9 games.
LAST GAME
- The opening goal came in the 30th minute. After taking a pass from Erick Torres just outside the penalty area on the left, Giles Barnes hammered a first-time shot on the half-volley inside the far post.
- The Dynamo then doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time, when Barnes sent a pass to Cristian Maidana from the left flank, and he slipped a short cross inside to Andrew Wenger, who made a move before driving a laser shot past Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia.
- Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle made six changes to the team that dropped a 2-1 decision to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tyler Deric came in between the posts in place of Joe Willis, Jalil Anibaba and David Horst started in the back four for Sheanon Williams and Raul Rodriguez, Alex and Cristian Maidana came into the midfield to replace Collen Warner and Leonel Miranda, and Erick Torres started up top for Boniek Garcia.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-2-3-1): Tyler Deric - Jalil Anibaba, David Horst, Agus, DaMarcus Beasley (Abdoulie Mansally 67) - Ricardo Clark, Alex - Andrew Wenger, Cristian Maidana (Leonel Miranda 75), Giles Barnes - Erick Torres (Will Bruin 57).
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo put an end to their six-game winless run – and three-game losing streak – with their second win of the season, their first since March 12.
- “Too often this season we performed really well but not come away with points,” Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle said. “The second half was more a mental test, given that we’ve given up leads in some games.”
- The Dynamo also kept a clean sheet for the second time this season, the first coming in their only other win of the season, the 5-0 triumph against FC Dallas. The Dynamo had conceded 13 goals over their six-game winless run.
- “It’s great to have that firepower, but more important than the two goals was the clean sheet,” Coyle said. “We have to get back to defending well. Get back to clean sheets. Clean sheets give you the platform to go and win games.”
- Giles Barnes netted his third goal of the season, his first since April 10. He also collected his second assist of the season, both having come in the last two matches. It was the second time in his five MLS seasons Barnes scored a goal and added an assist in the same game (first: Sept. 26, 2015 vs. Colorado).
- Andrew Wenger scored his third goal of the season, his first since hitting the back of the net in each of the opening two games of the season.
- Erick Torres made his first league start of the season, playing 57 minutes as the lone out-and-out striker. Torres had made three substitute appearances prior, totaling 46 minutes. Torres collected his first assist of the season.
- Tyler Deric returned between the posts for his second start of the season, his first cut short after 18 minutes after he was sent off in the Columbus match April 23. Deric recorded his first shutout since last Sept. 23, a 1-0 win vs. Sporting KC.
- Cristian Maidana made his first start in three matches, playing 75 minutes in an attacking midfield role. David Horst also returned to the lineup for the first time in three games, coming into central defense and playing 90 minutes.
- “It’s important we utilize the squad very cleverly,” Coyle said. “Because then we come off from the San Jose game and we got another big game against Real Salt Lake [on Saturday]."
