THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United
Saturday, June 18, 2016, 7:45 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS - 7:30 p.m. (CHANNEL LISTINGS)
610 AM / Radio.com app - 7:30 p.m.
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 7:30 p.m.
PREVIEW
The Houston Dynamo and D.C. United meet in a critical match for both clubs when they face off in an interconference matchup Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo return home off two consecutive draws under interim head coach Wade Barrett, following a 1-1 result at FC Dallas in their last league match, leaving them in ninth place in the Western Conference. United hit the road after a 2-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC at RFK Stadium in their last MLS contest, sitting right on the red line in the Eastern Conference.
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Mike Kampmeinert; AR2 (opposite): Chris Strickland; 4th: Caleb Mendez
MLS Career: 77 games; FC/gm: 23.5; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 18; pens: 31
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of June 13)
HOUSTON DYNAMO—OUT: Rob Lovejoy – right ankle;
D.C. UNITED—OUT: Chris Korb - right knee ACL surgery, Collin Martin - foot surgery, Andrew Dykstra - back surgery, Chris Rolfe - concussion, Patrick Nyarko - concussion, Miguel Aguilar - right hamstring strain; QUESTIONABLE: Álvaro Saborío – calf strain;
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (22 meetings): Dynamo 13 wins, 38 goals … United 6 wins, 22 goals … Ties 3
- AT HOUSTON (11 meetings): Dynamo 9 wins, 21 goals … United 1 win, 7 goals … Ties 1
- LAST YEAR [MLS] 4/18: DC 1, HOU 1 (Rolfe 36 – Clark 65)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- When United won 3-1 on Oct. 12, 2014 in the last meeting between the teams at BBVA Compass Stadium, it was their first victory in Houston in 12 meetings all time in league and cup play. The Dynamo had won 10 of the first 11 matchups there, with one draw.
- The teams reached a 1-1 draw last April 18 at RFK Stadium in their only meeting of the season. United’s win on May 21, 2014 at RFK Stadium was their first in all competitions against the Dynamo since the 2012 season. The Dynamo had won six of seven meetings in between, with one draw, including a victory and a tie in the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship.
- Coaches record: Ben Olsen vs. HOU: P13 W3 L8 D2 … Wade Barrett vs. DC: first game
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo reached a second consecutive draw on the road, playing to a 1-1 result with FC Dallas on June 2 at Toyota Stadium. The Dynamo are in 10th place in the Western Conference with 13 points from 14 games.
LAST GAME
- The match was only four minutes old before it was delayed for nearly two hours after a rainstorm caused heavy water buildup on the field.
- After the restart, FC Dallas took the lead in the 23rd minute. Fabian Castillo sprinted down the wing before holding up, creating a passing lane for a bouncing cross that Ryan Hollingshead smashed home for the opening goal.
- The Dynamo leveled terms in the 51st minute. Ricardo Clark was trailing the play when a deflected pass fell directly into his path, and he hammered a rising rocket that FCD goalkeeper Chris Seitz had no hope of stopping.
- Dynamo interim head coach Wade Barrett made two changes to the team that reached a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. Jalil Anibaba came into the back four for Sheanon Williams, and Cristian Maidana started in midfield for the suspended Alex.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-1-4-1): Tyler Deric - Jalil Anibaba, David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley - Collen Warner - Andrew Wenger, Boniek Garcia, Ricardo Clark, Cristian Maidana (Sheanon Williams 87) - Will Bruin (Erick Torres 76).
TEAM NEWS
- While the Dynamo saw their winless run extended to three games, it was a second consecutive draw with Wade Barrett in charge after the resignation of Owen Coyle as head coach.
- “It was difficult circumstances tonight. Any time you start a match and get four minutes in and have to reset, it's difficult for the players to come out and adjust, but I thought our guys did an excellent job of handling that the best they could,” said Barrett. “It's not an easy thing to do. Even in the first half, they were very disciplined and tough to play against."
- Following the match, Barrett was installed as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2016 season.
- “I want us to be difficult to play against,” said Barrett. “I don’t want anyone to misinterpret; I don’t want the team to go back to what we were when we won championships. I want us to be a newer, better version.” Added striker Will Bruin: “We need to get back to that blue-collar, hard-working mentality. That kind of made the Dynamo who they are with their two championships.”
- Ricardo Clark scored his third goal of the season, his first since May 11, playing the full 90 minutes for a 12th consecutive match. Clark has had four goals or more in each of his last three seasons, including a singleseason MLS career-high eight goals last year.
- “Overall, I thought the guys did a really good job of coming out. We maintained our shape and our discipline, but we had a lot more play in the attacking part of the field,” Barrett said. “In the first half, we talked about how we weren't moving the ball from one side to the other and spreading them out enough. The guys did a really good job. We were spreading the field out and moving the ball well, and Collen Warner was always maintaining good shape to give us that security against the break.”
- Jalil Anibaba made his first start since May 11, coming in at right back and playing the full 90 minutes.
- “I thought we bounced back well from the goal. Defensively, I thought we were very organized. We reacted well and didn't sit back too much. We were aggressive and took out chances. I thought we responded very well,” Anibaba said.
- On Wednesday, the Dynamo advanced to the round-of-16 in the U.S. Open Cup following a 4-0 victory against San Antonio FC of the USL at BBVA Compass Stadium. Mauro Manotas (39), Alex (45+), Raul Rodriguez (60) and Leonel Miranda (66) all netted for the Dynamo to book their ticket.
- Here’s the Dynamo team: Joe Willis, Sheanon Williams, David Horst, Agus (Raul Rodriguez 46), DaMarcus Beasley (TJ Casner 71), Leonel Miranda, Boniek Garcia (Cristian Maidana 62), Alex, David Rocha, Zach Steinberger, Mauro Manotas.
