THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at D.C. United
Wednesday, May 8, 6 p.m. CT
RFK Memorial Stadium
BROADCAST INFORMATION
CSNH2 (English) - 6 p.m. (Channel listings)
Mega TV (Spanish) - 6 p.m. (Channel listings)
MLSsoccer.com Stream of the Week
Yahoo! Sports Radio 1560 AM - 6 p.m. (5:30 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM - 6 p.m. (5:30 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo meet for the second time this season when the Eastern Conference foes face off at RFK Stadium on Wednesday evening. United are looking to put a halt to a five-game losing streak, returning to action after a 3-0 loss at Columbus two weekends ago. The Dynamo are coming off a good victory, knocking off the LA Galaxy 1-0 in Carson last weekend in an MLS Cup rematch. The Dynamo defeated United 2-0 when the clubs met in Houston in the opening weekend of the season.
REFEREES
Jorge Gonzalez. AR1 (bench): Craig Lowry; AR2 (opposite): Brian Dunn; 4th: Ted Unkel MLS Career: 94 games; FC/gm: 25.1; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 31; pens: 24
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY THE METHODIST HOSPITAL SYSTEM
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: Calen Carr – Left knee; Omar Cummings – Right knee;Tyler Deric – Left ankle; Warren Creavalle – Right hamstring Cam Weaver – Lower back
D.C. UNITED -- OUT: Lewis Neal -- (pubic stress reaction); John Thorrington -- (L medial collateral ligament strain); QUESTIONABLE: Nick DeLeon -- (R hamstring strain); Chris Pontius -- (L groin strain)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (16 meetings): United 4 wins, 15 goals … Dynamo 10 wins, 29 goals … Ties 2
- AT RFK STADIUM (7 meetings): United 4 wins, 11 goals … Dynamo 2 wins, 10 goals … Ties 1
- FUTURE MATCH: D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo, 1:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. An own goal and a goal from Warren Creavalle in the final 10 minutes gave the Dynamo a 2-0 win to open the season, March 2 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- United’s 3-2 home win in the first meeting a season ago was their first against Houston at home since 2009.
- The Dynamo have never lost to D.C. United in Houston, winning nine of 10 meetings there all-time in league and cup play (with one draw).
- The teams met in the Eastern Conference Championship a year ago, the Dynamo claiming a 3-1 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium in the first leg, before the teams reached a 1-1 draw at RFK Stadium to send Houston to MLS Cup 2012.
- Coaches record: Ben Olsen vs. HOU: P7 W1 L5 D1 … Dominic Kinnear vs. DC: P21 W11 L6 D4
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo won for the first time this season on the road, making a second-half goal stand up for a 1-0 victory against the LA Galaxy in an MLS Cup rematch Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Dynamo are in a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with 17 points from 9 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Galaxy had a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first half. Jose Villarreal pushed the ball past goalkeeper Tally Hall in the penalty area, and after contact that sent Villarreal sprawling, referee Allen Chapman pointed to the spot. But Hall stopped Landon Donovan's penalty attempt.
- The Dynamo hit for the winner in the 56th minute. Bobby Boswell's long ball found Giles Barnes, who cut a pass back from nearly the endline, and Andrew Driver hit it first time with his left foot from right on the edge of the area and drove it inside the left post.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that reaching a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids at BBVA Compass Stadium. Jermaine Taylor came back into central defense for Eric Brunner, and Adam Moffat came into the midfield for the suspended Brad Davis.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-1-3-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, Bobby Boswell, Corey Ashe - Ricardo Clark - Boniek Garcia, Adam Moffat, Andrew Driver - Giles Barnes (Brian Ching 84), Will Bruin.
TEAM NEWS
- While the Dynamo have lost twice all season, the victory against the Galaxy came after back-to-back draws where they had to come from behind on each occasion.
- “You can play poorly and win and you’ll still be happy. A win is a win and the way we went about it tonight, yes they had chances which they’re going to do because they have good players but the way we went about the win tonight was very encouraging,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear.
- Added Andrew Driver: “We let ourselves down the last couple of weeks. We didn’t play as well as we could and we knew this was a big game coming into these three away games. So to come here and get a result … was a massive game for us and we can take massive confidence from this during the next couple games.”
- The win at The Home Depot Center started a two-game coast-to-coast road swing over four days for the Dynamo, who will return home this weekend for a huge match with Sporting Kansas City.
- “Seasons aren’t made this early but when you are facing three games in a week it becomes an opportunity,” said goalkeeper Tally Hall. “We could collect some serious points and having the first two on the road, it’s a difficult challenge but now we’ve set ourselves up to have a really positive week.”
- After being beaten for 10 penalty kicks in 10 attempts in league games over the past two seasons, Tally Hall saved a penalty for the first time in MLS play.
- “I think that was the third penalty (Landon Donovan has) taken on me and he’s gone left the two times before,” said Hall. “He’s good enough to switch it back and forth but he’s a smart enough player to remember that’s been successful for him. I wish I could have had the other two but I’ll take this one.”
- With Brad Davis suspended, Driver shifted to the left side of the midfield and Adam Moffat returned to the lineup after missing the Colorado Rapids game with a hamstring injury.
- “I think it’s a pretty simple adjustment with Andrew who can play on the left,” Kinnear said. “He’s comfortable out there.”
