THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at LA Galaxy
Sunday, May 5, 10 p.m. CT
The Home Depot Center
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ESPN2 - 10 p.m.
Yahoo! 1560 AM - 10 p.m. (9:30 pregame)
La Ranchera 850 - 10 p.m. (9:30 pregame)
PREVIEW
It’s a rematch of the last two MLS Cup Finals as the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo once again meet at The Home Depot Center on Sunday evening in front of an ESPN2 audience. The Galaxy won both of those finals, both in Carson, including a 3-1 victory last December. The Galaxy come into the match off back-to-back shutout victories, last a 2-0 win at Real Salt Lake. The Dynamo continued their long home undefeated streak last weekend, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids.
REFEREES
Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Hosking; 4th: Ricardo Salazar MLS Career: 15 games; FC/gm: 21.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 2; pens: 3
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
LA GALAXY -- OUT: DF Jack McBean (Fractured Left Clavicle – Underwent surgery on April 30); QUESTIONABLE: Carlo Cudicini (Right Leg Strain), Landon Donovan (Right Leg Strain), Todd Dunivant (Left Leg Strain), Robbie Keane (Left Ankle)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (16 meetings): Galaxy 6 wins, 18 goals ... Dynamo 6 wins, 19 goals ... Ties 4
- AT LA (7 meetings): Galaxy 3 wins, 10 goals ... Dynamo 2 wins, 8 goals ... Ties 2
- LAST YEAR (MLS): 5/26: HOU 2, LA 1 (own goal 38; Hainault 57 – Buddle 10)
- This is the only league meeting of the season between the two clubs.
- It’s a rematch of the last two MLS Cups, the Galaxy winning 1-0 in MLS Cup 2011, and 3-1 in MLS Cup 2012, both played at The Home Depot Center.
- Houston has won the last two league meetings between the teams, both coming in Houston, including a 2-1 win last year at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Galaxy have defeated the Dynamo in their last six meetings at The Home Depot Center in all competitions, including the last two MLS Cups and the 2009 Western Conference Championship. Houston’s last win against the Galaxy in Carson came in 2007, a 3-1 triumph.
- Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. HOU: P10 W5 L4 D1 ... Dominic Kinnear vs. LA: P24 W10 L9 D5
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo extended their long undefeated streak, reaching a second consecutive draw with a 1-1 result against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday afternoon at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from 8 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Rapids took a well-deserved lead just before halftime. Center back Drew Moor smartly lost Rico Clark on a corner kick and, free at the back post, headed home a Dillon Powers service for the opener.
- But the Dynamo hit for the leveler in in the 66th minute. Corralling a loose clearance from a long goal kick, Giles Barnes took two touches and hit a rocket of a shot on a thin angle from just inside the area, beating Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin just under the bar to his left.
- The Dynamo finished the game with 10 men after Brad Davis was shown a straight red card in stoppage time by referee Juan Guzman for a tackle on Nathan Sturgis.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that got a stoppage-time equalizer for a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC at BMO Field. Eric Brunner came into central defense for the suspended Jermaine Taylor, and Boniek Garcia started in midfield in place of Adam Moffat.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-1-3-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Eric Brunner, Bobby Boswell, Corey Ashe - Ricardo Clark (Luiz Camargo 86) - Andrew Driver (Warren Creavalle 67), Boniek Garcia, Brad Davis (sent off 95) - Giles Barnes (Brian Ching 78), Will Bruin.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo set an MLS record with their 30th consecutive league match without a loss in the draw with the Rapids. They have now gone 36 games without a home loss in all competitions dating back to 2011.
- “They took it to us and we woke up in the second half,” Brian Ching said. “For us it feels like a loss because we expect to win at home. It’s a lesson learned and we need to pick it up.” Said defender Bobby Boswell: “The biggest thing to take away from it is we weren’t happy with it. Even if we had gotten a win there at the end we wouldn’t have been happy with how we played that game for 90 minutes. That’s something we have to work on.”
- The Dynamo will be without playmaker Brad Davis for the MLS Cup Final rematch, after he was sent off late in the draw with Colorado.
- “After I just got that yellow card, I just lost my head a little bit,” Davis said. “I don’t think it was a straight red, but I think he was looking after our little scuffle we had. I actually talked to the ref at halftime and asked him to be more consistent. There was a lot of inconsistency, so finally I kind of lost it.”
- Boniek García was able to make his first appearance in the starting lineup since March 30, stepping into a central midfield role with Andrew Driver remaining in a wide spot.
- Adam Moffat was unable to figure in the Colorado match after leaving the Toronto FC game in the first half with a hamstring injury.
- “There’s lots of decisions to be made based on guy’s health,” Kinnear said. “We want to make sure that guys are healthy when they step on the field. The good thing is those guys are practicing so it makes it easier to make a decision.”
- Giles Barnes took over the Dynamo team lead with his third goal, his first since scoring in back-to-back games March 23 and 30 vs. Vancouver and San Jose.
