THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at Sporting Kansas City
Sunday, May 26, 2:30 p.m. CT
Sporting Park
BROADCAST INFORMATION
NBC Sports Network - 2:30 p.m.
Yahoo! Sports Radio 1560 AM - 2:30 p.m. (2 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM - 2:30 p.m. (2 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
Just two weeks after ending the Houston Dynamo’s long home undefeated run, Sporting Kansas City now play host when the Eastern Conference clubs face off Sunday afternoon at Sporting Park before an NBC Sports Network audience. Sporting return home off a two-game road trip that ended with a 1-1 draw at D.C. United last weekend. The Dynamo are coming off a second consecutive home loss, this time a 2-0 reverse by the New England Revolution.
REFEREES
Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Daniel Belleau; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Duliba; 4th: Daniel Radford MLS Career: 12 games; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 2.8; R: 1; pens: 4
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY THE METHODIST HOSPITAL SYSTEM
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: Calen Carr – Left knee; Omar Cummings – Right knee; QUESTIONABLE: Jermaine Taylor – Left shoulder
SPORTING KC -- OUT: Teal Bunbury – Left knee
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (16 meetings): Sporting 4 wins, 18 goals ... Dynamo 6 wins, 21 goals ... Ties 6
- AT KC (8 meetings): Sporting 2 wins, 10 goals ... Dynamo 3 wins, 9 goals ... Ties 3
- FUTURE MATCH: 10/9: Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. CT
- The teams are meeting for the second time in three weeks. Aurélien Collin’s header in the 73rd minute was the only goal of the game as Sporting put an end to the Dynamo’s 30-game league home undefeated streak on May 12 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- It was the first victory for the road team in the series since 2009, and Sporting’s second win ever in Houston. A year ago, both league meetings at Sporting Park ended in draws.
- The teams met in the MLS Cup Playoffs for a second consecutive season last year, the Dynamo winning their semifinal series 2-1 on aggregate. In 2011, the Dynamo won 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Championship at Sporting Park.
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. HOU: P9 W3 L2 D4 ... Dominic Kinnear vs. KC: P22 W8 L6 D8
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo lost for the second time in as many matches at home, dropping a 2-0 decision to the New England Revolution on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points from 12 matches.
LAST MATCH
- Both teams were a man down before the first half was over. On a Revolution free kick, Dynamo defender Bobby Boswell and Revolution forward Dimitry Imbongo tangled, and referee Edvin Jurisevic reached for the red card and sent off both players.
- The Revs took the lead six minutes into the second half. Diego Fagundez played a nifty give-and-go with Clyde Simms before making a weaving run into the penalty area and tucking his ensuing shot inside the near post for the opener.
- New England hit for a second six minutes from the field. With the Dynamo caught with numbers forward trying to find the equalizer, Chris Tierney found Juan Agudelo on the left side of the area. He tried to corral a deflected pass, deflecting it off the Dynamo's Ricardo Clark and over the goal line before it could be cleared.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that lost 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium. Giles Barnes came back into the side in place of Adam Moffat.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-1-3-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor (Eric Brunner 10), Bobby Boswell (sent off 40), Corey Ashe - Ricardo Clark, Boniek Garcia, Andrew Driver, Brad Davis (Brian Ching 75) - Giles Barnes (Adam Moffat 43), Will Bruin.
TEAM NEWS
- After losing at home for the first time in two years, the Dynamo have now lost back-to-back home games for the first time since Sept. 5-Oct. 10, 2010, when they lost three in a row to San Jose, Toronto and New England.
- “When you lose two games at home, these are bad things, but we still are a very good team,” said goalkeeper Tally Hall. “We still have some of the best talent in the league and as a team, when we play well together we are the best team in the league.”
- The Dynamo have also been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since last July 3-7, when they were in consecutive scoreless draws with Chicago and Sporting KC.
- “I’m very disappointed with the way we played tonight. It was 1-0 and I thought we had created a lot of chances, but we just could not put the ball in the back of the net,” said Kinnear. “We had to risk going forward and they scored a goal. Other than that, I’m just disappointed.”
- The Dynamo will meet SKC for a second time in three weeks with a rebuilt back four. Jermaine Taylor was forced off after just 10 minutes vs. New England with a shoulder injury.
- In addition, Bobby Boswell was sent off before the first half was over and will also be serving a ban that was extended to two matches following a decision by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.
- “We don’t know yet,” Kinnear said about the center back position. “We do have an idea but it’s only Tuesday and the game’s Sunday. Eric [Brunner] is a center back so he can play in there and the other guy we’ll see. It could be Jermaine or it could be someone else.”
- Giles Barnes returned to the lineup after missing the SKC match with an injury, but he was sacrificed in favor of midfielder Adam Moffat following the sending off of Boswell.
- “Just a disjointed effort,” Hall said. “I think we were giving everything we had but we weren’t working smart. You’re not going to win a lot of games if you’re not working smart. It feels terrible right now. I don’t often remember feeling this bad after a game.”
