THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at Sporting Kansas City
Friday, August 29, 7:00 p.m. CT
Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas
BROADCAST INFORMATION
NBC Sports Network- 7:00 p.m. CHANNEL LISTINGS
ESPN 97.5 FM - 7:00 p.m.
La Ranchera 850 AM - 7:00 p.m.
PREVIEW
Familiar playoff foes, Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo meet for the second time this season with the clubs having very different outlooks as they clash Friday evening at Sporting Park before an NBC Sports Network audience. Sporting fell out of the top spot in the East last weekend, following a 3-0 home loss to D.C. United, who moved into the point position. The Dynamo suffered their seventh consecutive defeat away from home, dropping a 3-0 decision at the Columbus Crew, leaving them five points out of the final playoff position in the conference.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): C.J. Morgante; 4th: Ted Unkel
MLS Career: 122 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 30; pens: 42
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of Wednesday, August 27)
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: Tony Cascio – Right knee surgery; Mark Sherrod – Left knee ACL tear; QUESTIONABLE: DaMarcus Beasley – Left hamstring strain
SPORTING KANSAS CITY --OUT: Ike Opara – R ankle; Chance Myers – L Achilles; Eric Kronberg – fractured fourth metacarpal in L hand; Jacob Peterson – L knee strain; QUESTIONABLE: Paulo Nagamura – L ankle sprain; Sal Zizzo – lower back contusion
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (19 meetings): Sporting 5 wins, 21 goals … Dynamo 6 wins, 22 goals … Ties 8
- AT KANSAS CITY (9 meetings): Sporting 2 wins, 11 goals … Dynamo 3 wins, 10 goals … Ties 4
- 2014 MLS: 6/6: HOU 0, KC 2 (Saad 45; Dwyer 70)
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Soony Saad and Dom Dwyer netted goals in Sporting KC’s 2-0 victory, June 6 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- In league play, the last three meetings at Sporting Park have ended in draws. Sporting has come away with points on their last three league visits to BBVA Compass Stadium, with two wins and a draw.
- The teams have met each of the last three years in the MLS Cup Playoffs, with Sporting winning the Eastern Conference Championship matchup a year ago 2-1 on aggregate. The Dynamo had advanced each of the two previous years, including in 2011 at Sporting Park with a trip to MLS Cup on the line.
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. HOU: P12 W4 L2 D6… Dominic Kinnear vs. KC: P21 W8 L3 D10
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo saw their club-record road losing streak hit seven matches, falling 3-0 to the Columbus Crew on Saturday evening at Crew Stadium. The Dynamo are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 24 games.
LAST MATCH
- The Crew took the lead after 35 minutes. Justin Meram benefitted from a poor touch from a Houston defender and gathered the ball near the top of the penalty box, then took a few touches before firing a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Tally Hall.
- The lead was doubled in the 59th minute as Meram this time played provider. Cleaning up a long corner, Meram turned and swung in a perfectly placed cross to the head of Adam Bedell, who outmuscled his marker and glanced a header past a helpless Hall and into the far corner.
- Columbus added a third goal in the 64th minute, when fullback Waylon Francis found streaking substitute Aaron Schoenfeld with a perfect cross to head home from the heart of the area to seal the match.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that defeated Philadelphia Union 2-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Corey Ashe came in at left back in place of DaMarcus Beasley.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, David Horst, Corey Ashe - Boniek Garcia (Andrew Driver 71), Luis Garrido (Brian Ownby 61), Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Jason Johnson 83) - Giles Barnes, Will Bruin.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo had their club-record road losing streak extended to seven games in the loss at Columbus. The Dynamo are 1-10-1 on their travels, having scored just seven road goals, fewest in MLS this season.
- The Dynamo have conceded the opening goal 13 times this season, tied for fifth-most in the league. But they have won just once after allowing the opening goal, their .077 winning percentage better than just the Montréal Impact (0-11-1, .042).
- “I thought up until the goal we looked pretty good,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “I thought that first goal took the wind out of us.”
- After starting three consecutive matches at left back following his acquisition, DaMarcus Beasley did not feature against the Crew after suffering hamstring tightness.
- Corey Ashe made his first start since July 20, coming back into the back four at left back to replace Beasley.
- “I don’t think there’s anything anyone could question Corey about,” said forward Giles Barnes. “Ever since the day he knew he might not be starting he’s been out here working and doing his thing and that’s Corey all over. I can’t praise Corey enough. He’s a good player as well. He’s accepted what’s happened, and he’s working hard day-in-and-day-out.”
- Beasley had not returned to full training sessions as the buildup to the Sporting match began. “He’s out as of now and we’ll see,” Kinnear said. “He went out jogging [Monday], and we have until Friday to see if he can play or not. [Corey’s] training well, and when he’s been asked to play he’s ready. He’s been very professional about it.”
- The Dynamo were shut out at the attacking end for a 10th time this season, nine of those coming away from BBVA Compass Stadium. The New York Red Bulls were shut out 12 times in away matches in 2009 when they set the MLS record for fewest goals scored in road games for the season (3).
- “I don’t think it was one thing in particular,” Kinnear said. “I don’t think we had a good night. They played pretty well, and you give them credit for that.”
