THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. Columbus Crew
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
BROADCAST INFORMATION
CSN Houston - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame) CHANNEL LISTINGS
MLS LIVE - 7:30 p.m. CLICK HERE
Telemundo Houston - 11 p.m. (tape delay) CHANNEL LISTINGS
SiriusXM FC (Ch. 94) - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame)
HoustonDynamo.com/live (audio) - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame
PREVIEW
The Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew meet for a third time this season in a vitally important match for both clubs when they face off Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo have won two games in a row to pull to within five points of fifth place and the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference, following their 3-2 home win against the Montréal Impact last weekend. The Crew hit the road after winning a third game in a row on their home ground, holding down the final postseason place following their 3-0 win against Chivas USA last Sunday.
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REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. AR1 (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; AR2 (opposite): Mark Cahen; 4th: Armando Villarreal
MLS Career: 191 games; FC/gm: 26.7; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 56; pens: 68
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; Tally Hall – R knee ACL tear; Will Bruin – R mid foot sprain; Jermaine Taylor – concussion;
COLUMBUS CREW -- OUT: Adam Bedell – post appendectomy; Matt Wiet – post L ACL reconstruction; Josh Williams – post R first rib resection; Kingsley “Fifi” Baiden – post L hip labral repair; QUESTIONABLE: Romain Gall – concussion; Federico Higuain – R hamstring strain; Daniel Paladini – L hip flexor strain
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (19 meetings): Dynamo 4 wins, 20 goals … Crew 5 wins, 26 goals … Ties 9
- AT HOUSTON (9 meetings): Dynamo 3 wins, 11 goals … Crew 1 win, 8 goals … Ties 5
- 5/7: HOU 1, CLB 0 (Bruin 50); 8/23: CLB 3, HOU 0 (Meram 35; Bedell 59; Schoenfeld 64)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Justin Meram, Adam Bedell and Aaron Schoenfeld all scored as the Crew took a 3-0 win Aug. 23 at Crew Stadium; Will Bruin scored the game’s only goal early in the second half for a Dynamo victory, May 7 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Dynamo have won the last two meetings at BBVA Compass Stadium. Their 3-1 win last Aug. 3 was the Dynamo’s first win against the Crew in almost exactly five years, since Aug. 2, 2008.
- The Crew have not lost to the Dynamo in Columbus since June 10, 2007, a 2-1 Houston victory. Since then, the Crew have won five of the eight meetings at home, with three draws.
- Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. CLB: P23 W6 L8 T9 … Gregg Berhalter vs. HOU: P2 W1 L1 T0
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo won their second game on the trot, getting a late winner for a 3-2 victory against the Montréal Impact on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points from 26 games.
LAST MATCH
- The Dynamo took the lead in the 30th minute. The ball was misplayed by Montreal left back Krzysztof Krol on the right flank and Giles Barnes collected before charging into the box, where he held off a challenge as he slipped a low shot inside the near post.
- The Impact pulled even 10 minutes later as Felipe received a pass from Ignacio Piatti and drove to his right before slipping a pass to his left for Dilly Duka, who finished with his left foot from just inside the box for the equalizer.
- Montreal took the lead in the 55th minute on the counterattack. Marco Di Vaio settled a long forward ball at the center circle and quickly fed Ignacio Piatti in behind the Houston defense. Piatti drove into the box and snuck a shot past onrushing goalkeeper Tyler Deric.
- The Dynamo responded within seven minutes. Cummings settled a throw-in on the right flank and dribbled into the penalty area before threading a perfect pass to Barnes, who used one touch before sending a classy finish inside the far post from 12 yards out.
- The game-winner came three minutes later after the Dynamo gained a corner kick. From a Brad Davis service, Houston defender David Horst headed the ball down to Ricardo Clark waiting alone at the back post. He settled the ball with his chest before hammering an acrobatic side volley into the net from close range for the decider.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made four changes to the team that defeated Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at Sporting Park. Tyler Deric came in between the posts for the injured Tally Hall, A.J. Cochran and DaMarcus Beasley came into the back four for Kofi Sarkodie and Jermaine Taylor, and Omar Cummings started up top in place of Will Bruin.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tyler Deric - Corey Ashe, A.J. Cochran, David Horst, DaMarcus Beasley - Boniek Garcia, Luis Garrido, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Andrew Driver 83) - Giles Barnes, Omar Cummings (Brian Ownby 77).
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo have won back-to-back games for the first time since May 3-7, matching their longest winning streak of the season.
- “I think in the past we’ve kind of put our heads down and crumbled but this team showed a lot of character and resilience to come back and be hungry for it and thankfully we got the win,” midfielder Ricardo Clark said. “Coming down to the end here, every game so is crunch time so we want to make the most of every game and every opportunity.”
- The Dynamo have also scored three goals in back-to-back games. They had gone 15 games, dating back to May 3, without scoring more than two goals in a game.
- “This is the time of year, from what I hear, this is when the Dynamo make their run and I’m to be a part of it,” said DaMarcus Beasley. “This is when the Dynamo comes alive and I’m excited. We want to keep going the right direction.”
- With striker Will Bruin out of the team for the first time since May 11, with a right foot sprain, Omar Cummings made his first start since June 29, coming into the attack as the off forward and recording an assist.
- “Full credit goes to Omar, too, for coming out and giving us a good 75 minutes," said Kinnear. "Just what he did for us tonight was huge. I think the guys in the locker room understand that. Giles [Barnes] was good. Good first goal, all-important second goal and overall thought his play was really good tonight.”
- Said Beasley: “[Omar’s] had a tough time, he got an assist and played well. Of course, he gives his all whether he’s with us or not. When he’s not he knows we’re with him, but as you see when he steps on the field he’s one of our best players."
- Giles Barnes played the role of the target forward up top and scored two goals, his first goals since July 19. It was Barnes’s fourth career two-goal game in his two MLS seasons.
- Ricardo Clark scored his second goal in as many games, while Brad Davis collected his third assist in the last two games. Davis has nine assists this season, tied for sixth on the MLS assist leaderboard.
- Following a two-game absence, Beasley returned to the Dynamo back four on the left flank. A.J. Cochran made his first start since July 4, coming into central defense with Jermaine Taylor sidelined because of concussion.
- “We showed a lot of character and heart,” said Beasley. “If one guy steps out another guy steps in. It was good to see the boys come in and play well.”
