THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. Columbus Crew SC
Saturday, March 7, 7:30 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS (Alternate Channel) - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame) CHANNEL LISTINGS
Yahoo Sports Radio 1560 AM - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
Separated into different conferences for the 2015 season, the Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew SC meet for the only time this season when the clubs open the new campaign against each other on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo have a new coach for the first time in club history, Owen Coyle aiming to lead back to the MLS Cup Playoffs after missing out last year. Gregg Berhalter brought the Crew back to the postseason in his first season in charge a year ago, finishing third in the Eastern Conference,13 points ahead of Houston.
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Jeff Muschik; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Younes Marrakchi
MLS Career: 50 games; FC/gm: 22.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 12; pens: 19
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of Thursday, March 5)
HOUSTON DYNAMO – None.
COLUMBUS CREW SC – OUT: Romain Gall – L knee sprain; QUESTIONABLE: Waylon Francis – L groin strain; SUSPENSION: Justin Meram – 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs red card
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (20 meetings): Dynamo 4 wins, 22 goals … Crew 6 wins, 28 goals … Ties 10
- AT HOUSTON (10 meetings): Dynamo 3 wins, 13 goals … Crew 1 win, 10 goals … Ties 6
- 2014 MLS: 5/7: HOU 1, CLB 0 (Bruin 50); 8/23: CLB 3, HOU 0 (Meram 35; Bedell 59; Schoenfeld 64); 9/13: HOU 2, CLB 2 (own goal 12; Barnes 38 – Trapp 48; Finlay 54)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- The teams split their three meetings a year ago. The Dynamo won 1-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium, the Crew won 3-0 in Columbus, and the teams reached a 2-2 draw, also in Houston.
- The road team has not won in the series since 2011, when the Crew claimed a 2-0 victory at Robertson Stadium in Houston. It is one of just two wins for the away team all-time in 20 meetings between the clubs.
- 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: Owen Coyle vs. CLB: first game … Gregg Berhalter vs. HOU: P3 W1 L1 T1
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Under a new head coach for the first time in the club’s history, the Houston Dynamo are looking to return to the MLS Cup Playoffs after missing out last year for the first time since 2010. Owen Coyle is the new man in charge, after the Dynamo finished in eighth place with 39 points in their final campaign under Dominic Kinnear.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo claimed the championship of the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, S.C. with a 3-0 victory against Orlando City SC in Saturday’s title match.
- Here’s the Dynamo team: Tyler Deric; Kofi Sarkodie, David Horst, Jermaine Taylor (AJ Cochran 72), DaMarcus Beasley (Alexander López 76); Leonel Miranda (Bryan Moya* 76), Luis Garrido (Nathan Sturgis 66), Ricardo Clark (Zach Steinberger 70), Brad Davis (Rob Lovejoy 43); Boniek García (Chandler Hoffman 74), Will Bruin (Jason Johnson 66)
- Brad Davis scored his second goal of the preseason, while Boniek García assisted on two goals and won a penalty after netting his first of the preseason earlier in the tourney.
- “It is something we are trying to encourage,” Dynamo boss Owen Coyle said. “We have Brad (Davis) and Boniek (Garcia) and sometimes they like to come in off the touchline and if they do then there is space for the fullbacks to join in on the play. That can only happen when the strikers have secured possession and bring them into play and the first goal is a good example of that. The ball comes up to Will Bruin and he takes a nice touch and lays it off and the fullbacks can join in.”
- For the final preparation match ahead of the season opener, Coyle made two changes to his starting team, with David Horst and Leonel Miranda in the side in place of Raul Rodriguez and Alex Lopez.
- “Raul felt a twinge in his hamstring and immediately we weren’t taking any chances. He got up Thursday and feels slightly better, so he has something there that tweaked that, so that is something we will look to make sure we manage,” Coyle said.
- The Dynamo defeated expansion side New York City FC 2-1 in their only match against MLS competition in the Carolina Challenge Cup. Earlier in the preseason, the Dynamo defeated Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the San Jose Earthquakes and reached a draw with the Portland Timbers in the Desert Friendlies in Tucson, Ariz.
- “We’ve had a good preseason, we understand that, playing against a number of MLS teams – but that was preparation,” Coyle said. “Now it starts for real and that’s what we’ve got to build on. But we have a good group, very hard-working, very conscientious and talented and when we bring that together we feel they’re a group that can compete … we feel that we can stand toe-to-toe [with anyone] and win games.”
