THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. Columbus Crew
Saturday, August 3, 8:00 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX
BROADCAST INFORMATION
KPRC Local 2 - 8:00 p.m. (7:30 p.m. pregame)
Yahoo! Sports Radio 1560 AM - 8:00 p.m. (7:30 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM - 8:00 p.m. (7:30 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
The Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew meet for a second time this season in what could be a crucial contest for both clubs when they face off Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are still holding onto a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference and the final playoff spot, after a 1-1 home draw with the Chicago Fire last weekend. The Crew find themselves in eighth place in the division after a second successive defeat last weekend, a late 2-1 loss at Toronto FC.
REFEREES
Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Brian Poeschel; AR2 (opposite): Greg Barkey; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal MLS Career: 237 games; FC/gm: 25.6; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 60; pens: 50
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: Calen Carr – left knee; Andrew Driver – right Achilles tendonitis; QUESTIONABLE: Brian Ching – left adductor strain; Anthony Arena – right ankle sprain; Omar Cummings – right adductor strain
COLUMBUS CREW -- OUT: Eddie Gaven – Left ACL surgery; Glauber – Left ACL surgery; Aaron Schoenfeld – Right shoulder sprain; QUESTIONABLE: Eric Gehrig – Right ankle sprain
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Dynamo 2 wins, 16 goals … Crew 4 wins, 20 goals … Ties 9
- AT HOUSTON (7 meetings): Dynamo 1 win, 7 goals … Crew 1 win, 7 goals … Ties 5
- FUTURE MATCH: 9/4: Columbus Crew vs. Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m. ET
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. The teams played to a 1-1 draw June 1 at BBVA Compass Stadium and Houston’s Warren Creavalle and Federico Higuain of Columbus traded goals.
- The Crew have an nine-game unbeaten streak alive against the Dynamo, over the last four-plus seasons, with three wins and six draws in that time. Houston’s last victory in the series came Aug. 2, 2008.
- The teams have played to four consecutive draws.
- The Crew have come away with points on four consecutive trips to Houston, and six of seven visits there alltime. The Dynamo’s only home win in the series was their last win vs. Columbus, in 2008.
- Coaches record: Robert Warzycha vs. HOU: P9 W3 L0 T6 … Dominic Kinnear vs. CLB: P19 W4 L6 T9
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo extended their undefeated streak to three games, reaching a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 30 points from 19 matches.
LAST MATCH
- Both goals came in a span of three minutes midway through the second half. The Dynamo opened the scoring in the 61st minute when Cam Weaver finished off a well-crafted team goal, turning home a cross from Brad Davis.
- But the Fire were level in the 63rd minute when Mike Magee played the offside line just right, working into a position two yards from goal to tap in Patrick Nyarko’s goalmouth cross.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that defeat the New England Revolution 2-1 at Gillette Stadium. Corey Ashe came into the team for Eric Brunner.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, Bobby Boswell, Corey Ashe - Boniek Garcia, Adam Moffat, Ricardo Clark (Warren Creavalle 69), Andrew Driver (Brad Davis 15) - Giles Barnes, Cam Weaver (Jason Johnson 79).
TEAM NEWS
- While the Dynamo did extend their undefeated streak to three games, they have taken the full three points in just one of their last six matches at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- “You want to win three points no matter if it’s home, if it’s Columbus, or New England or even tonight against Chicago,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “The aim is always to get three [points]. We want to be higher than where we are in the conference and we know it’s going to take wins to do that.”
- Said defender Bobby Boswell: “We had our chances. We still could’ve finished them. We pride ourselves on being able to win with a zero at home and that wasn’t the case tonight. A tie’s not the worst thing, but obviously we wanted to win.”
- Cam Weaver scored his first goal since May 28, 2011, when he netted vs. FC Dallas. Weaver was starting his second consecutive match, his first two starts since April 6 (and his third of the season).
- “I thought he was good. I thought he was due for a goal. He’s had his chances along the way, and I’m sure he’s frustrated at times but he was a big part of what we were trying to do,” said Kinnear. “We were trying to get some balls wide, get balls in the box, and I think he had clear off the line in a corner kick. He had a kick in the first half….held the ball well for us, put himself in the right spot for his goal.”
- Said Weaver: “I think it’s been a while, so I’m definitely happy to get that goal. I had a few chances tonight, and I happened to get one. It would’ve been a lot nicer in a victory, but hopefully that’s one of more to come.”
- The Dynamo were forced into a very early change after Andrew Driver suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon that forced him off after just 15 minutes.
- Brad Davis made his first appearance in four matches, coming off a hamstring strain, and played 75 minutes in relief of Driver.
- Davis contributed his fourth assist of the season, his first since May 8 in a 4-0 win vs. D.C. United. Davis has recorded double digits in assists each of the last four MLS seasons.
