THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
Saturday, July 25, 8:00 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS - 8:00 p.m. (7:30 p.m. pregame) CHANNEL LISTINGS
Yahoo Sports Radio 1560 AM - 8:00 p.m. (7:30 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM / 101.7 FM - 8:00 p.m. (7:30 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
A pair of clubs in opposite positions in the Western Conference meet when the Houston Dynamo play host to the LA Galaxy in the third meeting of the season between the clubs. The Dynamo come into the match in ninth place in the division, eight points out of a playoff position, following their 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake last weekend. The Galaxy are in second place, one point behind leaders FC Dallas, after yet another dominant home performance in a 5-2 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes at StubHub Center last Friday evening.
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Anthony Vasoli; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Nima Saghafi
MLS Career: 100 games; FC/gm: 27.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 14; pens: 18
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of Thursday, July 24)
HOUSTON DYNAMO – OUT: Jermaine Taylor – R quad tear; Boniek García – Right adductor strain; DOUBTFUL: Rob Lovejoy – Right hamstring strain; QUESTIONABLE: Alex – concussion
LA GALAXY – OUT: Brian Perk – ankle fracture; QUESTIONABLE: Jose Villarreal – leg; Baggio Husidic – calf
SUSPENDED: HOU: Kofi Sarkodie (through July 26); Luis Garrido (caution accumulation; through July 26) … LA: Robbie Rogers (caution accumulation; through July 26)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: HOU: DaMarcus Beasley (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup); Giles Barnes (Jamaica, CONCACAF Gold Cup) … LA: Alan Gordon, Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup); Jaime Penedo (Panama, CONCACAF Gold Cup)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (20 meetings): Dynamo 8 wins, 22 goals … Galaxy 7 wins, 20 goals … Ties 5
- AT HOUSTON (10 meetings): Dynamo 5 wins, 12 goals … Galaxy 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 2
- 2015 MLS: 3/21: LA 1, HOU 1 (Keane 3 – Sturgis 11); 5/22: LA 1, HOU 0 (Keane 92+)
- RETURN MATCH: 9/12: Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m. CT
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. The Galaxy’s Robbie Keane and the Dynamo’s Nate Sturgis traded goals in the opening 11 minutes as the clubs reached a 1-1 draw, March 21 at StubHub Center; Alan Gordon scored the game’s lone goal in second-half stoppage time for a Galaxy victory May 22 in Carson.
- The win in the last meeting was the Galaxy’s first league victory against the Dynamo since May 25, 2011, a 1-0 win in Carson. The Dynamo had won four consecutive league meetings between the teams before the draw in first encounter this year.
- The teams met in three MLS Cups over a four-year period, the Galaxy winning all three, in 2009, 2011 and 2012, all in Carson.
- Coaches record: Owen Coyle vs. LA: P2 W0 L1 D1… Bruce Arena vs. HOU: P14 W6 L6 D2
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo weren’t able to build on a first win in four games, falling 2-0 to Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. The Dynamo are in ninth place in the Western Conference with 24 points from 20 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Real opener came in the 36th minute. Jordan Allen won the ball after a Dynamo clearance and got it to Joao Plata, who pushed it forward to Javier Morales. He then took a long-distance shot on the half-volley with the outside of his right foot, leaving Houston 'keeper Tyler Deric with no chance as the ball went in off the post.
- Dynamo defender Kofi Sarkodie cleared a ball off the line just before the end of the first half, then was sent off by referee Robert Sibiga with a straight red card six minutes into the second half after coming in late on Abdoulie Mansally.
- RSL put the game away in the in the 65th minute, after a well-worked one-two between Plata and Morales. Plata knifed through the Dynamo defense, picking up the return flick from Morales and burying a low shot into the back of the net from the center of the box.
- Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle made one change to the team that defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 at Avaya Stadium. Taylor Hunter came into the back four in place of DaMarcus Beasley.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-1-1): Tyler Deric - Kofi Sarkodie (ejected 51), David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, Taylor Hunter - Alex (Leonel Miranda 44), Nathan Sturgis (Luis Garrido 46), Ricardo Clark, Alexander Lopez (A.J. Cochran 53) - Brad Davis - Will Bruin.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo concluded a run of four road games out of the last five matches with a third defeat in that time in the loss at Real Salt Lake. Following the home match vs. the LA Galaxy, the Dynamo again face four out of the next five matches away from BBVA Compass Stadium.
- “When we went down two we still continued the same way, except then we would have to give up some possession and chances because they’re a good side, and that’s how it played out,” said Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle. “ … We didn’t defend well enough for the first goal because we had the ball and we gave it away. I’ve said it before: one or two big decisions change games.”
- The Dynamo have been shut out at the attacking end in each of their three defeats over the last five matches. The Dynamo have scored seven goals on their travels, one ahead of the fewest in the league this season.
- “I think the first half we let ourselves down. I think that wasn’t our best performance at all and we just lacked a little bit of grit, determination, and tenacity in the first half,” Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric said. “But give the guys credit, we really turned it around and unfortunately we got the red card so the hill was a little bit tougher to climb. But overall the first-half performance really did kill us.”
- Taylor Hunter made his MLS debut, coming in at left back and playing the full 90 minutes. His full professional debut came in the U.S. Open Cup fifth-round match vs. Colorado.
- “It’s obviously tough with that result, but I just kind of wanted to get my feet wet a little bit. I thought I did that. I tried to go in there and just battle as hard as I could and just give it everything I could,” Hunter said. “ … Obviously when you’re missing five starters it makes a difference. But at the end of the day every game is a game in the MLS and you can’t dwell on who’s not here. You just have to play with who’s here and get the results.”
- AJ Cochran also made his first appearance since March 21, coming on as a substitute for the final 37 minutes after the sending off of Kofi Sarkodie.
- Alex made a second consecutive start in league play, and his fifth consecutive league appearance, coming in on the right of the midfield. But he was forced off just before halftime.
- On Tuesday, the Dynamo went down to a 3-1 defeat in their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal vs. Sporting Kansas City. Will Bruin’s goal gave the Dynamo a 1-0 lead early in the second half; they went a man down with the ejection of Luis Garrido on the half-hour
- Here’s the Dynamo team: Joe Willis; Kofi Sarkodie, David Horst, A.J. Cochran, Taylor Hunter; Leonel Miranda, Nathan Sturgis (Zach Steinberger 64), Ricardo Clark, Luis Garrido, Brad Davis (Mauro Manotas 77); Will Bruin (Erick Torres 64)
- The Open Cup defeat marked the Dynamo debut of Erick Torres, after his loan to CD Guadalajara in Mexico was completed. Torres came on for the final 26 minutes.
- “It’s a very interesting situation because it generates internal competition and that’s the one thing that’s going to lift up everybody, the one thing that’s going to make everybody better,” Torres said. “So as long as we have that and as long as we understand that anybody can come in and contribute at any moment, then I think we’re going to be OK.”
