THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX
BROADCAST INFORMATION
CSN Plus - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame) CHANNEL LISTINGS
Telemundo Houston - 11:00 p.m. (tape delay) CHANNEL LISTINGS
MLS LIVE - 7:30 p.m.
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
Having met in back-to-back years in MLS Cup, the Houston Dynamo and LA Galaxy renew their rivalry when the clubs face off Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo come into the game after their modest two-game winning streak was put to an abrupt end in a 5-2 home loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend. The Galaxy haven't won in their last three games, coming off a last-gasp 1-1 draw at the Portland Timbers last Sunday.
REFEREE: Edvin Jurisevic. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho; 4th: Chris Penso
MLS Career: 72 games; FC/gm: 22.5; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 11; pens: 11
SUSPENDED: HOU: Servando Carrasco (through May 18)
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of Tuesday, May 6)
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: Eric Brunner – Right ankle surgery; Ricardo Clark – Concussion; Tony Cascio – Right knee surgery
LA GALAXY -- OUT: James Riley – Underwent left lateral meniscus repair; QUESTIONABLE: Marcelo Sarvas – MLC Knee; Todd Dunivant – abdominal strain; Leonardo – L middle finger fracture
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (17 meetings): Dynamo 7 wins, 20 goals Galaxy 6 wins, 18 goals Ties 4
- AT HOUSTON (9 meetings): Dynamo 4 wins, 11 goals Galaxy 3 wins, 8 goals Ties 2
- RETURN MATCHES: None.
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- The Dynamo have won the last three league meetings between the teams, claiming a 1-0 victory last May 5 in Carson in the only meeting between the clubs.
- The Dynamo win last year ended a six-game Galaxy winning streak in all competitions at StubHub Center, including victories in MLS Cup 2011 and MLS Cup 2012. Houston's last win against the Galaxy in Carson had come in 2007, a 3-1 triumph.
- Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. LA: P25 W11 L9 T5 Bruce Arena vs. HOU: P11 W5 L5 T1
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo saw their two-game winning run put to a sudden halt, falling 5-2 to Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from 11 games.
LAST MATCH
- Real were in the lead after just 15 seconds. With time and space some 25 yards out from goal, Javier Morales hit a deft chip to the back post that Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall could only watch.
- It was 2-0 after just 17 minutes. After Ned Grabavoy hit a hopeful header off a corner from the top of the box, Morales cut across goal and redirected the effort into the goal for an early brace.
- The Dynamo pulled a goal in the 22nd minute when Mark Sherrod pounded home a Brad Davis corner kick first-time from the top of the six-yard box
- But things changed completely five minutes later when Servando Carrasco was shown a straight red for a harsh tackle on Morales. RSL restored their margin just 10 minutes later when Alvaro Saborio put a glancing header into the net off a Luke Mulholland cross.
- The home side was given a glorious chance in the 36th minute when referee Allen Chapman pointed to the spot after David Horst was shoved down on a set piece. Giles Barnes stepped to the spot, Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando continued his penalty kick heroics, diving to his right to stop the attempt.
- The Dynamo were able to reduce the margin again in the 56th minute when Sherrod finished under a lunging Rimando, converting a feed from Giles Barnes after he picked off a lazy pass.
- But RSL put the game away when Mulholland scored in the 78th minute goal after he was sent directly through on goal, then the final scoreline came in the 88th minute when Morales converted a penalty kick.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that got the game's only goal for a victory against the Columbus Crew at BBVA Compass Stadium. Mark Sherrod came into the attack in place of Will Bruin.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-3-1-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, David Horst, A.J. Cochran (Omar Cummings 71), Corey Ashe - Andrew Driver (Warren Creavalle 35), Servando Carrasco (ejected 27), Brad Davis (Brian Ownby 84) - Boniek Garcia - Giles Barnes, Mark Sherrod.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo matched their club record with five goals allowed. It's the second time in the club's last 22 regular season games they allowed five goals, also conceding that many in a 5-0 loss at Montreal on Aug. 24, 2013.
- "I think in general if you look at it I think it was a team thing. That's on us as players," said goalkeeper Tally Hall. "I think we were prepared well and then we got to the field and I just felt we didn't have that edge, at least in the first half, because in the second half we were down a man and playing against one of the best teams in the league and I felt like - until that fourth goal - this thing's actually going to happen. I believed 100 percent that we were going to come back and we were going to get a result out of that game that's how good the guys were fighting."
- Making his first career MLS start, Mark Sherrod scored a pair of goals. He was the second player this season to score two goals in his first league start (along with Toronto FC's Jermain Defoe); he had made five substitute appearances totaling 31 minutes.
- "It was good to get a goal. I've been dreaming of being able to play since forever ago and then to step on and get a goal was fantastic, so I was really happy," Sherrod said.
- Brad Davis recorded his third assist in the last four matches after returning to the lineup following missing three games to injury.
- "I thought we were playing well, we were moving the ball really well we were asking outside backs to take chances going forward and so with good ball movement we were getting some good possession that's where I think our chances came from," said head coach Dominic Kinnear.
- The Dynamo saw a penalty kick saved for the second time this season, after Boniek Garcia had his attempt stopped by FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz on April 5. The Dynamo and the Chicago Fire are the only teams with multiple penalty misses this season.
- "Giles [Barnes] took one against Chivas two games ago, so he felt confident going up; there you have it. We don't have a competition in practice to see who our penalty kicker is," Kinnear said. "But you know there's a handful of guys you look and go, 'OK, we feel confident with that guy,' and since Giles took the last one I felt confident, so he's the one to step up and take it."
- Servando Carrasco was making a third consecutive start in a defensive midfield role in the place of Ricardo Clark, but he will miss the LA match through suspension after his first-half sending off.
- "I put the team in a bad spot to have to play down to 10 men," Carrasco said. "If I just stay on my feet that probably doesn't happen. I have to apologize to every single guy in the locker room because that's completely my fault and not theirs. I could've avoided that situation altogether."
