Houston Dynamo FC close a two-game homestand on Wednesday when they host the LA Galaxy at 7:30 p.m. at PNC Stadium. Houston enters the match with three victories in their last four games at home after defeating the first place Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday.
Forward Darwin Quintero led the charge for Houston and tallied an assist on the opening goal of the game. Quintero curled in a free kick to the inside of the six-yard box that was perfectly placed for Maxi Urruti in the 14th minute. Urruti hit the ball on a side volley for his seventh goal of the year. Quintero found the back of the net six minutes later after a dazzling individual effort to create space for a shot that finished in the back of the net and secured three points for Houston at PNC Stadium.
Saturday marked the return of Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla to the lineup after missing seven games due to an injury he suffered during the international break in September. Coco finished with seven recoveries in 63 minutes on Saturday, two shy of the team leaders for the match (Sam Junqua and Matias Vera).
The Dynamo and Galaxy played to a 1-1 draw in Southern California on Sept. 15 to split the points in their first meeting of the regular season. Wednesday’s game will be the first meeting between both teams in Houston since the opening day meeting on Feb. 29, 2020, which also finished in a 1-1 draw. The last three meetings have finished with 1-1 draws and Houston will look for their first victory in the series after a 4-2 triumph at home on Oct. 6, 2019. The Dynamo hold a slight edge in the all-time series with a 12-11-10 record against the Galaxy.
The Dynamo close the week on the road when they visit their in-state rival Austin FC at Q2 Stadium at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Austin and Houston have split the first two meetings of the season with the local side earning three points on each occasion. The Dynamo return to PNC Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 31 to host the Colorado Rapids for the final home match of the regular season.
Here are three key points ahead of Wednesday’s game:
- DARWIN QUINTERO STUFFING THE STAT SHEET: Forward Darwin Quintero’s recent run of form has been nothing short of spectacular. This form was on full display on Saturday night against Seattle Sounders FC, in a match that was arguably Quintero’s best of the season. The 34-year-old finished the game with a goal and an assist in a victory over the West’s top-ranked club. Quintero’s assist came when he curled a free kick into the box for forward Maxi Urruti, who hit a side volley for the first goal of the match. Later on, Quintero scored a goal himself when he flicked the ball over a Sounders defender, dribbled past two more Seattle players to create space for a shot at the far post. The forward also led the team with seven key passes against the Sounders on Saturday to snap a six-game losing streak against Seattle. For his efforts, Quintero earned his first MLS Team of the Week honors.
- COCO CARASQUILLA RETURNS TO PLAY: Midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla returned to the starting lineup for the Dynamo on Saturday night for the first time since August 28. Carrasquilla played 63 minutes before being substituted off for midfielder Darwin Ceren in the 63rd minute. Saturday’s appearance was the sixth of the season for Carrasquilla, and his fifth start. The midfielder was brought into the club this summer as a loan from FC Cartagena in Spain’s LaLiga 2. During his two seasons with FC Cartagena, the 22-year-old midfielder made 49 appearances for the club. In addition to his work this summer for the Dynamo, Carrasquilla has played for the Panamanian National Team in their FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifying matches. During the September window, Carrasquilla helped lead Panama to a 1-0-2 record which included an assist in the club’s 3-0 victory over Jamaica.
- GALAXY UNDEFEATED IN OCTOBER: The LA Galaxy come into this game having defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 on a penalty kick in the second minute of added time. The Galaxy’s opening goal in that match came courtesy of Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, playing in his seventh game since returning from an extended injury absence. Chicharito has two goals and an assist in his last three games. In the Galaxy’s only other match so far in October, the team tied its rival LAFC in the latest edition of “El Trafico.” The Galaxy currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference, with just two points separating them from eighth-place Vancouver. This match will have significant impactions for the Galaxy’s 2021 Audi MLS Playoffs race.
