Match Preview: Dynamo at Chivas USA
Houston looks to continue five-game MLS win streak against Chivas
July 22, 2011
The Basics
Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA
Saturday, July 23, 9:30 p.m. CT
Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
All-time record: Houston Dynamo lead 10-3-6 (9-1-5 regular season)
BROADCAST
SportsTalk 790 - 9:00 p.m.
La Ranchera 850 - 9:00 p.m.
KHOU 11.2 - 9:30 p.m.
FOX Sports Houston Plus - 9:30 p.m.
PREVIEW
Chivas USA will look to turn the tables on the Houston Dynamo on their
home ground when the clubs meet Saturday at The Home Depot Center.
Chivas USA and the Dynamo are both unbeaten in their last four games after ties at home last Saturday. The Dynamo continued
their unbeaten record at Houston vs. Chivas with a 2-1 win in the first
meeting in June.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Ian Anderson; JAR (opposite): Jason Cullum; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal
Okulaja MLS Career: 110 games; FC/gm: 27.0; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 18; pens: 25
INJURY REPORT (as of Friday, July 22): CHIVAS USA – OUT: MF Ben Zemanski (L
ankle); DOUBTFUL: DF Jimmy Conrad (concussion) … HOUSTON DYNAMO – DOUBTFUL: FW Calen Carr (concussion); PROBABLE: DF Jermaine Taylor (concussion); DF Corey Ashe (R knee sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHV: Alejandro Moreno (Venezuela)
SUSPENDED: HOU: Colin Clark (through July 23); Brian Ching (through July 23)
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Justin Braun, Nick LaBrocca,
Michael Lahoud, Zarek Valentin, Ben Zemanski … HOU: Danny Cruz, Brad
Davis
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Chivas USA 1 win, 9 goals … Dynamo 9 wins, 27 goals … Ties 5
AT CHIVAS USA (6 meetings): Chivas USA 1 win, 7 goals … Dynamo 2 wins, 9 goals … Ties 3
-
A Geoff Cameron strike and an own goal answered an early Marcos
Mondaini goal as Houston continued its home dominance against Chivas
USA in a 2-1 win at Robertson Stadium on June 11. -
The Dynamo have won five games in a row against Chivas. Chivas has won
only once in the all-time league series – a 3-2 win Aug. 26, 2006 at
The Home Depot Center. Chivas did win one of the two-game set in the Western
Conference semifinals in 2006. -
Chivas USA scored their first goal in Houston in league play since
2006 in the first meeting this year. Since scoring a goal in a 3-1 loss in the
club’s first game at Houston in 2006, Chivas went 719 minutes without
scoring in regular season play over eight trips. -
Chivas did finally have some success in Houston last year, winning 3-1
in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal, and also playing to a 1-1 draw in
SuperLiga. - Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. CHV: P19 W11 L1 D7 … Robin Fraser vs. HOU: P1 W0 L1 D0
FIRST MEETING (MLS):
6/11: HOU 2, CHV 1 (Cameron 29; Pearce 55 og – Mondaini 7)
-
Chivas scored after just seven minutes. Marcos Mondaini poached a
botched Hunter Freeman back pass and pushed the ball around an
on-rushing Tally Hall, slotting home from a tight angle. -
Geoff Cameron scored the equalizer in the 29th minute, heading home
from the penalty spot on a Brad Davis free kick swung in from out on the
right touchline. -
The winner came in the 55th minute. A Davis corner kick was knocked
back out from the goalmouth by Michael Lahoud, but the ball ricocheted
off Heath Pearce’s leg and back past Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. -
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that
lost 2-0 to the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium. Eddie
Robinson and Corey Ashe came into the team for Mike Chabala - and Danny
Cruz. -
HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tally Hall - Hunter Freeman, Eddie Robinson
(Danny Cruz 56), Bobby Boswell, Corey Ashe - Colin Clark (Mike Chabala
83), Lovel Palmer, Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis - Will Bruin, Cam Weaver
(Brian Ching 70). -
CHIVAS USA (4-1-3-2): Dan Kennedy - Michael Lahoud, Heath Pearce,
Michael Umana, Ante Jazic - Paulo Nagamura - Ben Zemanski (Blair Gavin
77), Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores (Simon Elliott 46) - Marcos Mondaini
(Justin Braun 61), Alejandro Moreno.
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Despite going down to nine men, the Houston Dynamo had their unbeaten streak reach four games but were
pegged back by a late goal in a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City on
Wednesday evening at Robertson Stadium. The Dynamo have 24 points from
20 games on the season, sitting in fourth place in the Eastern
Conference.
LAST MATCH
-
The Dynamo took the lead after just eight minutes. Brian Ching drew a
foul some 22 yards from goal, and Brad Davis curled the resulting free
kick over the wall and inside Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen's
left-hand post. -
The home side went a man down in the 51st minute when Colin Clark came
in with a challenge on Kansas City center back Aurelien Collin. Then 14
minutes later, Ching was sent off with a straight red card from referee
Kevin Stott after kicking at Collin’s heel deep in the Sporting end. - In the final minute, Collin made the Dynamo pay, taking a pass about 25 yards from goal and
hammering a low shot which took a deflection to send
Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall diving the wrong way. -
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that
eased to a 2-0 victory against Toronto FC at Robertson Stadium. Colin
Clark came into the side in place of Will Bruin. -
HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-2-3-1): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor
(Bobby Boswell 46), Andre Hainault, Corey Ashe - Geoff Cameron,
Je-Vaughn Watson - Danny Cruz (Hunter Freeman 79), Brad Davis (Lovel
Palmer 61), Colin Clark (sent off 51) - Brian Ching (sent off 69).
TEAM NEWS
-
Despite playing a man down for the final 40 minutes, and two men down
for the final 20, the Dynamo were able to hold out for a point and
extend their unbeaten run. -
“When you’re down to nine you have no one to pass the ball to. Tally
[Hall] was very composed back there. He was under a lot of pressure as
was the back four; well, all nine were, but the heads didn’t go down and
we defended and tried to make things difficult and that’s what we did,"
said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. -
Kinnear started the match with a tactical change, putting Brian Ching
as a spearhead in attack with Danny Cruz and Colin Clark playing high on
the wings. -
“We were trying to go with the three up high to match them because
they are the most effective at it with their pace,” Kinnear said. “We
didn’t want them to have the passing lanes and I think we did that for
the first 20 minutes and then we starting knocking the ball long to
Brian [Ching]. Every ball he received after that was above his head and
it made it tough on him.” -
Clark was sent off first, then Ching was shown a straight red card.
Ching had started the last four games after just one start in the
opening 16 league games of the season (April 2 vs. New York). -
"I made a bad decision and we got punished for it. I cost the team two
points. They did extremely well to be men, stand up, and not give up
and fight till the end," Ching said. - Hall was officially credited with seven saves, one short of his season and career high set against New York on April 2.
-
“Tally started the season strong, but he had a mistake in the Colorado
game and maybe lost a little confidence,” Ching said. “Over the past
four or five games, there have been nights where he’s stood on his head
for us.” -
The Dynamo had four players selected to the MLS All-Star gameday squad
by head coach Hans Backe, the most of any team – goalkeeper Tally Hall,
defenders Geoff Cameron and Corey Ashe, and midfielder Brad Davis. -
“It’s always an honor to be picked to represent MLS with other players
from around the league,” said Davis. “I’m very happy for the other guys
on our team who are going as well. We’ve all put in a lot of hard work,
and it’s good to be recognized. Having played last year and losing 5-2,
it’s a great opportunity to go back and try and get a win against
Manchester United.” -
On Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers defeated the Dynamo 2-0 in the
annual Dynamo Charities Cup friendly at Robertson Stadium. Ivan Klasnic
(32) and Kevin Davies (58) scored either side of halftime for Bolton. -
Here’s the Dynamo team: Tyler Deric, Hunter Freeman (Kofi Sarkodie
60), Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson (Brad Davis 72), Andre Hainault
(Corey Ashe 60, Francisco Navas Cobo 78), Alex Dixon, Je-Vaughn Watson
(Josue Soto 67), Bjorn Lindemann (Danny Cruz 61), Colin Clark, Cam
Weaver (Jason Garey 46), Will Bruin (Miler Castillo 61).
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA extended their unbeaten streak to four games, playing to a
scoreless draw with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at The
Home Depot Center. Chivas USA have 23 points from 20 games on the
season, in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference.
LAST MATCH
-
Both teams hit the woodwork in the opening 45 minutes. Red Bulls
fullback Jan Gunnar Solli saw a long-range effort come off the bar after
a half-hour, then Jorge Flores hit the bar eight minutes later. -
Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy made four saves to preserve the
clean sheet. Making his MLS debut, Red Bulls goalkeeper Frank Rost was
not called upon to make a single save. -
Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser made two changes to the team that
played to a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City at Livestrong Sporting
Park. Victor Estupinan came back into the team for Marcos Mondaini and
Jorge Flores replaced Blair Gavin in the midfield. -
CHIVAS USA (4-1-3-2): Dan Kennedy - Michael Lahoud (Mariano Trujillo
39), Michael Umana, Heath Pearce, Zarek Valentin - Simon Elliott - Ben
Zemanski, Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores (Blair Gavin 79) - Justin Braun,
Victor Estupinan (Chris Cortez 68).
TEAM NEWS
-
Chivas USA are unbeaten in four games after their scoreless draw with
New York over the weekend, but three of the results have been draws.
They’ve won just once in the last seven games. -
"I thought for most of the first half we didn't play with any
confidence," Chivas head coach Robin Fraser said. "Overall for us we
weren't as sharp in the final third as we wanted to be." -
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy backstopped a shutout for the second time in
three games. “[Kennedy] was very good again, his confidence continues to
grow week after week, he continues to make such crucial plays for us,”
said Fraser. “The fact of the matter is that we want to play so well
that our goalkeeper isn’t the first player that we talk about, but
having said that he has been very good and very solid.” -
Said Kennedy: “I’ve finally got a good run of games and I feel like
I’m seeing the game well. I think that me and the defenders are gelling.
We’re on the same page and when I can read what my defenders are going
to do then it’s easier for me to cut down angles and make plays.” -
Chivas USA ended the Red Bulls without a single shot on goal. Of their
24 goals this season, eight have been scored from set pieces – but none
since June 25. -
“We had enough corner kicks to score today,” said defender Heath
Pearce to ESPNLosAngeles.com. “We had some dangerous free kicks, set
pieces that guys got to finish. Balls are dropping in the box, balls are
getting [sent in at a] low height, and we're not aggressive enough to
put them away. If you don't take set pieces serious, you'll never be a
serious team. A lot of teams live and die by set pieces, and that's
something we need to be able to get something out of. We've been too
soft on set pieces this year, attacking-wise, and I don't think we're
getting enough out of it. I think we just kind of go through the motions
-- dangerous balls are being put in, and guys got to be able to step up
and put them away.” -
Michael Lahoud started the game at right back, but was substituted for
before halftime, with Mariano Trujillo coming on. “I'm sure [Lahoud's]
confidence it not at its peak,” Fraser said, “but he has so many
physical attributes, so much potential. This is a blip along the way for
Michael.” -
Chivas USA will have two representatives in the MLS All-Star team,
with Nick LaBrocca joining Heath Pearce in the gameday squad named by
Hans Backe. -
"He's an extremely underrated player because he hasn't been getting
the respect that he deserves over the years,” said Pearce of LaBrocca.
“He started out a bit slow for us when he got here, but he's been
getting better every game. He's on a roll and is showing that he's a
force to be reckoned with.”
