THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire
Tuesday, July 3, 7:30 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
All-time series: Dynamo lead 6-3-4
BROADCAST INFORMATION
KPRC Local 2 - 7 p.m.
La Ranchera 850 - 7 p.m.
SportsTalk 790 - 7 p.m.
PREVIEW
A crucial match in the Eastern Conference kicks off the midweek holiday program when the Houston Dynamo play host to the Chicago Fire on Tuesday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The teams are separated by four points in the division, currently holding the last two playoff positions. The Dynamo are still unbeaten in their new home after a 2-1 win against Philadelphia Union last weekend, while the Fire have won three in a row after coming away from Sporting Kansas City with a 1-0 triumph last Friday.
REFEREE
Allen Chapman. SAR (bench): Chris Strickland; JAR (opposite): James Conlee; 4th: Leszek Stalmach MLS Career: 4 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 0; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT PRESENTED BY THE METHODIST HOSPITAL SYSTEM (As of Friday, June 29)
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: DF Alex Dixon (concussion); MF Calen Carr (L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Je-Vaughn Watson (L adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Oscar Recio (concussion) ... CHICAGO FIRE – OUT: DF Cory Gibbs (R knee meniscus repair); MF Steven Kinney (R Achilles tendinitis); DOUBTFUL: GK Paolo Tornaghi (R ankle sprain); FW Federico Puppo (R ankle sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: None
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (13 meetings): Dynamo 6 wins, 21 goals ... Fire 3 wins, 16 goals ... Ties 3
- AT HOUSTON (6 meetings): Dynamo 3 wins, 10 goals ...Fire 2 wins, 9 goals ... Ties 1
- FUTURE MATCH: 9/2: Chicago Fire vs. Houston Dynamo, 6 p.m. CT (Galavision)
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Houston’s Will Bruin and Chicago’s Logan Pause traded goals three minutes midway through the first half as the teams ended in a 1-1 draw on April 15. The teams have now played to 1-1 draws in each of their last three meetings.
- Coaches record: Frank Klopas vs. HOU: P2 W0 L0 D2 ... Dominic Kinnear vs. CHI: P18 W7 L5 D6
- LAST MEETING (MLS) 4/15: CHI 1, HOU 1 (Pause 27 – Bruin 24)
- The match was stopped for the first time in the 13th minute by referee Geoff Gamble because of a bolt of lightning and the peal of thunder. The game was halted for 70 minutes before it resumed.
- In the 24th minute, the Dynamo broke through. Brian Ching peeled off the backline and sprung Will Bruin on a through ball that split the Fire center backs, and the second-year striker coolly beat Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson inside the right-hand post.
- Just three minutes later, the Fire found an equalizer. After Patrick Nyarko was taken down at the top of the box, a Pavel Pardo direct kick deflected off of the back of Logan Pause, curled over goalkeeper Tally Hall, hit the underside of the crossbar and down over the line.
- After 20 minutes in the second half, which included no shots on target, another bolt of lightning was sighted and Gamble pulled the players off the field for a final time. Under MLS rules, a match abandoned after the second half has kicked off is considered official.
- CHICAGO FIRE (4-3-1-2): Sean Johnson - Dan Gargan, Arne Friedrich, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares - Logan Pause, Pavel Pardo, Marco Pappa - Sebastian Grazzini - Patrick Nyarko, Dominic Oduro.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tally Hall - Andre Hainault, Geoff Cameron, Bobby Boswell, Jermaine Taylor - Je-Vaughn Watson, Nathan Sturgis, Luiz Camargo (Calen Carr 63), Corey Ashe - Will Bruin, Brian Ching.
More dynamo
Brian Ching, Brad Davis and Dominic Kinnear discuss Tuesday's match
