Following the Houston Dynamo's 0-0 draw against the Chicago Fire, Tuesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium, the men in orange will face another short turnaround as they prepare for Sporting Kansas City, Saturday evening at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Sporting KC are coming off a 3-1 road win over the Montreal Impact, their first win in MLS play since June 16. Sporting currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference standings (32 points). They are one point behind conference-leader D.C. United and eight points ahead of the Dynamo, who sit in fifth.
Out for Payback
Fans at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will not easily forget the last time these two squads met. It was the 2011 Eastern Conference final and the Dynamo came away with a 2-0 win in front of a raucous crowd. The core of both units remains intact from last year's showdown, with the Dynamo trading one Honduran (Carlo Costly) for another (Boniek Garcia).
Injury Concerns
For the past two games, the Dynamo have been without starting midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson (adductor strain). Calen Carr has been out since June 16 after suffering a left hamstring strain. Geoff Cameron missed Tuesday's match due to a hamstring strain. There is no word as to the status of any of the trio, but Dominic Kinnear will hope to have a full squad available for Saturday's match vs. Kansas City. Stay tuned to the Friday injury report, presented by The Methodist Hospital System, to get the latest update.
Players to Watch
- C.J. Sapong - The second-year player out of James Madison University wasted little time making an impact on Major League Soccer. Sapong scored five goals with five assists his rookie season and was named the 2011 MLS Rookie of the Year. The Virginia native has already matched his goal-scoring total of 2011 and has proven to be a consistent threat in Peter Vermes' 4-3-3 system.
- Graham Zusi - Zusi is the man that makes Sporting KC go. He is a tirelesss worker that has the ability to spray balls all over the field and has pinpoint precision on free kicks. Zusi had career-high seven assists in 2011 and has already surpassed that mark with eight in only 17 games.
- Aurelein Collin - In only his second year in the league, center back Collin has burst onto the scene with his production on the field (six goals in 40 games) as well as his production off it (Collin's Corner). Regardless of whether or not you like the Frenchman, he is dangerous on set pieces and is not afraid to go into a tackle. Will Bruin and Brian Ching will have their hands full on Saturday.
Where to Watch
The Dynamo will host an official viewing party at Houston Texans Grille at CityCentre (12848 Queensbury Lane, Suite 208). All Dynamo fans are invited to join the Dynamo Street Team. There is plenty of parking available but fans are encouraged to arrive early (kickoff 7 pm) to get a good seat.
