Three games; seven days.
That’s the workload for the Houston Dynamo next week as they face Eastern Conference foes D.C. United, Sporting Kansas City and the Montreal Impact in quick succession. Thankfully, reinforcements are coming in the form of two key players: Calen Carr and Je-Vaughn Watson.
Carr injured his left hamstring in first half of the 2-1 win over FC Dallas on June 16, and subsequently missed the next five games. He has been working ever since to get back to full strength and into the lineup.
“It’s a good time to come back into the group,” said a healthy Carr. “Obviously, it was frustrating being out and watching and I’m excited to be back and training. The next three games are the perfect time to get out and reintegrate with the team.”
While primarily a forward, Carr had become a regular at right midfield for the Dynamo this season, starting seven consecutive games. With a string of games in such a tight window, having players that can fill in at multiple positions is a plus.
“Calen can play out wide, through the middle and in midfield. His versatility is something we have been missing since he got injured,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear.
Kinnear will also welcome the presence of central midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson, who had been splitting time with Luiz Camargo before missing the last three matches with a left adductor strain. Camargo started all three games in Watson’s absence, but the return of the Jamaican international will lessen some of the physical load placed on the remaining midfielders.
Kinnear notes: “When you have three games in a week it makes it a lot easier going into it with a lot of guys healthy rather than a handful of guys who can’t play.”
