THE BASICS
New York Red Bulls vs. Houston Dynamo
Saturday, March 19, 2016, 6:00 p.m. CT
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS Alternate - 5:30 p.m.
650 AM / Radio.com app - 5:30 p.m.
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 5:30 p.m.
PREVIEW
A pair of clubs who have gotten off to opposite starts to the new season meet in an intraconference matchup when the New York Red Bulls play host to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls have yet to score a goal this season in starting off with back-to-back defeat, last a 3-0 reversal at the Montréal Impact. The Dynamo have scored a record eight goals in their first two games, coming off a 5-0 rout of FC Dallas at BBVA Compass Stadium last weekend.
REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Jaime Herrera
MLS Career: 195 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 37; pens: 56
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of March 17)
HOUSTON DYNAMO–OUT: Collen Warner – Bi-lateral hamstring strain; Tyler Deric – R abdominal strain; Cristian Maidana — Concussion; DOUBTFUL: Giles Barnes – R hamstring;
NEW YORK RED BULLS–OUT: Damien Perrinelle — Knee
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (22 meetings): Red Bulls 10 wins, 35 goals … Dynamo 4 wins, 23 goals … Ties 8
- AT RED BULLS (11 meetings): Red Bulls 8 wins, 19 goals … Dynamo 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 3
- RETURN MATCHES: None.
- LAST YEAR (MLS): 6/5: HOU 4, NYR 2 (Garcia 59; Clark 72; Bruin 80, 93+ -- Grella 42; Abang 90)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- The Dynamo won the only meeting between the clubs last season, a 4-2 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium, that snapped a seven-game Red Bulls undefeated streak in league play in the series. The Red Bulls had come away with points on their three previous trips to Houston before last year’s result.
- The Red Bulls are 8-0-3 all-time at home in league play vs. Houston, with wins in the last five regular season matches in Harrison (dating back to 2012).
- But the Dynamo did win the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series between the clubs in 2013, winning 2-1 at Red Bull Arena in the second leg, after the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Houston.
- Coaches record: Owen Coyle vs. NYR: P1 W1 L0 T0 … Jesse Marsch vs. HOU: P4 W1 L2 T1
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo remained undefeated to start the season in impressive fashion, rolling to a 5-0 win against FC Dallas on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with 4 points from 2 games.
LAST GAME
- The Dynamo were ahead after just the sixth minute when Andrew Wenger served in a cross that was headed home from close range by defender David Horst. It was 2-0 in the 13th minute when FCD defender Matt Hedges sent the ball into his own goal following a miscommunication with goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez.
- Houston went up 3-0 in the 23rd minute as Ricardo Clark latched on to a feed from Wenger at the top of the box and smashed in a low, driven shot past Gonzalez. It was 4-0 just four minutes after a clearance attempt fell into the path of Wenger, who easily tapped home from close range.
- The rout was complete in the 85th minute as Will Bruin rounded Gonzalez and finished from a tight angle.
- Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle made no changes to the team that reached a late 3-3 draw with the New England Revolution at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- DHOUSTON DYNAMO (4-2-3-1): Joe Willis - Jalil Anibaba, David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley - Ricardo Clark (David Rocha 77), Alex - Andrew Wenger, Cristian Maidana (Leonel Miranda 44), Giles Barnes (Boniek Garcia 19) - Will Bruin
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo matched their club record with five goals in the win against FC Dallas. It was the largest margin of victory ever in the Dynamo’s 11-year history.
- “We knew it was going to be a very tough encounter and we were going to have to be at our best – and we were,” Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle said. “We’re sure that we have quality and we’re sure that we can play at that level and cause the best teams trouble. … We can stand toe-to-toe with the best, but what we need is do it on a consistent basis and if we do it, then that will take us where we need to be.”
- The Dynamo now have eight goals through the opening two games of the season – the most ever by a team after two matches in the 21 years of Major League Soccer.
- “We have said from day one that we would be a very exciting team and a very disciplined team and we’ve showed both of those things tonight,” said defender David Horst. “We have to keep our confidence moving forward and defensively. I’ve we do that we are going to be a tough team to beat this year.”
- Andrew Wenger scored for a second consecutive match, in his first two matches since coming to the Dynamo from Philadelphia Union. It is the first time since Wenger’s rookie year of 2012 he’s scored in back-to-back league games.
- Wenger also added a pair of assists, his first career two-assist game in MLS. Wenger has been involved in four of the Dynamo’s eight goals this season.
- “Last year, when we pass to our wide players, they still had the fullback to beat,” Coyle said. “We can now pass beyond the fullback because we have explosive pace, something that FC Dallas have and are good at.”
- Will Bruin scored his first goal of the season, after recording a pair of assists in the season-opening draw with New England.
