THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
Friday, April 15, 2016, 5:45 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
TICKETS
BROADCAST INFORMATION
UniMás - 5:30 p.m. (CHANNEL LISTINGS)
650 AM / Radio.com app - 5:30 p.m.
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 5:30 p.m.
PREVIEW
MLS Cup opponents three times in the last seven years, the Houston Dynamo and LA Galaxy renew their rivalry when the Western Conference foes face off at BBVA Compass Stadium on Viernes de Fútbol. The Dynamo saw their winless run extended in cruel fashion at home last weekend, Seattle Sounders FC hitting for a late, late equalizer in a 1-1 draw. The Galaxy were able to come away with a point from their match at StubHub Center, getting a late own goal for a 1-1 draw with the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. AR1 (bench): Matthew Nelson; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Nima Saghaf
MLS Career: 150 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 35; pens: 47
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of April 13)
HOUSTON DYNAMO—OUT: Rob Lovejoy – Left hamstring strain
LA GALAXY–OUT: Robbie Keane — Leg; QUESTIONABLE: Dan Kennedy — Leg; Jeff Larentowicz — Groin; Leonardo — Leg; Steven Gerrard — Leg; Robbie Rogers — Hip; SUSPENDED: Nigel de Jong
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (21 meetings): Dynamo 9 wins, 25 goals … Galaxy 7 wins, 20 goals … Ties 5
- AT HOUSTON (11 meetings): Dynamo 6 wins, 15 goals … Galaxy 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 2
- RETURN MATCHES: 7/15: LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo, 11 p.m. PT (UNI); 10/16: Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy, 6 p.m. CT
- LAST YEAR (MLS): 3/21: LA 1, HOU 1 (Keane 3 – Sturgis 11); 5/22: LA 1, HOU 0 (Gordon 91+); 7/25: HOU 3, LA 0 (Bruin 9; Davis 27; Miranda 88)
- The teams evenly split their three meetings last season. The Galaxy won 1-0 at StubHub Center on May 22, the Dynamo won 3-0 on July 25 at BBVA Compass Stadium; the teams also reached a 1-1 draw March 21 in Carson.
- The May 22 at StubHub Center was the Galaxy’s first league victory against the Dynamo since May 25, 2011, a 1-0 win in Carson, ending a five-game league winless run in the series. The Dynamo had won four consecutive league meetings between the teams before the draw last year.
- The teams met in three MLS Cups over a four-year period, the Galaxy winning all three, in 2009, 2011 and 2012, all in Carson.
- Coaches record: Owen Coyle vs. LA: P3 W1 L1 T1 … Bruce Arena vs. HOU: P15 W6 L7 T2
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo had their winless run extended to three games, reaching a 1-1 draw with Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday afternoon at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with 5 points from 5 games.
LAST GAME
- The Dynamo took the lead after 35 minutes, when a Jalil Anibaba pass found Giles Barnes completely unmarked in the center of the area and he casually looped an effort over Stefan Frei in the Seattle goal.
- But Sounders FC hit for the leveler with the last kick of the game, as Oalex Anderson's fizzing cross wasn't cleared and center back Chad Marshall was left with an easy finish deep into stoppage time.
- Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle made one change to the team that suffered a 1-0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. Giles Barnes came back into the team to replace Leonel Miranda.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-2-3-1): Joe Willis - Jalil Anibaba, David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley - Alex, Ricardo Clark - Andrew Wenger (Leonel Miranda 75), Cristian Maidana (Boniek Garcia 67), Giles Barnes (David Rocha 90) - Will Bruin.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo were seconds away from winning for the first time since the 5-0 demolition of FC Dallas on March 12; instead, they were able only to put an end to their two-game losing slide.
- “I thought we would have won the three points. We should have had two or three goals in the first half … but we also need to make sure that we see those kinds of games out,” said Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle. “We had opportunities to pick them off, could’ve easily got that second goal. And when you don’t get that second goal you leave yourself open to a sucker punch and that’s what happened.”
- It was the second time this season the Dynamo have conceded an equalizing goal in second-half stoppage time, after allowing the third goal to the New England Revolution in the 93rd minute of the season-opening 3-3 draw. The Dynamo have also allowed a game-winning goal in the 83rd minute in the 4-3 loss to the New York Red Bulls; the four goals allowed in the final quarter-hour plus stoppage time is tied for the MLS lead (with Montréal).
- “We can’t keep doing it. We’re five games in and I’m already sick of saying, ‘Hey,we’re getting unlucky.’ We’ve got to be three points, plain and simple,” said Dynamo forward Will Bruin. “When we go forward and we take the game to teams. … We’re so good going forward when we play our game. I think when we try to hold a lead, or try to change ourselves during the game, that it makes a difference in the way we play, so I think we’ve just got to keep going what we’re doing no matter what the score is and we shouldn’t change ourselves based on who’s playing on or who the other team is, or what the score is.”
- Said Coyle: “We’ll take the hurt and the disappointment but we’ll certainly move forward looking to replicate those performances but making sure we’re learning our lessons, in terms of game management in those last five minutes, making sure we see that out without being under undue pressure.”
- Giles Barnes returned to action after missing the last two matches, after suffering an hamstring injury early in the FC Dallas match. Barnes netted his second goal of the season, his first coming in the season-opening win vs. New England.
- “We controlled the game for most of the parts, it’s just that last little bit, that last percent we need to get ready, need to get right, and once we do that, we’ll be fine,” Barnes said.
- Jalil Anibaba recorded his first assist since coming to the Dynamo, his first since collecting a career-best two assists last May 29 for Sporting KC (vs. FC Dallas).
- Boniek Garcia was kept out of the first XI after missing the Vancouver match while on international duty with Honduras. He came on for the final quarter of the Seattle match as a substitute.
