THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at LA Galaxy
Friday, July 15, 2016, 10:00 p.m. CT
StubHub Center, Carson, California
BROADCAST INFORMATION
UniMás - 10:00 p.m. (CHANNEL LISTINGS | WATCH IN ENGLISH)
650 AM / Radio.com app- 10:00 p.m. (9:30 p.m. pregame)
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 10:00 p.m. (9:30 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
The LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo renew their Western Conference rivalry for a second time this season when the clubs face off at StubHub Center on Viernes de Fútbol. The Galaxy return home after winning their second game in a row, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 1-0 last Saturday, to move into a tie for third place in the conference. The Dynamo started their coast-to-coast road swing with a scoreless draw at Orlando City SC, moving off the foot of the West table.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. AR1 (bench): Eric Boria; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Alex Chilowicz
MLS Career: 153 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 35; pens: 47
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of July 6)
HOUSTON DYNAMO—OUT: DaMarcus Beasley – left knee surgery
LA GALAXY—OUT: Robbie Rogers – ankle; QUESTIONABLE: Ashley Cole – hamstring; Ariel Lassiter – back; SUSPENDED: Nigel de Jong – Disciplinary Committee decision
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (22 meetings): Galaxy 8 wins, 24 goals … Dynamo 9 wins, 26 goals … Ties 5
- AT LA (10 meetings): Galaxy 4 wins, 12 goals … Dynamo 3 wins, 10 goals … Ties 3
- FUTURE MATCH: 10/16: Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy, 6 p.m. CT
- The teams are meeting for a second time this season. Giovani dos Santos scored a pair of goals and set up a third as the Galaxy claimed a 4-1 win April 15 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Galaxy win this year was their first ever at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Galaxy’s last win in Houston had come in 2010– at Robertson Stadium. The Dynamo had won four consecutive home games in the series.
- The Galaxy won 1-0 last May 22 at StubHub Center, their 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 a 1-1 draw March 21 in the first meeting last year.
- Coaches record: Wade Barrett vs. LA: first game … Bruce Arena vs. HOU: P16 W7 L7 T2 e
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo gained a second result in a row, reaching a scoreless draw with Orlando City SC on Friday evening at Camping World Stadium. The Dynamo are in ninth place in the Western Conference with 18 points from 18 games.
LAST GAME
- The game's best chance came in the 89th minute. Dynamo striker Giles Barnes received a pass and blasted a low shot from the top of the penalty area, but the ball caromed off the post and rolled away from goal.
- Kevin Molino had Orlando City's best chance, in the 50th minute, but was denied superbly by Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric, the only save he was required to make. OCSC goalkeeper Joe Bendik was credited with three saves for the shutout.
- Dynamo interim head coach Wade Barrett made no changes to the team that hit for a dramatic late winner for a 1-0 win against Philadelphia Union at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-1-4-1): Tyler Deric - Jalil Anibaba, David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley (Sheanon Williams 67) - Collen Warner - Giles Barnes, Ricardo Clark, Alex (Andrew Wenger 58), Boniek Garcia - Will Bruin (Cristian Maidana 74).
TEAM NEWS
- It was a second consecutive result for the Dynamo at Orlando City, the draw following the win at Philadelphia which put an end to a five-game winless run.
- The Dynamo have suffered just one defeat since Wade Barrett has taken over as interim head coach, following the departure of Owen Coyle, the Dynamo 1-1-4 since May 28.
- “Our season only really started after the Vancouver game [on May 28],” Barrett said. “Since then, my team has been one of the most disciplined groups on the road. We kept it to another zero tonight and the players are responding to what I am asking them to do. We have shown we have become difficult to play against and that we can pull out games that are close. Everything is still there to play for but you can’t look down the road. You just have to prepare for the next game and, for us, that’s at Los Angeles next Friday.”
- The Dynamo have also recorded back-to-back defensive shutouts for the first time this season, now having gone 180 minutes since conceding their last goal. The Dynamo have recorded three shutouts in their last four league games.
- “That’s what it takes, the full commitment of every player on the field,” Barrett said. “I asked them to work really hard to shut down the inside channels and, for the most part, Orlando didn’t have many chances. When it does break down, you need your keeper to make saves and I give credit to both Tyler [Deric] and [Orlando’s] Joe Bendik tonight. When they were called on, they stepped up. A lot of times in games like this it comes down to just one play, and Tyler kept us in it tonight.”
- Barrett ran out an unchanged team for the Orlando City, the second time in his six games in charge he’s kept the same first XI in back-to-back games. Barrett has used 14 different starters in his six games at the helm.
- But there will be a change for the Galaxy match, as DaMarcus Beasley underwent surgery to “remove loose bodies in his left knee,” forced out of the Orlando City game after 67 minutes. There is no specific timetable for Beasley’s return.
- Sheanon Williams returned to action after a three-game absence, coming in at the three-quarter mark of the match in place of Beasley.
- “This is life for MLS in the summer time,” Barrett said. “Neither team could find a goal tonight, and part of that is down to the [energy-sapping] conditions. You are just fighting for that one chance to make a difference and that one in the 88th minute could easily have gone in.”
