THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders FC
Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 9:30 p.m. CT
Century Link Field, Seattle, Washington
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS - 9:00 p.m. (CHANNEL LISTINGS)
650 AM / Radio.com app- 9:00 p.m.
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 9:00 p.m.
PREVIEW
A critical match in the Western Conference playoff picture is ahead when Seattle Sounders FC play host to the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday evening at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC come into the match riding a four-game winning streak which has put them on the verge of clinching a place in the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, returning home after a 2-1 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC last time out. The Dynamo hit the road after a second consecutive defeat, now officially eliminated from playoff consideration after a 3-2 home loss to the Colorado Rapids last weekend.
REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Jeremy Hanson; AR2 (opposite): Cameron Blanchard; 4th: Allen Chapman
MLS Career: 63 games; FC/gm: 26.7; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 7; pens: 16
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of September 13)
HOUSTON DYNAMO—OUT: Tyler Deric – left elbow sprain; Agus – left knee sprain; SUSPENDED: Alex (yellow card accumulation)
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC—OUT: Clint Dempsey – irregular heartbeat; Dylan Remick – concussion; QUESTIONABLE: Alvaro Fernandez – left hamstring strain; SUSPENDED: Brad Evans (red card)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (13 meetings): Sounders FC 5 wins, 17 goals … Dynamo 3 wins, 14 goals … Ties 5
- AT SEATTLE (6 meetings): Sounders FC 5 wins, 10 goals … Dynamo 0 wins, 2 goals … Ties 1
- 2016 (MLS): 4/10: HOU 1, SEA 1 (Barnes 35 – Marshall 94+); 8/24: HOU 1, SEA 1 (Wenger 75 – Lodeiro 94+)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season, having drawn the first two with 1-1 scorelines, both at BBVA Compass Stadium. Sounders FC scored the equalizing goal deep in stoppage time in each contest, Chad Marshall’s goal canceling out a Giles Barnes strike on April 10, and Nicolas Lodeiro netting in the 94th minute to answer a late Andrew Wenger goal on Aug. 24
- Sounders FC have never lost to the Dynamo in Seattle. In six league meetings all-time, Sounders FC have won five, with one draw, outscoring Houston 10-2, following their 1-0 win last April 4 at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC also won a U.S. Open Cup match at home vs. Houston; the teams played a scoreless draw in Seattle in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- The Dynamo have never lost to Sounders FC in Houston. In seven meetings all-time there, the Dynamo have won three, with four draws. The Dynamo also won a game in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Coaches record: Wade Barrett vs. SEA: P1 W0 L0 T1 … Brian Schmetzer vs. HOU: P1 W0 L0 T1
LAST MEETING (MLS)
- The Dynamo took the lead with a quarter-hour to play. After Alex won the ball in the Sounders FC end, Ricardo Clark poked into the area for Andrew Wenger to run onto, and he hammered a sharp-angled blast into the side netting inside the far post.
- But Sounders FC hit the equalizer deep into stoppage time. Freed on the left side of the area, Joevin Jones pulled a pass back to the spot where Nicolas Lodeiro turned a left-footed shot inside the right post.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-2-3-1): Joe Willis - Sheanon Williams, David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, Jalil Anibaba - Collen Warner, Alex - Boniek Garcia (Eric Alexander 90), Ricardo Clark, Cristian Maidana (Andrew Wenger 61) - Erick Torres (Will Bruin 60)
- SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-2-3-1): Stefan Frei - Tyrone Mears, Brad Evans, Zach Scott, Dylan Remick (Andreas Ivanschitz 78) - Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg (Joevin Jones 58) - Cristian Roldan, Nicolas Lodeiro, Alvaro Fernandez - Nelson Haedo Valdez (Jordan Morris 57).
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo suffered their second consecutive defeat on their home ground, falling 3-2 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in 10th place in the Western Conference with 32 points from 31 games.
LAST GAME
- The Rapids took the lead after just 12 minutes. Dominique Badji ran onto a lofted ball behind the Dynamo back line and buried a shot from a tight angle into the lower corner at the back post.
- But the Dynamo were level just before the break when Sheanon Williams found Mauro Manotas with a low cross from the right, and Manotas’ first-time shot on the half-turn beat Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard to the near post.
- The Rapids were up again in the 54th minute when Dillon Powers fed a ball in the channel behind the Houston defense and Badji outraced a pair of defenders before slotting a low shot past Dynamo 'keeper Joe Willis from the top of the box. It was then 3-1 in the 79th minute when the Rapids forced a turnover deep and Shkelzen Gashi lashed home a low shot from outside the area.
- The Dynamo pulled a goal back just two minutes later when Manotas hit a low free kick from the left that appeared to take a deflection as it slid under the Colorado wall, catching Howard wrong-footed as it slipped inside the far post, but they could get no closer.
- Dynamo interim head coach Wade Barrett made one change to the team that fell 2-0 to New York City FC at BBVA Compass Stadium. Cristian Maidana came into the team in place of Andrew Wenger.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-2-3-1): Joe Willis - Sheanon Williams, Raul Rodriguez, Jalil Anibaba, DaMarcus Beasley - Collen Warner, Ricardo Clark (Andrew Wenger 60) - Boniek Garcia (Jose Escalante 77), Cristian Maidana (Will Bruin 71), Alex - Mauro Manotas
TEAM NEWS
- The defeat by the Rapids was a second consecutive defeat for the Dynamo, the first time under interim head coach Wade Barrett they’ve suffered back-to-back losses, the first time for the club since dropping three in a row April 15-30.
- “I’m disappointed with how the game went. We all are. But you know, I’m also pleased that we got the game back. That we were still fighting ‘til the end,” said Dynamo interim head coach Wade Barrett. “You know, it’s what we all want to see. We want to see a team fighting and battling til the end. I’d love to be on the other end of the scoreline, but I still thought the team fought for it til the end, so I’m pleased with that.”
- With the defeat, the Dynamo were officially eliminated from playoff contention, one of two teams in the Western Conference who have been eliminated (also: Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
- “I want to win on Wednesday. I’m hungry to win every single time we step on the field. It’s a good feeling. I want it after every single game,” said Barrett. “I know there are some decisions to make. I do think there will be changes to the lineup. I think it’s tough to put out a team that battled and fought tonight and then travel to Seattle and regroup, so I do think there will be changes. I’m going to put a team out to try and get three points. That will be my approach for every single game that I’m in charge of.”
- Mauro Manotas scored a pair of goals, now with multiple goals in each of his last two games with a goal (netting a hat trick Sept. 24), with five goals over the last three matches. Manotas has recorded the last five goals the Dynamo have scored; he has six goals this season, all over the last five matches.
- “You put Mauro in front of goal and he is hungry to score, so I was really pleased with that. And you know, I know Mauro knows that I thought he was a little bit off the last game and he came in ready to get back to business, so I was really pleased with him getting that goal, especially at the end of the first half,” Barrett said.
- Ricardo Clark collected his fourth assist of the season, his third assist over the last seven matches, dating back to Aug. 19.
- Cristian Maidana returned to the starting lineup after coming off the substitutes’ bench each of the last two matches, starting in the central attacking midfield role and playing 71 minutes.
- Sheanon Williams recorded his first assist of the season, now having collected an assist each of his last six seasons in MLS.
- The Dynamo conceded multiple goals for a second consecutive game, the third time in the last six games they’ve allowed three goals in a game, after going nine league games without allowing more than one goal in a contest.
- “Disappointed with the way that we gave the goals up, but it’s collective. It’s every single one of us. But we’re back at it. … We’ve had good results on the road the last couple of games, so sometimes after a disappointing result like this, you just have to look forward to getting back on the field. So I know the guys will be hungry to get back out there and to try to put this behind us as quickly as possible,” Barrett said.
