THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. Colorado Rapids
Saturday, September 26, 7:30 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas
BROADCAST INFORMATION
ROOT SPORTS - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame) CHANNEL LISTINGS
TeleXitos - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame) CHANNEL LISTINGS
Telemundo Houston - 11:00 p.m. (tape delay) CHANNEL LISTINGS
Yahoo! Sports Radio 1560 AM - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame)
La Ranchera 850 AM / 101.7 FM - 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. pregame)
PREVIEW
A pair of clubs desperate to haul themselves back into playoff contention meet when the Houston Dynamo play host to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo ended their two-game losing slide at midweek, defeating Sporting Kansas City 1-0 to pull within three points of the sixth-place Portland Timbers in the final postseason position. The Rapids are a further four points back at the foot the West table, their winless streak at three games after starting their road swing with a 3-1 loss at Toronto FC at BMO Field last weekend.
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Jeff Muschik; AR2 (opposite): Jason White; 4th: Marcos de Oliveira
MLS Career: 69 games; FC/gm: 23.6; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 17; pens: 29
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of Thursday, September 24)
HOUSTON DYNAMO – OUT: Jermaine Taylor – Right quad tear; SUSPENDED: Boniek García (red card suspension)
COLORADO RAPIDS – OUT: Dominique Badji; Kevin Doyle; Michael Harrington; Axel Sjoberg
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (21 meetings): Dynamo 7 wins, 25 goals … Rapids 8 wins, 27 goals … Ties 6
- AT HOUSTON (9 meetings): Dynamo 4 wins, 17 goals … Rapids 1 win, 12 goals … Ties 4
- 2015 (MLS): 3/28: HOU 0, COL 0; 8/26: COL 2, HOU 1 (Sanchez 20; Doyle 79 – Davis 37)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. They played to a scoreless draw March 28 at BBVA Compass Stadium; on Aug. 29 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Kevin Doyle scored late to snap a 1-1 tie and hand the Rapids the victory.
- The Rapids last lost to the Dynamo in league play in 2009, when the Dynamo took a 1-0 victory April 19 at Robertson Stadium. The Rapids have won five of the nine meetings since, with four draws.
- The Dynamo haven’t won at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since 2008, with the Rapids winning the last three meetings in Commerce City.
- Coaches record: Owen Coyle vs. COL: P2 W0 L1 D1 … Pablo Mastroeni vs. HOU: P3 W2 L0 D1
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo put an end to their losing slide after two games, taking a 1-0 decision from Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with 38 points from 30 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Dynamo finally broke through on 67 minutes. After Brad Davis and DaMarcus Beasley played a give-andgo on the left side to send Beasley to the end line, he cut around a lunging defender before hitting a low cross that found Will Bruin all alone at the back post for a simple tap-in.
- Three minutes later the Dynamo were put down a man when Boniek Garcia was sent off by referee Sorin Stoica with a second yellow card, but the home side were able to ride out the victory.
- Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle made three changes to the team that dropped a 2-0 decision to Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley and Rasheed Olabiyi came into the team, replacing Kofi Sarkodie, A.J. Cochran and Sheanon Williams.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-1-1): Tyler Deric - Boniek Garcia (ejected 70), David Horst, Raul Rodriguez, DaMarcus Beasley - Leonel Miranda, Ricardo Clark, Rasheed Olabiyi, Brad Davis (Sheanon Williams 74) - Giles Barnes (Erick Torres 68) - Will Bruin (Alex 80).
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo snapped a two-game losing slide with the win against Sporting, also returning to their winning ways at BBVA Compass Stadium. They have won four out of their last 10 games – all of those coming at home (4-1-0 in that stretch).
- “We were really threatening all night. It's a brilliant three points, it really is because it's been a horrible two weeks,” said Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle. “We didn't play particularly badly against Salt Lake, but we defended poorly. We had to respond, and show and play for our supporters, because that's who want to put a smile on their face. That will be a glimpse moving forward, and certainly in the next season as we continue to rebuild.”
- Will Bruin netted his first goal since Aug. 21, now with 11 goals on the season, one off his single-season career-high set in his second MLS season in 2012.
- “We were right up on the wall. I don't think the wall had anymore bend in it, but we stick together,” said Bruin. “We hear all the outside noise. We know what's going on, we know where we stand. But you know if we let that separate us as a group we're all going to fall. We win together, we lose together, we got to keep that camaraderie going and I think [this game] was a prime example of that.”
- Brad Davis collected his ninth assist of the season, his fifth assist in the last 10 league games. He is one assist away from reaching double-digits in assists for a seventh time in his 14 MLS seasons.
- DaMarcus Beasley returned to the starting lineup after missing the last two matches, after being forced early from the Vancouver match on Aug. 29 to injury, and recorded his first assist of the season.
- Boniek Garcia shifted to right back for the first time as a starter in the 2015 season, his fourth start over the last six matches, but he will miss out on the Colorado match after being sent off with a second yellow card vs. SKC.
- Rasheed Olabiyi made his second MLS and Dynamo start, his first coming on Aug. 25, entering the midfield in a central role and playing the full 90 minutes for the first time.
- “I thought everyone was outstanding. That's got to be the level. That's got to be the standard. That's how we want our kids to play, not just the passing and the moving of the ball, I mean in terms of the application, the desire,” Coyle said. “And it was so evident as far as I am concerned. Down to only 10 men. The grit, and the bravado they showed. We never felt we were going to be breached, because we were big, strong and organized. We scored a very good goal.”
- “The defense starts up top with Will [Bruin] and goes all the way back to Tyler [Deric]. As an 11, we pressed together, we dropped in together. We played defense as a team and not as individuals or groups here and there and I think that was the big difference - having a group mentality that we were going to get behind the ball and be hard to break down and we showed that,” said defender David Horst.
