THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo vs. Columbus Crew
Sunday, August 19, 8 p.m. CT
BBVA Compass Stadium
All-time series: Crew lead 4-2-7
BROADCAST INFORMATION
FOX Sports Houston - 8 p.m. (Click here to view channel guide)
MultiMedios Houston - 7:30 p.m.
SportsTalk 790 - 7:30 p.m.
La Ranchera 850 - 7:30 p.m.
PREVIEW
The Houston Dynamo will play host to the Columbus Crew on Sunday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium is a match that will have massive implications on the Eastern Conference race. The Dynamo find themselves in third place in the East, after their five-game winning run came to an end last weekend in a loss to New York. The Crew are now seven points out of the final playoff spot in the conference – but with games in hand – after their emotional 1-1 home draw at midweek with the LA Galaxy.
REFEREE
Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Chris Strickland; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Muschik; 4th: Ted Unkel MLS Career: 2 games; FC/gm: 27.0; Y/gm: 2.5; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT PRESENTED BY THE METHODIST HOSPITAL SYSTEM (As of Friday, August 17)
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: DF Alex Dixon (heat illness) ... COLUMBUS CREW – OUT: FW Tommy Heinemann (L knee surgery); GK William Hesmer (R hip surgery); MF Bernardo Anor (L knee ACL tear); DOUBTFUL: DF Rich Balchan (sports hernia rehab); QUESTIONABLE: MF Danny O'Rourke (L ankle sprain); DF Nenamja Vukovic (L ankle sprain)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (13 meetings)
- Dynamo 2 wins, 13 goals ... Crew 4 wins, 17 goals ... Ties 7
- AT HOUSTON (6 meetings): Dynamo 1 win, 5 goals ... Crew 1 win, 5 goals ... Ties 4
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Goals from Will Bruin and Brian Ching canceled out a two-goal night from the Crew’s Eddie Gaven, leaving the teams in a 2-2 draw, April 21 in Columbus.
- The Crew have a six-game unbeaten streak alive against the Dynamo, over the last three seasons, with three wins and three draws in that time. Houston’s last victory in the series came Aug. 2, 2008.
- The Crew’s win at Robertson Stadium last year was their first ever. The teams had played to draws in four of the first five encounters there; the Dynamo won 2-0 on Aug. 2, 2008.
- Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. CLB: P17 W4 L6 D7 ... Robert Warzycha vs. HOU: P7 W3 L0 D4
LAST MEETING (MLS)
- 4/21: CLB 2, HOU 2 (Gaven 63, 74 – Bruin 59; Ching 81)
- The Dynamo woke up the match with a 59th-minute opener. From a corner kick, Will Bruin nodded home Adam Moffat’s in-swinging ball inside the back post.
- The Crew tied the score four minutes later. From a long clearance, Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron pushed the ball back to goalkeeper Tally Hall, but his headed clearance went only as far as Eddie Gaven. He hit a soft shot toward goal that Dynamo fullback Andre Hainault helped further along in an effort to steer it away from the Crew’s Emilio Rentería.
- In the 74th minute, Gaven doubled his tally and gave the Crew the lead. Second-half substitute Aaron Schoenfeld chested a ball down just outside the box to an onrushing Gaven, who one-timed a left-footed shot into the back of the net.
- But the Dynamo pulled even nine minutes from the end. Bruin found space on the right side of the box and placed a perfect pass between Crew defenders that enabled Ching to redirect just inside the left-hand post.
- COLUMBUS CREW (4-1-3-2): Andy Gruenebaum - Sebastian Miranda, Josh Williams, Chad Marshall, Nemanja Vukovic (Shaun Francis 83) - Danny O'Rourke - Milovan Mirosevic, Tony Tchani (Ethan Finlay 72), Eddie Gaven - Emilio Renteria (Aaron Schoenfeld 67), Olman Vargas.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tally Hall - Andre Hainault, Geoff Cameron, Bobby Boswell, Jermaine Taylor - Je-Vaughn Watson (Calen Carr 79), Adam Moffat, Luiz Camargo, Corey Ashe (Macoumba Kandji 91+) - Will Bruin, Brian Ching (Cam Weaver 84).
More dynamo
Dynamo players preview Sunday's match vs. Columbus
