The Houston Dynamo return home on Wednesday night to face Western Conference foe Real Salt Lake (7:30 p.m. | TICKETS), looking to pick up three points following Sunday’s 0-0 draw at FC Dallas.
“We are excited to be back at home,” said head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “We showed solidness in all three lines [Sunday at FC Dallas], we showed that we can play away and now we have the opportunity to play at home the same way.”
It will be the Dynamo’s second match in the span of four days and sixth match in the month of May. It will also be the team’s first match at home in over two weeks, a 2-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on May 12.
“We’ve had – the last two weeks and this coming one – a lot of games,” said forward Vicente Sánchez. “The good thing is everyone is prepared to play so we hope to pick up more points.”
Points are exactly what the Dynamo have come away with from every home match this season. The club is unbeaten at BBVA Compass Stadium in 2017, boasting a 6-0-1 record, an MLS-high 19 goals and a league best +13 goal differential.
The team has also improved defensively, garnering two shutouts and allowing only one goal in the last three home outings. Tyler Deric, who last played at home in the 4-1 win over the New York Red Bulls on April 1, will likely be the goalkeeper after working his way into Sunday’s starting lineup.
“It's important for me to be out with the team and contributing on the pitch,” said Deric after Sunday’s draw. “I'm not going to get down on myself because I know what this league is like and I can be called on at any moment, but to go out there, contribute, and get points on the road is the best feeling.”
The Dynamo defense will have the task of trying to limit the impact of MLS veterans Yura Movsisyan, Joao Plata and Kyle Beckerman as well as newcomer Albert Rusnák, who leads RSL in assists and is second in goals scored. The Utah club comes to Houston with two wins out of their last three matches.
The good news for the Dynamo offense is they won’t have the tall task of facing the MLS all-time leader in games won and shutouts. Nick Rimando and the Dynamo’s DaMarcus Beasley have reported for training with the U.S. national team ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and will miss this match.
