HOUSTON DYNAMO v CHICAGO FIRE
ROBERTSON STADIUM, Houston, Texas
3 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
May 20, 2006 (WEEK 8) / MLS Game #42
Now unbeaten in their last three games - including a win and a draw against in-state rival FC Dallas over the last two weekends, Houston Dynamo return home for their first-ever meeting with the Chicago Fire. The Fire's road show is making its seventh stop as the Men in Red have lost just once in their odyssey to begin the campaign, now unbeaten in five games after a season-opening loss to FC Dallas.
REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Kyle Borne; 4th: Colin Tait
MLS Career: 8 games; FC/gm: 36.1; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 2; pens: 2
MLS 2006: 1 game; FC/gm: 34.0 (avg: 31.3); Y/gm: 4.0 (avg: 3.83); R: 0 (MLS: 8); pens: 0 (MLS: 10)
Games involving Dynamo: first meeting
Games involving Fire: P2 W0 L2 T0; FC/gm: 33.0; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: MF Aaron Lanes (R fifth metatarsal fracture); DOUBTFUL: DF Adrian Serioux (R big toe fracture); QUESTIONABLE: MF Dwayne De Rosario (L ankle sprain) ... CHICAGO FIRE - OUT: DF Jim Curtin (R foot fracture); QUESTIONABLE: DF Jeff Curtin (athletic pubalgia surgery)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: HOU: Brian Ching (USA; World Cup 2006)
SUSPENDED: none
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: first meeting
This is the first of two league meetings between the clubs this season, the only one set for Robertson Stadium. Their lone meeting at Bridgeview Stadium is set for Aug. 30.
Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear v CHI: P5 W1 L2 D2 ... Dave Sarachan vs. HOU: first meetingHOUSTON DYNAMO
Houston Dynamo got a leg up on their in-state rivals, coming back to claim a 1-1 draw with a late goal in the back half of their home-and-home series over two weekends against FC Dallas, a matchup of the two top teams in the Western Conference last Saturday at Pizza Hut Park. Dynamo are still in second place in the West with 13 points from seven matches, two behind FC Dallas, but six ahead of the third-place tie between Los Angeles and Colorado.
LAST MATCH
The Lone Star State rivals were meeting for the second time in two weekends for "El Capitan," as was named the 18th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series. After the seven-goal thriller of the week before won by Houston, the stifling heat in the afternoon sun was certain have its effect on the contest.
The Hoops pulled ahead in the 19th minute, when Carlos Ruiz netted for the second time in as many weeks against Dynamo with another opportunistic goal. Ramon Nunez skipped through three Houston defenders and tried to pull back a cross, only for it to be deflected in front of goal. But Ruiz was quickest to it, pounding it past Pat Onstad from close range.
The Dynamo attack took a hit in the first half when playmaker Dwayne De Rosario suffered an apparent ankle injury, and the Orange struggled to find their way. But nine minutes from the end they got the break they were looking for, a corner swung in from the left challenged for between Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson and FC Dallas counterpart Clarence Goodson - only for the Hoops center back to head into his own goal for the second time this season for the equalizer.
Dynamo boss Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that defeated FC Dallas 4-3 at home the weekend before. Alejandro Moreno returned to the lineup to partner Ronald Cerritos in attack, replacing Brian Ching who left for World Cup preparation duty.
Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Eddie Robinson, Adrian Serioux (Julian Nash 70), Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Kevin Goldthwaite 62) - Dwayne De Rosario (Ryan Cochrane 39) - Ronald Cerritos, Alejandro Moreno [Substitutes Not Used: Kelly Gray, Stuart Holden, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski]
"It was hard, it was hot. There weren't too many chances. Last balls played on both sides were a bit missing. I was proud of the way the guys fought back. After they scored, we didn't give them much after that. We were kind of creeping our way back into the game in the second half. I felt maybe something might happen," Kinnear said. "Fortunately for us, Eddie (Robinson) had to hit somebody for it to go in. Sometimes you have luck. It's a great point."TEAM NEWS
After the seven-goal thriller of the week before, inevitably there wouldn't the same goal glut in the return match. But Dynamo were looking to shore up their defenses. "It's one of those games where going in we always play for three points," Onstad said to the Houston Chronicle. "But to come back and get a draw on the road against a very talented team and under these conditions - it may not be a victory, but it's certainly a moral victory."
With the injuries to De Rosario and Serioux, there could be a hole in central midfield for the Fire match. When De Rosario went down, Serioux moved forward from center back as Ryan Cochrane came into the back four; Serioux also filled a central midfield role when De Rosario was suspended for the D.C. United match April 15.
"Anytime Dwayne (De Rosario) is off the field, it hurts the team. He's a great, creative player and he consumes a lot of the defense," said Brian Mullan. "We have a very good team and a very deep team. Adrian (Serioux) steps up and Ricardo (Clark) in the middle and they're great players too. They create a lot too. They just have to get used to those positions, build their confidence and get back in the game."
When Serioux went down, Kinnear put Julian Nash on the field as Dynamo chased the equalizing goal. De Rosario is considered questionable for Saturday's game, but Serioux is doubtful. The Canadian international is still suffering from problems with a fracture in his big toe, an injury he suffered with his national team.
"They say it'll take three months to heal, but I'll never take three months off," Serioux said to the Chronicle. "I'll play with pain if I have to."
Adding to the struggles for the Dynamo attack were the heat and the FC Dallas tactics. "It's one of those where we're saying possession was the biggest thing. Moving off the ball was the next biggest thing. I'm not going to make excuses but it's hot out there. Sometimes when you make a pass, your thought is to not make a run. It's to try and find or hold your area," Kinnear said.
"That's why I think we were turning the ball over a little bit. At times when we didn't have pressure on us, we were trying to force the ball from the back. When you're tired, you have a tired mind as well. Their mindset was to get the equalizer. It was a pretty deserved goal because we were the better attacking team at the time.
Brad Davis came off in the 62nd minute, another possible victim of the heat. Davis was out of action for about a month after preseason hernia surgery, but was starting his fifth consecutive match.
"The weather didn't help," Davis said to the Chronicle. "Coming off an injury, it's really hard to get back in the game, get your legs strong and get your game fitness. I'm pretty much there, but I feel like I have a little more to go."CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire ran their unbeaten streak to five games as their long road trip to begin the 2006 campaign reached the two-thirds mark, coming back to claim a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls last Saturday evening at Giants Stadium. The Fire are still in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with seven points from six matches, three behind the third-place tie between the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution, and two ahead of last-place Red Bull.
LAST MATCH
The Red Bulls had not won on the season, but had lost just once, playing to four draws in their five matches on the campaign. In the midst of their nine-game road trip to begin the campaign, the Fire had played to three draws in five matches.
And so, inevitably, a draw was the likely result, and teams followed suit. The Red Bulls took a first-half lead, Mark Lisi swinging the ball to Seth Stammler on the right flank, and he hooked in a cross to the near post where Jean Philippe Peguero got his head in ahead of Chicago defender C.J. Brown to put New York in the lead after 27 minutes.
But the Fire pulled level from the penalty spot midway through the second half, Diego Gutierrez converting past backup goalkeeper Jon Conway after Nate Jaqua was tripped up in the area by Danny O'Rourke (68). Conway started in goal for the Red Bulls after Tony Meola suffered a calf injury during the prematch warmup.
Fire head coach Dave Sarachan made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Kansas City Wizards the weekend before. Dasan Robinson made his MLS debut, starting in central defense in place of the injured Jim Curtin, and Chris Armas was held out of the match on the Meadowlands FieldTurf, with Leonard Griffin starting at fullback and Ivan Guerrero moved forward into a wide midfield role.
Here's Sarachan's team (4-1-3-2): Zach Thornton - Logan Pause, C.J. Brown, Dasan Robinson, Leonard Griffin (Nate Jaqua 63) - Diego Gutierrez - Justin Mapp (Floyd Franks 76), Thiago, Ivan Guerrero - Chad Barrett (Jack Stewart 86), Chris Rolfe. [Substitutes Not Used: Calen Carr, David Mahoney, Brian Plotkin, Jordan Russolillo]
"I thought we played pretty well early in the game, aside from giving up the goal and going down 1-0. I was hoping we'd convert on a few of the chances we created," Sarachan said. "Overall, I didn't feel we were in real danger, and yet we go into halftime trailing for the first time all year. The guys responded well and were patient coming out in the second half, and that paid off for us."TEAM NEWS
Sarachan was happy with the way his team fought back once again. "As a group, we grinded it out on a night where we'll take a point," he said. "I thought we had a good start to the game and, aside from giving up the goal, I thought we had the better of it in the first half."
Nate Jaqua made his fourth substitute appearance after returning from injury (no starts), and all but single-handedly brought the Fire back. His foul suffered won the equalizing penalty, then he nearly gave the Fire the winner but his effort hit the crossbar late in the second half.
"I was pleased with my guys in the second half," Sarachan said. "Because we said, 'look, you don't have to go out and equalize in the first five minutes. Be patient and the chances will come.' Nate came in as a reserve and really was a handful, he created the penalty and Diego stuck it and we battled back and got out of here with a point."
The Fire have had good success in their road trip to begin the season. They have already well passed the record of the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2003 while The Home Depot Center was being built (4 points, 0-4-4), and they are approaching the record of the Columbus Crew in 1999 when Crew Stadium was being finished (11 pts, 5-2 (2-0 SO)
"We're all competitive and we'd like to be greedy and think we should get three points," Sarachan said. "But at the end of the day to continue to accumulate points on the road is really what's important now because of the long stretch on the road that we have."
Said Gutierrez: "Games on the road are difficult if you just have them once in a while but to have seven, eight, nine in row, it's quite difficult. We've hit a bit of a fatigue point but we'll get together again during the week, take care of our bodies and make sure that we get our minds in the state where we're relaxed a bit."
Still, the Fire have won just one on the trip thus far. "I think we have a solid roster even though we're missing a couple of experienced guys," Gutierrez said. "We have guys that are capable of coming in and helping us. I feel like this team is going in the right direction, and wins will come eventually."
