HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. FC DALLAS
ROBERTSON STADIUM, Houston, Texas
April 6, 2008 | 2 p.m. CT (TeleFutura)
WEEK # 2 | GAME # 13
The bitter in-state foes begin anew their battle for "El Capitan" when FC Dallas travels to face the Houston Dynamo looking to change history. The Hoops have lost every match in Houston, including four regular season contests, an Open Cup tie and one in last year's MLS Cup Playoffs, when the Orange overcame a first-leg deficit to win in extra time on their way to winning MLS Cup. The Dynamo opened 2008 with a 3-0 loss in New England in a rematch of that MLS Cup Final; FCD was pulled back by a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; JAR (opposite): Frank Anderson; 4th: Colin Tait
MLS Career: 73 games; FC/gm: 29.5; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 11; pens: 20
Games involving Dynamo: P9 W4 L2 T3; FC/gm: 30.2; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 4; pens: 1
Games involving FC Dallas: P14 W2 L10 T2; FC/gm: 28.6; Y/gm: 2.6; R: 0; pens: 4
INJURY REPORT: HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: MF Mike Chabala (L foot fracture); DOUBTFUL: MF Brad Davis (L groin strain); MF Brian Mullan (L knee sprain); MF Stuart Holden (L ankle sprain); PROBABLE: DF Craig Waibel (R hamstring strain); DF Eddie Robinson (L knee swelling) ... FC DALLAS - OUT: GK Josh Lambo (concussion/jaw), MF David Wagenfuhr (concussion); DOUBTFUL: DF Alex Yi (L hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: Marcelo Saragosa (R groin)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: HOU: Ricardo Clark (through April 6)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (8 meetings): Dynamo 5 wins, 12 goals ... FC Dallas 1 win, 6 goals ... Ties 2
IN HOUSTON: (4 meetings): Dynamo 4 wins, 8 goals ... FC Dallas 0 wins, 4 goals ... Ties 0
• This is the first of three meetings between the in-state rivals this year, the first of two on the shores of the Buffalo Bayou. They meet again in Houston on June 26; the lone meeting in north Texas will come on Aug. 9 at Pizza Hut Park.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/3: HOU 2, DAL 1 (Clark 51; Ngwenya 66 - Thompson 32)
6/30: DAL 0, HOU 0
8/19: HOU 1, DAL 0 (Ching 42)
9/30: DAL 0, HOU 3 (De Rosario 45; Robinson 62; Holden 84)
• For the second season running, the Dynamo claimed the season series between the clubs last year, winning three of the four encounters with one draw.
• The Dynamo have won every meeting with FC Dallas at Robertson Stadium. In the regular season, the Dynamo have won two meetings in each of the last two years, posting shutouts in two of the four matches. In addition, Houston claimed a 4-1 victory in extra-time in the Western Conference Semifinals last year.
• In addition, the Dynamo claimed a 3-0 victory in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals in 2006 at home; that match was played at the Carl Lewis Track & Field Stadium at the University of Houston.
• The Lone Star State rivals are meeting for "El Capitan," as was named the 18th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon to be awarded to the winner of the season series. The Dynamo have won the trophy each of the two years of its existence.
• Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. DAL: P8 W5 L1 D2 ... Steve Morrow v HOU: P4 W0 L3 D1
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo crashed to defeat in their MLS season opener, falling 3-0 to the New England Revolution last Saturday night at Gillette Stadium. The Dynamo sit tied for fifth place in the Western Conference heading into the second week of the season, tied with both the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution and Dynamo were meeting in a rematch of the last two Major League Soccer championship games, won on each occasion by Houston.
• Taylor Twellman was a last-minute scratch for the Revolution, but it barely mattered as the home side went ahead by two goals with barely a half-hour gone.
• Gambian international Kenny Mansally, a threat all night long in attack, saw his shot parried by Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad in the 16th minute, but Steve Ralston was there to tap it into the empty net for the opening goal.
• Then in the 32nd minute, Onstad again blocked a shot, this from Jeff Larentowicz on a freekick, but Adam Cristman rose up to head the ball into the unguarded goal with Onstad down and out.
• The Revolution completed the triumph deep into second-half stoppage time, when another of New England's Gambians, Sainey Nyassi, intercepted a pass at the midfield stripe and took off downfield. He raced into the area, shimmied past a Dynamo defender with a stepover and smashed his effort into the roof of the net.
• With Brad Davis out to injury and Ricardo Clark still serving his suspension, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear started Brian Mullan as a right back with Stuart Holden and Corey Ashe wide in the midfield.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Brian Mullan (Patrick Ianni 63), Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Stuart Holden, Richard Mulrooney, Corey Ashe - Dwayne De Rosario - Chris Wondolowski (Franco Caraccio 67), Brian Ching (Geoff Cameron 86). Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Brown, Tony Caig, Erik Ustruck, Craig Waibel
• "We had too many guys have a bad night and when you do that, the team doesn't play well and you suffer. I can't see too many guys on our team that played well individually tonight and therefore, collectively, there's breakdowns all over the field," said Kinnear. "We had some chances to get it close, and we never did try and go forward. But I thought on the other side of the ball that we were second-best tonight."
TEAM NEWS
• Things started poorly for the Dynamo and never seemed to improve. Mauricio Castro challenged Pat Onstad within three minutes and Ralston scored within the first 15 minutes. For a team that generally imposes its will on others, the Revolution forced the Dynamo to adapt to their will. Kinnear said that his team just didn't get out of the gate.
• "Expectations from ourselves are very high and it goes from game to game and minute to minute. We just kind of let the game be played instead of playing the game and we were bad tonight," Kinnear said.
• After conceding the two early goals, Kinnear made a tactical shift, moving Mullan forward into a wide midfield role and tucking Stuart Holden inside for a 3-5-2 scheme, in an attempt to counteract the Revolution's dominance.
• "If people want to say we were good, I'd raise some eyebrows at that because that's a very untrue statement," Kinnear said. "We weren't good tonight. I'm not going to say we should've won or should've come out with a point. We deserved to get beat tonight."
• At midweek, the Dynamo played to a scoreless draw with Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal. The Dynamo outshot the 2005 Champions' Cup winners 17-8, including holding a 9-1 edge after the break, but couldn't get a goal.
• "Especially in the second half, I thought we were really dominant," said Kinnear. "I thought in the second half we created a lot of traffic, but we just couldn't score. You have those nights sometimes. For us to come back from that game on Saturday to come home showed a lot of character of the team. ... It was a frustrating night. I know the guys are frustrated by their performance, but I think if you sit back and look at it from a neutral point of view, I thought our play tonight was fantastic."
• Here's Kinnear's team: Pat Onstad, Patrick Ianni, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett, Richard Mulrooney (Geoff Cameron 75), Ricardo Clark, Dwayne De Rosario, Corey Ashe, Brian Ching, Franco Caraccio (Chris Wondolowski 80).
• Houston had numerous chances with Franco Caraccio taking four shots, three on goal. The young Argentinean partnered Ching in attack and it proved to provide some energy into the Orange.
• "We really want (Franco) to have a big impact this year," Kinnear said. "I think any time a foreigner comes here, the adjustment period will take some time based on how the league is and how the team is practicing. He has shown some real flashes of ability so far and we think he is going to be a good player for us this year.
• The teams now head to Costa Rica on Wednesday for the second leg, with Saprissa holding the advantage playing on their home field. If the teams are still tied after 90 minutes, they will face a 30-minute period of extra time. If the teams are still tied, then the winner of the series will be decided in a penalty kick shootout.
• "It's going to be difficult to beat them in Costa Rica, and we know that," Kinnear said. "Arsenal didn't win at home today (in the UEFA Champions League). It happens. You can't have your way all the time, and sometimes you have to work harder to get what you want. It's our approach to win on Wednesday."
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas took a lead in their 2008 season opener before seeing Chivas USA come back for a late equalizer as the teams played to a 1-1 draw last Sunday afternoon in First Kick 2008. The two teams are tied for second place in the Western Conference with a point each after Week 1, along with Real Salt Lake, the trio two points behind the Colorado Rapids.
LAST MATCH
• The prematch festivities for the season opener for FC Dallas and Chivas USA were highlighted by the announcement of the Sueno MLS winner for each club, Briant Reyes for Chivas USA and Gabriel Funes for FC Dallas.
• Juan Toja gave FC Dallas the lead in the 21th minute. A Bobby Rhine cross found Abe Thompson in the area, who slipped the ball quickly to the Colombian midfielder. Toja quickly turned back toward goal and lashed a shot past Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
• But six minutes from the end Chivas got the tying goal. A long ball out of midfield from Chivas newcomer Raphael Wicky was misplayed by another high-profile addition, FC Dallas defender Duilio Davino, just outside the area. Maykel Galindo quickly pounced on the loose ball and sent a low shot from just outside the box through Dario Sala's legs and into the FCD goal.
• FCD boss Steve Morrow had a pair of suspensions to deal, to Drew Moor and Arturo Alvarez, carryovers from the second leg of last year's Western Conference Semifinals, as well as injuries to Ricardinho and David Wagenfuhr. But he did get good news the day before the match when Duilio Davino was cleared to make his MLS debut.
• Here's Morrow's team (3-4-1-2): Dario Sala - Aaron Pitchkolan, Duilio Davino, Adrian Serioux - Bobby Rhine, Andre Rocha, Marcelo Saragosa (Pablo Ricchetti 62), Blake Wagner - Juan Toja (Dax McCarty 73) - Kenny Cooper, Abe Thompson (Dominic Oduro 80). Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Daniels, Josh Lambo, Brek Shea, Anthony Wallace
• "I think a tie was probably a fair result but we should have had three points," Morrow said after the match. "Giving up a goal so late was very disappointing but overall, Chivas played very well. Both teams had a lot of chances. We had three very good chances in the first half. Overall, I think we can play better. We have some guys that need to get fit and come back as well."
TEAM NEWS
• After missing nearly two weeks with a deep bone bruise, Davino returned to practice in the days leading up to the opener and played all 90 minutes. But his gaffe allowed Maykel Galindo to swoop in and hit for the 84th-minute leveler.
• "I think Davino made one slip toward the end of the game, but otherwise, I think he had a solid game for us," Morrow said. "It was very unfortunate that he made one mistake and that it cost us toward the end of the game. But he will get better." Said Davino: "I know that's how the defensive position is," he said. "Sometimes one error can cost you the game. I felt better than I even thought I would after missing quite a few days from training. Taking away the error from the goal, I think that I did well and that my level will continue improving."
• In addition, Juan Toja was also returning from injury, but started and hit for the first goal of the FCD season. "We only expected Toja to go 60 or 70 minutes maximum," Morrow said. "So I think he was a little tired toward the end. But he gave us 60 good minutes and he's another one that, when he builds up his match fitness, will only get better for us."
• Yet coming out of the first game of the year, the Hoops were again beset by injuries. Starting midfielder Marcelo Saragosa strained his right groin and had to leave the field early in the second half.
• And in the reserve division game immediately after the match, FCD rookie goalkeeper Josh Lambo suffered a concussion while being struck in the face with a ball during the run of play and spent Sunday night in a local hospital for further evaluation.
• In addition, midfielder Dax McCarty was complaining of back pain after spending a couple of weeks with the U.S. under-23 national team - something he said has been plaguing him for about a year. McCarty came on as a late substitute against Chivas.
• "He's not 100 percent fit and we got 20 minutes out of him yesterday and he did reasonably well. It's something we want to make sure gets cleared up and doesn't drag on for the next few weeks," Morrow said. "We want him fit, want him healthy and want to get him in the lineup. We're trying to work through things at the moment and rest him as much as possible in the early part of the week to see if that makes a difference. It's certainly something that we don't want to develop into a long-term problem."
• On a more positive note, Morrow is confident that Ricardinho could be available for the Dynamo match. "I think he will be available," Morrow said. "He's recovered quicker than we thought and that's great news. He should be back in full training by Thursday."
• They will be joined by both Moor and Alvarez, who were sent off in the 4-1, second-leg loss to the Dynamo in last year's Western Conference Semifinals. "It's a game that I look forward to. I'm ready to go. I can't wait for Sunday to come and I'm sure Arturo (Alvarez) feels the same way," Moor said. "We both feel as though we let the team down a little bit and it's a good place to start this year to maybe redeem ourselves."
