Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 21
BBVA Compass Stadium — Houston
July 21 - 9 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

A Texas-sized rivalry is renewed on Saturday night when the Houston Dynamo host FC Dallas at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Dynamo are unbeaten in their last three games after a 0-0 draw against the Colorado Rapids, while FC Dallas have won three of their last four games, including a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire last Saturday.

“El Capitán,” the 19th-century Mountain Howitzer cannon is awarded to the winner of the three-game season series by supporters groups for both clubs. FCD has won five of the past eight matches in all competitions between the teams at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Four of the last five MLS meetings between Houston and FC Dallas have ended in draws, the lone win going to FC Dallas in June 2016, per Opta.

Houston Dynamo

The Dynamo (7-6-5) secured a third-ever berth in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals with an impressive 4-2 win over defending champion Sporting Kansas City Wednesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Houston actually fell behind on a 2nd-minute Johnny Russell goal, but Romell Quioto struck for a brace, followed by two more goals by Mauro Manotas — three of those goals coming in a 22-minute span — before Yohan Croizet’s stoppage-time goal.

“It’s a game where simply they’re ahead of us in the standings and it’s a chance for us to test ourselves against the team that’s in first place in the West right now,” Chris Seitz said of FC Dallas. “For us, we need these games, we need to win these games. It’s at home and we’ll go out there attacking and we’ll go out there putting our best foot forward and look to continue the form we had tonight.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M - Darwin Ceren, D - Alejandro Fuenmayor
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - A.J. DeLaGarza (torn left ACL), M - Juan David Cabezas (left quad injury), F - Mac Steeves (left hip injury), M/D - Andrew Wenger (left calf injury), M - Arturo Alvarez (right hip injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Joe Willis — Adolfo Machado, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Philippe Senderos, DaMarcus Beasley — Darwin Ceren, Oscar Boniek Garcia — Alberth Elis, Tomas Martinez, Romell Quioto — Mauro Manotas

Notes: Since June 1, only three players have taken 15+ shots and have failed to score once. This includes Quioto (16 shots) and FC Dallas’ Maxi Urruti (30 shots, third most of any player). … Since dropping back-to-back home games to end March, the Dynamo are undefeated at home in MLS play (5W-1D), outscoring visitors 18-6.

FC Dallas

FC Dallas (11-3-5) bounced back from a 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake to defeat the Chicago Fire, 3-1, and remain undefeated at Toyota Stadium this season.

After Carlos Gruezo opened the scoring in the 27th minute, Kellyn Acosta and Reto Ziegler (PK) struck five minutes apart late in the second half to put the game away as FC Dallas won for the third time in their last four games.

“A team that we have been successful against, when we went there to Houston and there has been a good battle," Oscar Pareja said. "I think it is important for us to understand that we’re going to make our boys and our team feel that they can go there and be the protagonists of the game."

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: F - Cristian Colman (high-ankle sprain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Jesse Gonzalez — Reggie Cannon, Matt Hedges, Reto Ziegler, Ryan Hollingshead — Carlos Gruezo, Victor Ulloa — Michael Barrios, Santiago Mosquera, Roland Lamah — Maxi Urruti

Notes: Since May 25 – his first start of the season, Jesse Gonzalez leads MLS in saves (39) and is fifth in save percentage (77.6 percent). … FC Dallas have been victorious in eight of their last 12 league matches (2L-2D), scoring multiple goals in seven of the 12 games.

All-Time Series

Overall: Houston Dynamo 10 wins, 44 goals … FC Dallas 9 wins, 44 goals … 11 draws
At Houston: Dynamo 7 wins, 26 goals … FC Dallas 4 wins, 24 goals … 4 draws
Last meeting at Houston: Houston Dynamo 1, FC Dallas 1 (June 23, 2017)