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HOUSTON DYNAMO v REAL SALT LAKE
ROBERTSON STADIUM, Houston, Texas
7:30 p.m. CT (FSN-Hou; KSL)
April 22, 2006 (WEEK #4) / MLS Game #20
Houston Dynamo return home looking to get on track, where they've followed an overwhelming 5-2 victory against the Colorado Rapids in their first-ever match at Robertson Stadium with a pair of losses since. They play host to Real Salt Lake, who are still looking for their first victory in 2006, but feel things are looking up after coming from behind to claim a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls in their home opener last weekend.
REFEREE: Gus St. Silva. SAR (bench): Rob Fereday; JAR (opposite): Emiliano Monje; 4th: Oscar Ortiz
MLS Career: 34 games; FC/gm: 33.5; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 7; pens: 7
MLS 2006: first game
Games involving Dynamo: first game
Games involving Real: first game
INJURY REPORT: HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: FW Julian Nash (L hamstring strain), MF Aaron Lanes (R fifth metatarsal fracture); QUESTIONABLE: DF Chris Aloisi (R foot fracture), MF Chris Wondolowski (R knee sprain) ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: DF Paul Broome (L ankle internal derangement); MF Seth Trembly (L knee ACL tear); QUESTIONABLE: DF Carey Talley (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: DF Eddie Pope (low back strain); FW Jamie Watson (L hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: RSL: MF Nikolas Besagno (U.S. U-20 national team)
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: first meeting
This is the first of four meetings this year between the Western Conference opponents, the first of two set for Robertson Stadium. Their next meeting will also be on the shores of Buffalo Bayou on June 17; they then move to the Wasatch Front for the final two league encounters, Aug. 19 and Oct. 7.
Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear v RSL: P4 W2 L0 D2 ... John Ellinger vs. HOU: first meetingHOUSTON DYNAMO
Houston Dynamo lost for the second consecutive week in the club's first-ever match away from home, dropping a 2-0 decision to D.C. United on Saturday night at RFK Stadium. Dynamo sit tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with three points from three matches, four behind division-leading FC Dallas and one behind Los Angeles Galaxy and Colorado Rapids, level in second place.
LAST MATCH
D.C. United won for the second consecutive match (both at home) while consigning Houston Dynamo to a second consecutive defeat in comprehensive fashion.
The home side took the lead in the 25th minute. Referee Abbey Okulaja whistled for a foul instead of playing advantage when United took the ball in front of goal, but the Black-and-Red still capitalized. Christian Gomez sent the resulting free kick across the face of goal, Pat Onstad made an acrobatic save to keep out Jaime Moreno's volley, but Josh Gros pounded home the rebound from close range.
Then Gomez doubled the lead late in the match, his free kick from just outside the top of area taking a deflection off the wall before sailing to the back of the net (77).
Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Kansas City Wizards in dramatic fashion the week before. With Dwayne De Rosario suspended after being sent off in that game, Brad Davis came into the left side of midfield in his first start of the year. Wade Barrett moved to left back, and with Adrian Serioux coming into a central midfield role, Craig Waibel made his first start in central defense as Kevin Goldthwaite returned to the substitutes' bench.
Here's Kinnear's team (4-4-2): Pat Onstad - Kelly Gray (Ronald Cerritos 59), Ryan Cochrane, Craig Waibel (Kevin Goldthwaite 72), Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Adrian Serioux, Brad Davis - Brian Ching, Alejandro Moreno. [Substitutes Not Used: Chris Aloisi, Patrick Ianni, Marcus Storey, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski]
"I am disappointed," said Kinnear. "[However], we did get some good chances. We came out of the gate pretty well and we ended the game well. In between it was a little difficult."TEAM NEWS
A year ago, with the majority of playing squad with the San Jose Earthquakes, the team's defense allowed less than a goal per game (31 in 32 matches). From last year's back four, however, Kinnear had to replace Danny Califf, and the group has struggled this year, allowing six goals in the first three games.
"The past two games, it was a bit of a learning experience, in part because none of us had ever played with Adrian (Serioux) before," right back Kelly Gray said. "Now this week with Dwayne (De Rosario) being out, things also changed."
Kinnear was able to include Craig Waibel in his starting lineup for the first time since May 7, 2005, the sixth game of last season. Three days later, Waibel suffered a knee injury in a practice match against Santa Clara University.
In addition, midfielder Brad Davis made his first start of the campaign. Davis made just two starts over the final four months of the '05 season while suffering through groin injuries, then underwent hernia surgery in March. "I felt good out there," he said. "I was actually surprised I played the whole 90 minutes."
But Davis wasn't able to work the flanks as he had when he began the 2005 season as one of the best wide midfielders in the league.
"I don't think it worked well at all," Davis said to the Chronicle. "We struggled to get the ball out there. I found myself getting caught up in the middle trying to find the ball because we were unable to make it to where we could get the attack going in those outside spaces."
Still, his addition could the change Dynamo need to get back on track after their impressive season-opening 5-2 win against the Colorado Rapids.
"(Coach) Dom (Kinnear) is going to have a lot of decisions to make, what lineup to put out there next week, because when we get home we have to get three points (a win)," Davis said to the Houston Chronicle. "With Brad and Mullan, I expect good service from both sides," Ching said. "That benefits me a little bit."
Reserve center back Eddie Robinson, who started 29 games last season for San Jose but has been recovering from a preseason injury, did not make the trip to Washington for undisclosed reasons. "This is one we're going to keep in the locker room," Kinnear said to the Houston Chronicle.REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake made their home bow as Rice-Eccles Stadium for their second season and claimed their first point of the campaign, getting a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls. Real still sits at the foot of the Western Conference table with one point from three matches, six adrift of West leader FC Dallas and two behind joint fourth-place Houston Dynamo and Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
The Red Bulls came to Utah as the only team in MLS to have never defeated Real, after the teams played to a pair of draws a year ago.
That looked to have changed when New York took the lead after 77 minutes. A neat pass from Amado Guevara put Edson Buddle in a good position, but his low drive was blocked by Scott Garlick. But the Real 'keeper couldn't hold onto the shot and Guevara raced in to slide home the rebound from a sharp angle.
But RSL answered in the 89th minute as Jason Kreis hit for his all-time MLS best 101th career goal. Following a foul in the right corner, Chris Klein swung the ball in and found Kreis unmarked in the heart of the area, and he powerfully headed home to leave the teams level for the third time in three meetings lifetime.
RSL head coach John Ellinger kept his first team intact from the 2-1 loss away to FC Dallas the weekend before.
Here's Ellinger's team (4-4-2): Scott Garlick - Chris Brown (Ryan Johnson 81), Eddie Pope, Carey Talley (Nelson Akwari 71), Daniel Torres - Chris Klein, Kenny Cutler, Douglas Sequeira, Mehdi Ballouchy (Jason Kreis 64) - Andy Williams, Jeff Cunningham. [Substitutes Not Used: Nikolas Besagno, Atiba Harris, Jay Nolly, Kevin Novak]
"I thought we played well in both halves, and it is unfortunate," Ellinger said. "Scott Garlick comes over with a huge save, and then they come back with the rebound; it works out in the end though with Jason Kreis getting his first goal of the season and his 101st MLS career goal."TEAM NEWS
While Real saw their lengthy winless streak extended, Ellinger was pleased with the effort his club showed and felt they could have come away with the full three points.
"We had possession, we cut down on our mistakes, the effort was great," Ellinger said. "We had some passing sequences and give-and-gos and just runs off each other. [Players are learning] where guys like balls and [making] runs after they get the ball. Again, it's progress."
Added Chris Klein to the Deseret Morning News: "It's great to get the goal from Jason, but to be perfectly honest, we're pretty disappointed with just a point. But we're not disappointed at all in the effort. I thought we were in control for most of the game, but we felt we should've had a victory tonight, but we're moving forward and I think we're making strides in the right direction."
For Kreis, his goal was his first since last Aug. 13. He then missed the final seven games of the 2005 season with a knee injury. "There was six months worth of emotion wrapped up into one goal, one head shot," Kreis said.
Kreis celebrated the goal with his usual backflip - a good sign after playing some 25 minutes on the hard FieldTurf at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "I would like to stop talking about my knee now," Kreis said. "It's over and done with for me in my mind; I'm looking forward, not looking back."
Kreis was also impressed with the level of effort he saw from teammates - another good sign for the future of the club. "At the end of that game, we have Douglas Sequeira who's falling over because he's run so much, and we have Andy Williams falling over because he's run so much," said Kreis. "If we have those two players put in that work week in and week out, this is going to be a successful team this year."
Ellinger said the addition of Jeff Cunningham could also have real positives for Kreis as the season goes along. "Jeff has always been the top goaler; he creates counter-opportunities," Ellinger said. "If you don't treat him with honesty, he's going to get in behind you over and again. Now, with Jeff and Chris Klein, we can get in behind defenses and that keeps defenses honest with us."
