Preview: Dynamo look to keep home streak alive vs. Impact

HOUSTON DYNAMO vs MONTREAL IMPACT
BBVA COMPASS STADIUM, Houston, Texas
July 21, 2012 (WEEK 20, MLS Game #192)
8:30 p.m. ET (KPRC-2; TVA)

The Houston Dynamo and Montreal Impact meet for the second time this season in a crucial match for both clubs in the Eastern Conference. The Dynamo finish off their homestand after extended their overall undefeated run to five games at midweek, in a 2-1 win against Sporting KC. The Impact hit the road after a buoying victory, defeating New England 2-1, also at midweek. Montreal claimed a 4-2 win in the first meeting between the clubs a month ago.

REFEREE: David Gantar. SAR (bench): Adam Garner; JAR (opposite): Scott Kachmarik; 4th: Armando Villarreal
MLS Career: 10 games; FC/gm: 27.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 6; pens: 1

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INJURY REPORT:

• HOUSTON DYNAMO -- QUESTIONABLE: MF Adam Moffat (R adductor strain)
• MONTREAL IMPACT -- OUT: DF Matteo Ferrari (R quad strain); DF Nelson Rivas (abdomen); FW Bernardo Corradi (L knee ACL tear); FW Andrew Wenger (L hamstring strain)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

SUSPENDED: none

WARNINGS:

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: MTL: Collen Warner

SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: HOU: Calen Carr, Corey Ashe ... MTL: Bernardo Corradi

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (1 meeting): Dynamo 0 wins, 2 goals ... Impact 1 win, 4 goals ... Ties 0
FUTURE MATCH: 10/6: Houston Dynamo vs. Montreal Impact, 7:30 p.m. CT

• The teams are meeting for the second time in less than a month. Davy Arnaud had a goal and an assist and Felipe set up two more as the Impact posted a 4-2 win June 23 at Stade Saputo.
• Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. MTL: P1 W0 L1 T0 ... Jesse Marsch vs. HOU: P1 W1 L0 T0

LAST MEETING (MLS):
6/23: MTL 4, HOU 2 (Nyassi 4; Arnaud 21; Camara 60; Bernier 67 -- Davis 16; Bruin 45)

• The Impact led after just four minutes. Felipe released Sanna Nyassi into space behind the Houston defense, and as he tried to round Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall, he stumbled and fell but had time to lift his head and see the ball somehow trickle into the empty net.
• The Dynamo were level, though, in the 16th minute after Patrice Bernier tripped Colin Clark on the edge of the box. From the free kick, Brad Davis unleashed a left footed curler towards the top right corner which Donovan Ricketts could not fully stop.
• Yet five minutes later the Impact were back in front. Jeb Brovsky released Justin Mapp on the left of the box, where he crossed towards Davy Arnaud who outjumped Corey Ashe to nod the ball home.
• But just before halftime the score was again level. Brian Ching played an exquisite through ball and Will Bruin lashed it home from inside the area.
• The Impact came out after the break by winning a long series of corner kick, one of which produced the eventual winner as Hassoun Camara volleyed home at the back post.
• The Dynamo's Geoff Cameron then conceded a penalty which Bernier duly converted to make it 4-2 in the 67th minute. The visitors ended the game a man short after Adam Moffat was shown a straight red card for a rough foul on Felipe in the 73rd minute.
• MONTREAL IMPACT (4-2-3-1): Donovan Ricketts - Zarek Valentin, Nelson Rivas (Shavar Thomas 62), Hassoun Camara, Jeb Brovsky - Patrice Bernier, Collen Warner - Davy Arnaud (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 88), Felipe Martins, Justin Mapp - Sanna Nyassi (Eduardo Sebrango 88).
• HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-4-2): Tally Hall - Andre Hainault, Geoff Cameron, Bobby Boswell, Corey Ashe - Colin Clark (Brian Ownby 62), Adam Moffat (sent off 73), Je-Vaughn Watson (Luiz Camargo 51), Brad Davis - Will Bruin, Brian Ching (Warren Creavalle 81).

HOUSTON DYNAMO

The Houston Dynamo stretched their unbeaten run to five games, getting a late goal for a 2-1 win against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points from 20 games.

HIGHLIGHTS: Carr saves the day for Houston
LAST MATCH

• The Dynamo took the lead in the 25th minute following a 23-pass sequence. Will Bruin took an Andre Hainault ball into the box and slotted a pass to Calen Carr, who had little trouble placing the ball past SKC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.
• Sporting evened terms in the 41st minute. After Teal Bunbury was fouled from behind in the box by Hainault, prompting referee Mark Kadlecik to point to the spot, Kei Kamara converted the resulting penalty.
• But just before halftime, SKC were reduced in numbers when Peterson Joseph was sent off for a sweeping, two-footed tackle from behind on Carr.
• The home side hit for the winner in the 79th minute. After setting Brad Davis up out wide, Carr made a run in the box for the return ball, collided with the pass in a mass of bodies and watched it trickle into the goal.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that rolled to a 4-0 win against D.C. United at BBVA Compass Stadium. Warren Creavalle came into the midfield for Geoff Cameron, and Calen Carr started in place of Luiz Camargo.
• HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-3-3): Tally Hall - Andre Hainault, Jermaine Taylor, Bobby Boswell, Corey Ashe - Boniek Garcia, Warren Creavalle (Luiz Camargo 68), Brad Davis - Calen Carr, Will Bruin (Brian Ownby 78), Macoumba Kandji (Brian Ching 60).

TEAM NEWS

The Dynamo remained unbeaten in their BBVA Compass Stadium home, now 6-0-3 in league play, one of two teams without a loss in MLS games at home (New York Red Bulls are also 6-0-3).

"This homestand has been good to us so far. The guys have been playing well, giving all they can and it's good to see us climbing the table a little bit," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear.

The win extended the Dynamo's league home unbeaten streak to 17 games, tied for the fifth-longest in MLS history, and tied for the longest in club history (June 26, 2008-June 20, 2009). The MLS record is 29 games, held by Real Salt Lake.

Taking the Lead: Brian Ching

"I think with the three-point rule, if you go on a winning streak, the three point rule is such a big boost. If you put wins together you can either create a gap on teams behind you or pick up points on teams in front of you," Kinnear said. "Yes, we have had red cards in both games but it's against D.C. and Kansas City and if you don't pick up the win they will jump farther ahead of you."

The Dynamo saw their shutout streak come to an end at 356 minutes with the penalty kick, the fourth-longest in MLS this season (Vancouver, with 426 from the start of the season, was the longest).

"Obviously, the turning point in the last two games has been the red cards. Who knows what would have happened if it was 11 v. 11. When it's 11 on 10, I fancy our chance to win every game we play here up a man," said defender Bobby Boswell.

Calen Carr was making his first start since June 16, missing five games with a hamstring injury before coming on as a substitute against D.C. United. Carr did not start until May 7 while overcoming a concussion.

"He is a good player. He makes good runs. I thought his finish on the first goal was real good. His finish on the second goal was him attacking the ball and getting the right bounce," said Kinnear. "You can play him out wide or out front. He is versatile and his pace causes problems. He is an intelligent player who makes good runs off the ball and I think you saw on both goals he saw the space he was given and attacked it pretty well."

Will Bruin contributed his second assist of the season, his first since April 21, to go with his team-high 10 goals.

"Tonight, we needed someone to step up," Boswell said. "Dom said at halftime, 'Who's gonna step up?' and tonight it was Calen. He's a good player and he makes great runs and he's a good guy, too. He works hard and, when he's out there, he's dangerous. We're glad to have him back because he's another weapon in our arsenal."

MONTREAL IMPACT

The Montreal Impact won for a second consecutive match before their home fans, defeating the New England Revolution 2-1 on Wednesday evening at Stade Saputo. The Impact are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points from 22 matches.

HIGHLIGHTS: Impact pull out the win vs. NE
LAST MATCH

• The Impact took in the 28th minute on a penalty kick from Patrice Bernier, but not before referee Fotis Bazakos had the attempt re-taken not once, but twice.
• The Revolution pulled even a minute before halftime. Lee Nguyen hammered a blast from long range that hit the crossbar and rebounded off the legs of an airborne Donovan Ricketts and into the back of the net.
• But the Impact scored the winner in the 67th minute. Justin Mapp flighted in a cross from the left flank and Sanna Nyassi, standing at the far post, blasting a first-time volley past goalkeeper Matt Reis at the near post.
• Impact head coach Jesse Marsch made two changes to the team that saw Philadelphia Union score a late winner for a 2-1 victory at PPL Park. Dennis Iapichino came into the back four for Zarek Valentin, and Sanna Nyassi started in midfield for Collen Warner.
• MONTREAL IMPACT (4-2-3-1): Donovan Ricketts - Jeb Brovsky, Shavar Thomas, Hassoun Camara, Dennis Iapichino (Zarek Valentin 70)- Patrice Bernier, Felipe Martins - Sanna Nyassi, Justin Mapp, Davy Arnaud (Collen Warner 80) - Marco Di Vaio (Eduardo Sebrango 90).

TEAM NEWS

While the Impact have gone 12 games without a clean sheet, they have allowed four goals over the past three games, after allowing 13 in the previous five (and three goals each in three consecutive games).

"We were all about being hard to play against and defending. Our team stayed focused, didn't feel sorry for them and responded very well in the second half. There was a confidence on the field tonight, so there was no panic," said Impact head coach Jesse Marsch.

The penalty converted by Patrice Bernier was the Impact's seventh of the season (from seven attempts). The all-time MLS record for penalty kick goals in a season is D.C. United's nine in 2005.

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"I was confident that if Patrice had to take the penalty kick 10 times, he would have scored every one. Patrice has shown a great proficiency in taking penalties and the whole team has confidence in him in those positions,"said Marsch.

With Sanna Nyassi back in the team, Felipe moved into the deep-lying central midfield role alongside Bernier, with Justin Mapp in the attacking role behind Marco Di Vaio, and Davy Arnaud and Nyassi on the flanks.

"Regardless of where we put guys on the field, there's still a tactical understanding of how we want to play," Marsch said. "It's most important to have good reactions and, when things happen, how quickly we can assess what's going on and then react."

Dennis Iapichino made his first MLS start, coming in on the left of the back four, and contributed his first assist.

"I felt good here from the first day. Everyone has treated me well. I know Felipe, and there are many who speak Italian here, so it's been pretty easy to get into the group," Iapichino said.

The Impact have lost five games and drawn three games after scoring the opening goal, the 21 lost points the most in MLS. But they came back to net the winner vs. New England.

"I think we are moving ourselves along, but overall I think there is a little disappointment in some of our performances because we feel we are a good team," said Marsch. "We don't use the 'expansion' word anymore. We try to emphasize coming together as a group and how to deal with tough moments, and make adjustments, but the best part that after a crushing defeat last Saturday, we came back with a good performance."