The Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes tonight at BBVA Compass Stadium for the third and final meeting of the season. Limited tickets remain for the match and are available here and the stadium box office. The game will be broadcast live on ROOT SPORTS SW alternate channel and can be heard on Yahoo Sports Radio 1560 AM and in Spanish on La Ranchera 850 AM and 101.7 FM. Here are some notes ahead of the game.
• Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle will have some lineup decision to make. Nathan Sturgis is suspended after his red card last week at Sporting Kansas City, and three players carry injury concerns: Ricardo Clark (doubtful, left hamstring strain), Will Bruin (questionable, left knee effusion) and Tyler Deric (questionable, right foot contusion).
• With Bruin’s knee swelling, Erick Torres could make his first Dynamo start. Coyle could also elect to start Bruin and Torres together for the first time.
• Boniek Garcia gained another full week of training and could feature for the first time since June 5, when he came on at halftime and scored and provided two assists against the Red Bulls. Garcia has missed the last seven games due to the Gold Cup and an adductor injury.
• Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear has two injury worries of his own. Veteran center back Clarence Goodson and Argentinian playmaker Matias Perez Garcia are both questionable with left leg injuries. Garcia has drawn 61 fouls this season, the most in MLS, and has six assists in his last 11 MLS games.
• Earthquakes forward Quincy Amarikwa has three goals in four games since he arrived in a trade with the Chicago Fire in early July.
• For the fourth consecutive game, the Dynamo have several available players on yellow-card warning and would be suspended for next weekend’s games if they receive a caution tonight. Ricardo Clark, Kofi Sarkodie and Giles Barnes must avoid a yellow card tonight. On the positive side, Raul Rodriguez was awarded the “good behavior bonus” after playing three straight games without a caution and is no longer on warning. The Earthquakes do not have any players on yellow card warning.
• The road team has won each of the first two games between the clubs this season. San Jose won 1-0 in Houston on May 5 and the Dynamo secured a 2-0 triumph at Avaya Stadium on July 10.
• San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski has scored 95 goals since the start of the 2010 season, the most by any player over a six-year span in MLS history (via SJ Earthquakes communications).
• Earthquakes midfielder and U.S. youth international Marc Pelosi could make his first MLS start tonight. The 21-year-old signed with San Jose on July 17 after four years with Liverpool in England. Pelosi never appeared for the Liverpool senior team but was a part of the U-18 and U-21 squads while dealing with various injuries. The California native was a part of the U.S. national team camp in January and also played with the U-23s at the Toulon Tournament in May.
• Will Bruin has 138 career starts in all competitions with the Dynamo and can tie Wade Barrett for ninth on club list with next his next start. Bruin also has 135 career regular season games with Houston and will tie Pat Onstad and Brian Mullan for sixth on the club list with his next appearance. Finally, Bruin has 135 career regular season starts with the Dynamo and will tie Brian Ching for eighth on the franchise list with his next start.
• Ricardo Clark has 233 career appearances in all competitions with the Dynamo and will tie Bobby Boswell for third on the club list with his next appearance.
