THE BASICS
Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake
Saturday, April 30, 2016, 8:30 p.m. CT
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
BROADCAST INFORMATION
HoustonDynamo.com/live - 8:00 p.m.
650 AM / Radio.com app - 8:00 p.m.
Univision Radio 1010 AM - 8:00 p.m.
PREVIEW
A pair of clubs which have gotten off to opposite starts meet in a Western Conference clash when Real Salt Lake play host to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real saw their undefeated opening to the season come to an end last weekend, dropping a 5-2 decision to the LA Galaxy at StubHub Center. The Dynamo saw their winless run stretched to five games off a lone victory of the year, falling 1-0 to Columbus Crew SC last Saturday on the road.
REFEREE: Nima Saghafi. AR1 (bench): Corey Rockwell; AR2 (opposite): Ian Anderson; 4th: Alan Kelly
MLS Career: 1 game; FC/gm: 30.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 1; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT, PRESENTED BY HOUSTON METHODIST (as of April 28)
HOUSTON DYNAMO—PROBABLE: Rob Lovejoy – Left hamstring strain; SUSPENDED: Tyler Deric; Alex Lima
REAL SALT LAKE—OUT: Omar Holness – shoulder separation; Phanuel Kavita – Right MCL; Boyd Okwuonu – concussion; Emery Welshman – hip flexor; QUESTIONABLE: Joao Plata – hip flexor; PROBABLE: Javier Morales – broken ribs; Olmes Garcia – Right ankle;Sunday Stephen – Right ankle; Juan Manuel Martinez – Right quad
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- ALL-TIME (21 meetings): Real 7 wins, 33 goals … Dynamo 9 wins, 29 goals … Ties 5
- AT SALT LAKE (10 meetings): Real 5 wins, 11 goals … Dynamo 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 4
- RETURN MATCHES: 5/14: Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m. CT; 9/17: Real Salt Lake vs. Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m. MT
- LAST YEAR (MLS): 7/18: RSL 2, HOU 0 (Morales 36; Plata 65); 9/12: HOU 1, RSL 3 (Davis 65 – Morales 47+; Sandoval 51; Martinez 68)
- RSL has won the last four meetings between the teams, including victories in both matchups a year ago, a 2-0 win July 18 at Rio Tinto Stadium, and a 3-1 win Sept. 12 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- RSL has taken points from their last seven home games vs. Houston, with four victories in that time. Real have won on their last two visits to Houston – their first wins ever there. They suffered eight defeats and one draw in their first nine road games against the Dynamo.
- Coaches record: Jeff Cassar vs. HOU: P3 W3 L0 T0 … Owen Coyle vs. RSL: P2 W0 L2 T0
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo had their winless run extended to five games, falling by the game’s only goal in a loss to Columbus Crew SC on Saturday evening at Mapfre Stadium. The Dynamo are in 10th place in the Western Conference with 5 points from 7 games.
LAST GAME
- The game's only goal came early on. In the 18th minute, Dynamo goalkeeper fouled Crew SC playmaker Federico Higuain in the area, earning a penalty kick and straight red card for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity from referee Kevin Stott. Kei Kamara beat replacement 'keeper Joe Willis from the spot for the eventual game-winner.
- Crew SC goalkeeper Steve Clark was called upon to make two saves in keeping the clean sheet.
- Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle made five changes to the team that fell 4-1 to the LA Galaxy on Friday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. Tyler Deric came in between the posts for Joe Willis, Sheanon Williams and Agus started in the back four for Jalil Anibaba and David Horst, and Collen Warner and Boniek Garcia came into the midfield, replacing Cristian Maidana and Will Bruin.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-1-4-1): Tyler Deric (ejected 18) - Sheanon Williams (David Horst 75), Raul Rodriguez, Agus, DaMarcus Beasley - Collen Warner (Joe Willis 70) - Andrew Wenger, Ricardo Clark, Alex, Boniek Garcia (Abdoulie Mansally 61) - Giles Barnes.
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo saw their winless run extended to five games, since their only victory of the season, with a second successive loss in the defeat by Crew SC.
- It was a second 1-0 defeat in the last four matches for the Dynamo; they have allowed four goals in their two losses for the season.
- “What I do know is that when we go and win that next game, it will be two or three or four on the bounce,” Dynamo head coach Owen Coyle said. “We’ve got firepower; we can score goals. We have to get better defensively. … When we bring it all together 11v11, we’ve got no fear of who we play next.”
- Tyler Deric made his first start of the season between the posts, his first start since the penultimate game of last season, the last of his 31 starts in league play. But he lasted just 18 minutes before he was sent off, meaning he will serve a one-match ban for the Real match.
- “The terminology for red cards is to deny a clear goal-scoring opportunity … which it’s not,” Coyle said. “Higuain is a wonderful player, but I’d be struggling to think that [Lionel] Messi could score with his first touch when we’ve got two men back on our line. So we felt very harshly dealt with to receive a red card from that.”
- Agús made his MLS and Dynamo debut, coming into central defense and playing the full 90 minutes.
- Sheanon Williams also made his first start of the season, coming in at right back and playing 75 minutes.
- Collen Warner made his first start of the season and his Dynamo debut, coming into a deep-lying central midfield role behind a pair of midfielders in a new-look scheme. But Warner was sacrificed after just 20 minutes after the ejection of goalkeeper Deric.
- Boniek Garcia returned to the starting lineup for the first time since March 19, starting in a wide left attacking role and playing 61 minutes.
