A lot has gone on since the Houston Dynamo last played a MLS match. The Dynamo have not played a competitive match since their 2-0 loss at Seattle on March 23rd. While there was no on field action for the Dynamo there was plenty of off field happenings.
Midfielders Colin Clark and Adam Moffat were both suspended for incidents in the Seattle match. Clark received a three game suspension for his well documented use of a homophobic slur while Moffat got one game for a reckless tackle. If those weren’t big enough blows to the Houston midfield, Brad Davis suffered a calf injury in training this week and has been ruled out for the match against Chicago.
The Dynamo depth will be tested with the possibility of being without three of their four starting midfielders. With Moffat out in the middle look for Luiz Camargo to return to the starting lineup and JeVaughn Watson moving outside to fill Clark’s spot on the wing. Nathan Sturgis will likely get his first start for the Dynamo alongside Camargo in the center midfield. With Davis out, youngster Alex Dixon will be his likely replacement. The 22 year old native Houstonian burst onto the scene last season when he scored a winner against Real Salt Lake in the 93rd minute.
The good news for the Dynamo is that their defense remains intact. After not allowing a goal in their first two matches this season (wins), the Dynamo surrendered two quick goals to Seattle in their only defeat. The defense will have to be on its heels as former Houston forward Dominic Oduro leads the Chicago attack. Oduro has always had speed but his recent new found nose for the goal has made him one of the most dangerous attackers in Major League Soccer.
The Dynamo forwards have yet to score a goal this season. With Davis out one has to wonder where the goals will come from. The offense runs through Davis and relies on his service. Brian Ching will start at one of the forwards but I feel we need to see a change alongside him. Former Fire forward Calen Carr, acquired in a trade for Oduro, would be a good pairing with Ching. Carr has a lot of pace, something the Dynamo offense lacks. Carr is a fan favorite in Chicago and will likely be motivated to play at Toyota Park in front of the Fire faithful.
If the Dynamo want to win this big match up against an Eastern Conference rival they will have to get the offense going. After a 5-0 win last week against PDL team Laredo Heat the offense will have come confidence. All five goals were scored by forwards, a great sign going forward. While the Dynamo come off a 2-0 loss in their last match, the Fire do as well, losing to Colorado two weeks ago.
As a reminder this is the 4th game on a season opening 7 game road trip for the Dynamo. If you haven’t seen the progress of the beautiful BBVA Compass Stadium, go to houstondynamo.com and check it out. I would not be surprised by a draw in this game unless the Dynamo offense can get going early. With a makeshift midfield in place it’s hard to see us winning this game. Never say never though. A 1-1 draw would be a good result here.
(image courtesy of houstondynamo.com)
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