Dynamo welcome Rapids to Houston
Champs make Primetime Thursday debut in rematch
HOUSTON DYNAMO v COLORADO RAPIDS
ROBERTSON STADIUM, Houston, Texas
8 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
June 7, 2007 (WEEK 10) / MLS Game #58
The defending MLS Cup champions make their debut on MLS Primetime Thursday, as they play host to the Colorado Rapids in a rematch of last year's Western Conference Championship match. Dynamo put an end to a three-game losing streak at the weekend, continuing their in-state dominance with a win against FC Dallas. The Rapids saw their four-game unbeaten run come to and end, losing 2-1 to Toronto FC in Canada. It's the second meeting of the year between the teams; Dynamo coming back for a wild 3-1 win in Colorado on May 5.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Nate Clement; JAR (opposite): Bill Hurd; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
MLS Career: 60 games; FC/gm: 30.3; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 5; pens: 16
Games involving Dynamo: P5 W3 L1 T1; FC/gm: 33.4; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 2; pens: 0
Games involving Rapids: P9 W5 L3 T1; FC/gm: 29.0; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 1; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: FW Paul Dalglish (R ankle sprain) ... COLORADO RAPIDS - DOUBTFUL: DF Greg Vanney (L ankle sprain); DF Nico Colacula (L ankle sprain)
SUSPENDED: HOU: Pat Onstad (through June 8)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Kyle Beckerman, Herculez Gomez, Pablo Mastroeni
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: HOU: Dwayne De Rosario; Eddie Robinson
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: HOU: Brian Ching, Ricardo Clark (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); Pat Onstad, Dwayne De Rosario (Canada; CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... COL: Roberto Brown (Panama; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Dynamo 3 wins, 12 goals ... Rapids 1 win, 7 goals ... Draws 1
AT HOUSTON: (2 meetings): Dynamo 1 win, 8 goals ... Rapids 0 wins, 5 goals ... Draws 1
• This is the second of three meetings between the clubs this season, the only one set for Robertson Stadium. They will conclude the season series back in Colorado on Aug. 11.
• A year ago, Dynamo won the season series, winning twice, one on each ground, including a 5-2 triumph in the club's first ever game on April 2 at Robertson Stadium, which set the club record for goals in a game and margin of victory.
• The teams then met in the Western Conference Championship at Robertson Stadium on Nov. 5, Dynamo securing a magical conclusion to their inaugural season with a 3-1 victory and a berth in MLS Cup 2006 (Dalglish 10, 21; Mullan 71 - Kirovski 4)
• Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. COL: P13 W7 L2 D4 ... Fernando Clavijo vs. HOU: P5 W1 L3 D1
LAST MEETING:
5/5: COL 1, HOU 3 (Brown 5 - Ching 55; De Rosario 63, 68)
• The Rapids lost for the first time at their new Dick's Sporting Goods Park home, going ahead through an early goal only to be hit for three goals in 14 minutes in the second half in a 3-1 loss to Dynamo on May 5.
• The Rapids took a very early lead on a strange night in Commerce City. A free kick was driven into the area, and trickled through to where a pair of Rapids players were standing all alone in the heart of the box. The ball came to Roberto Brown, and he turned and stabbed it home after just five minutes.
• But after the break, Dynamo hit for a three-goal blitz to finally break out of their scoring slump. Brad Davis served in a low cross from the left and Brian Ching came sliding in to knock it home ahead of Rapids 'keeper Bouna Coundoul (55).
• Dwayne De Rosario then scored twice within six minutes. First, he took the ball near the center circle and went haring forward up the center of the field before driving a wicked blast that sailed past Coundoul to his right and into the upper corner of the goal (63).
• Then Ching tried to force a pass through from the right, saw the ball knocked away by Pablo Mastroeni in the goalmouth, then hit Coundoul and roll away toward the goal. De Rosario came sliding in to push the ball the final couple of inches over the line and make 3-1 for Colorado in the 68th minute.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Dan Gargan, Pablo Mastroeni, Mike Petke, Greg Vanney - Terry Cooke, Kyle Beckerman, Jovan Kirovski, Herculez Gomez - Roberto Brown (Nico Colaluca 72), Nicolas Hernandez (Conor Casey 61). Substitutes Not Used: Jose Cancela, Omar Cummings, Zach Thornton, Daniel Wasson, Chris Wingert
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Richard Mulrooney, Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Stuart Holden 91+) - Dwayne De Rosario - Brian Ching, Paul Dalglish (Alejandro Moreno 79). Substitutes Not Used: Kelly Gray, Patrick Ianni, Craig Waibel, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Houston Dynamo put an end to their three-game losing skid in the best possible fashion, coming from behind to claim a 2-1 victory against in-state rival FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Robertson Stadium. Dynamo now have 10 points from nine matches, remaining in fourth place in the Western Conference, a point behind Chivas USA and six adrift of conference-leading FCD.
LAST MATCH
• Dynamo had lost five of their last six games and scored just five goals on the season -- three in one game -- while FC Dallas saw a three-game winning run ended at Chivas USA the weekend before.
• But it was the Hoops that took the lead in the 30th minute, finishing off a great tic-tac-toe passing sequence. Abe Thompson started it, finding Kenny Cooper, who played to Dax McCarty, who slipped in Thompson who had completed his run, and the second-year forward rolled his shot under Houston 'keeper Pat Onstad.
• Yet Dynamo came storming back after the break. A poor clearance was intercepted by Brian Mullan and he found an unmarked Ricardo Clark in the area, who had plenty of time to turn and fire high inside the near post for the 51st-minute equalizer.
• Then in the 67th minute, Clark took a pass in the center circle and released Joseph Ngwenya, who raced away from the pulled-up FCD back line and stroked a curling shot around Dario Sala inside the right-hand post.
• There were tense moments for the home side after Onstad was sent off in the 78th minute when he took down FCD substitute Arturo Alvarez just outside the area after he raced in alone with an intercepted back pass. But Dynamo held on to remain perfect on their home ground against their Texas rivals, with four wins all-time in all competitions.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that lost 2-1 to D.C. United the Saturday before in the nation's capital. With Dwayne De Rosario away on national team duty, Richard Mulrooney moved into his place in central midfield, with Craig Waibel coming back into the team at right back.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-1-3-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Ricardo Clark - Brian Mullan, Richard Mulrooney, Brad Davis (Corey Ashe 62) - Joseph Ngwenya (Zach Wells 79), Brian Ching (Chris Wondolowski 88). Substitutes Not Used: Mike Chabala, Kelly Gray, Stuart Holden, Patrick Ianni
• "We defended pretty well, we broke out OK," Kinnear said. "I think it's a well deserved three points for the guys. It's a long time coming."
TEAM NEWS
• Clark was filling a slightly different role in central midfield along with Richard Mulrooney, with Dwayne De Rosario away with the Canadian national team. Clark is now leaving himself to join the U.S. team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
• "I have to take the blame on my part for the first goal, and I was disappointed. I think it was a drive for us in the second half to step up. As a team, I think we showed a lot of character," Clark said. "We got the two, and it was all over from there. We took it to them after that. It was definitely a relief (to get the goal). After my goal, we still needed one more goal and we had 40 more minutes to play, so that's what I was thinking."
• Onstad, who had played every minute in goal for Dynamo since the club's arrival in Texas, was relieved by Zach Wells. After the game, Onstad said denying the game-tying attempt was the only thing he was thinking about on the play.
• "The sacrifice was worth it," said Onstad, who was making his 74th consecutive start in goal. "If I don't take him down, Arturo is likely to score and there is not a lot of time to for us to try and come back win it. I think it's a different story if we're in the first couple minutes of the game because you might let him go and fight back. But, in this case, I had to take him down, and I'm glad he didn't get hurt. Even happier that we got the win."
• Said Kinnear: "If he's going to foul him he's got to come out of the box, and I think once he was out of the box he was committed to fouling him. In the end it turned out to be the right decision. We had to play with 10 men, but it all worked out."
• Just the second time Dynamo have scored multiple goals in a game this season, it was the second consecutive come-from-behind victory for the Orange. Both have come after being down 1-0 at halftime (the first the 3-1 win against the Colorado Rapids on May 5.
• "We've been through that situation a couple times this season being down at the half, but nobody put their head down," said Mulrooney. "We knew we could come back. We did in the Colorado game. To come back from behind in this league is tough. Most times you can come back and get a tie, but to come back and get a win against a team like Dallas ... we'll take our three points and learn from it and come back and play again on Thursday."
COLORADO RAPIDS The Colorado Rapids saw their four-game unbeaten streak come to an end and lost for the first time on the road since April 22, falling 2-1 to Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. The Rapids have 15 points from 10 matches, still in second place in the Western Conference, a point behind FC Dallas and four ahead of Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
• Toronto FC had followed two wins with a loss and a draw, and were missing a host of players through international duty. The Rapids were unbeaten in four games and had won their last two outings on their travels.
• In front of another lusty crowd at Exhibition Place, Danny Dichio put TFC in front in the ninth minute. Marvell Wynne did all the work on the right flank, turning the corner and skipping through two defenders before driving in a low ball that Dichio redirected home from close range.
• The Canadian outfit doubled the lead in the 29th minute. A corner came in from the left and center back Andrew Boyens rose up to nod it home, the first career MLS goal for the man who won his first cap for New Zealand the week before.
• The Rapids pulled a goal back just three minutes later. Conor Casey took the ball in midfield and slipped a ball for Herculez Gomez to run onto, and he sent an angled shot from the right side past MLS debutant Srdjan Djekanovic.
• TFC was forced to play the final nine minutes a man down after Kevin Goldthwaite was sent off with a straight red by referee Steven DePiero for an off-the-ball incident, but Colorado could not find an equalizer.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made one change to the team that defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 the previous Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Roberto Brown was away on international duty, and Conor Casey made his first league start with Colorado in his place.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Ugo Ihemelu, Mike Petke, Pablo Mastroeni, Chris Wingert (Omar Cummings 85) - Terry Cooke (Jacob Peterson 46), Kyle Beckerman, Jovan Kirovski (Dan Gargan 46), Nicolas Hernandez - Herculez Gomez, Conor Casey. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Cancela, Brandon Prideaux, Zach Thornton, Daniel Wasson
TEAM NEWS
• After the first half, Clavijo made a real change to his team. Jacob Peterson and Dan Gargan came in as Terry Cooke and Jovan Kirovski were replaced. Peterson came into the center of midfield as Gargan went to fullback with Chris Wingert moving forward into the midfield.
• "We had a very poor first half, we allowed them to control the ball, gain the momentum and they scored two quick goals," said Clavijo. "Second half was much better I thought - we had control but you can't allow teams like that playing at home, because of the fans that get them motivated, and we allowed them to do that."
• Pablo Mastroeni will be with the Rapids for the Dynamo match, as he will be suspended for the first two matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is an official continental competition; Mastroeni will be serving the suspension received in the last official competition, the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
• Conor Casey made his first start for the Rapids, in his fourth appearance since his arrival from Toronto FC - and the start came against the team that brought him to MLS.
• "I don't think we played very well. You know, the effort was there, we were working hard, but I don't think we did enough to win the game today," Casey said.
• Casey has also seen two of the best atmospheres in MLS this season in Commerce City and Toronto. "The crowd was amazing; I can't say anything against that. A great atmosphere to play in, I think it helped them out a little bit - but we just didn't do enough in the game to come out here and get a win."
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