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MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Game Notes: Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution - Saturday, March 31

March 29, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


HOUSTON - The Houston Dynamo return home on Saturday evening to host the New England Revolution in an interconference tilt and will be looking to return to their winning ways at home, where they are 13-2-4 under head coach Wilmer Cabrera since the beginning of last season.

After having two weeks to think about their last outing, a frustrating 2-2 draw at D.C. United which was decided on a 97th-minute equalizer by the Black-and-Red, the Dynamo will no doubt be ready and raring to go on Saturday when they take the field.

The Dynamo attack has picked up where it left off last season, with seven goals through three games thanks in large part to the play of forward Alberth Elis. The 22-year-old Honduran international has played a role in five of Houston's seven goals this year, with two goals of his own and three assists. Against D.C., Elis was a one-man wrecking crew over the span of 120 seconds when he stole the ball inside the United third and scored an unassisted goal, then picked off another ball moments after kickoff and set up forward Mauro Manotas for Houston's second. Although Elis is grabbing the headlines, Manotas is quietly off to a strong start as well. After scoring six goals in 2016 (all in the last eight games) and 10 a year ago, the 22-year-old Colombian looks like a strong bet to see his season total go up yet again in 2018.

The Dynamo defense will welcome back Adolfo Machado, who spent the international break in Europe with the Panama national team as they began preparations for the 2018 World Cup with a pair of friendlies. The back line will have its hands full on Saturday as they face a New England attack led by U.S. national teamers Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury, Lee Nguyen and Kelyn Rowe. The Revs are coming off an impressive 2-2 draw at New York City FC last weekend in which Agudelo and midfielder Diego Fagundez found the net.

Fagundez in particular has thrived early on under new head coach Brad Friedel's high-pressing system, with two goals on the young campaign. A pair of offseason international acquisitions have also paid early dividends for Friedel's side. French midfielder Wilfried Zahibo, who joined the club from Valencia in Spain, and Ecuadorian winger Cristian Panilla, acquired on loan from Pachuca in Mexico, have each registered a pair of assists on the young season.

While the Dynamo will certainly pay close attention to New England's bevy of attacking threats, the team's primary focus over the last two weeks has been on continuing to improve on what they want to do and cleaning up their own mistakes. Saturday's match marks the first opportunity to get off the training ground and back into game action, and the Dynamo will look to reap the rewards of all of that hard work and preparation.

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