MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Three Points: Dynamo Welcome Philadelphia Union in East-West Showdown

Published on July 24, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


HOUSTON - The Houston Dynamo bring a 10-game home unbeaten streak across all competitions into BBVA Compass Stadium on Wednesday night when they host the Philadelphia Union at 8 p.m. CDT. Since head coach Wilmer Cabrera took charge prior to the 2017 season, the Dynamo are 23-5-7 at home in all competitions and 18-3-6 in MLS regular season games, giving them the third-highest home winning percentage in the league.

Houston and Philadelphia both find themselves hovering just below the playoff line in their respective conferences as the second half of the season gets underway. Philly is seventh in the Eastern Conference, while the Dynamo are eighth in the West. Both teams are just a couple of strong results away from vaulting into the top six, however, so the three points on the line Wednesday night will be crucial for both sides.

GAME INFORMATION:

MATCHUP: Houston Dynamo (7-6-6; 27 pts.) vs. Philadelphia Union (7-10-3; 24 pts.)

TIME: 8:00 p.m. CDT

TV: KUBE 57 (Channel Guide)

RADIO: SportsRadio 610 (English); Univision Radio 1010 AM (Spanish)

HERE ARE THREE KEY POINTS YOU'LL NEED TO KNOW AS YOU PREPARE FOR WEDNESDAY'S MATCH:

1. TESTING YOUR DEPTH - Both teams come into Wednesday's game on short rest after having played Saturday night. For the Dynamo, it's their fourth game in 10 days, while Philly is playing its third in seven days. Both managers will have to work to keep their players fresh and manage the wear-and-tear inflicted by the dog days of summer in Major League Soccer. While the front-line players receive all the headlines, Wednesday's contest may be decided by a player or two on either side who is hungry to earn more playing time with a strong showing mid-week.

2. MANOTAS HAS BEEN THE MAN - Since the beginning of July, Dynamo forward Mauro Manotas has been one of the most dangerous scoring threats in Major League Soccer. The 23-year-old Colombian had the game-tying goal in Houston's 1-1 draw against FC Dallas on the weekend, and had a brace in the Dynamo's 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal last Wednesday night. All told, he has eight goals in his last six appearances across all competitions, and he's already matched his career single-season high of 10 league goals with 15 games left to play.

3. OPEN CUP FINAL PREVIEW? - Wednesday's match may be an interesting example of game theory between the two managers. While the points are valuable in the playoff chase for both clubs, both Houston and Philly have also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Both teams will host their respective semifinal matches, which means that they could meet again in late September to play for the championship of American soccer. How much consideration each coach puts into that potential matchup and how much he opts to hold back just in case they meet again could be something worth watching tomorrow night.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 24, 2018


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