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The Houston Dynamo advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup following their 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids on June 30th. Many of you may remember it as the "2 hour delayed game" as fans had difficulty entering BBVA Stadium due to high waters in the area and there was a lengthy wait for the field to sufficiently drain. Still the teams were determined to play the game and though it ended 1-0 for the Dynamo, both teams had plenty of chances to pull a few goals away. The win featured a number of reserve players with Kofi Sarkodie and David Horst (captain) as the only players to see regular minutes with the first team. The game also featured one of our newest signings, Mauro Manotas, who was able to be the difference in the score line between the two sides.
The team will travel to Livestrong Park to play Sporting Kansas City, one of the most dominant teams of the tournament thus far. SKC last demolished our Texas rival, FC Dallas, 6-2 as an upcoming bye week allowed them to utilize a roster consisting largely of first team players.
Coyle's Starting XI against the Colorado Rapids
Both Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo are coming off games from the weekend and both clubs play this weekend, meaning tired legs will factor in for players logging too many minutes. The Dynamo will be without several starters that are injured or with their national teams including Giles Barnes, DaMarcus Beasley, Oscar Boniek Garcia, and Jermaine Taylor. With Kofi Sarkodie (red card) and Luis Garrido (yellow card accumulation) each earning suspensions in the Dynamo's loss to Real Salt Lake, they could be used to save fresh legs for our upcoming match against the rolling LA Galaxy.
Other players that are expected to miss out include winger Rob Lovejoy (hamstring) and Alex Lima , who suffered a broken nose in Sandy, Utah following a collision with Abdoulie Mansally. The Dynamo do have help coming in. Their big offseason signing, Erick Torres (Cubo) will be available and could play his first minutes in Orange against SKC and would provide the offense with a proven goal scorer.
It's unclear how Coyle will utilize his lineup against SKC given the short turnaround, but it will be an obstacle that both clubs have to face. Still, who do you want to see starting against SKC to help push the Dynamo to the Semifinals of the Open Cup? Factor in tired legs, suspensions, our upcoming match against the Galaxy, and of course Cubo. Let us know who is in your XI and be sure to comment below about your selections.