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The Houston Dynamo are coming off 2 wins in 3 games and are hoping to carry that momentum into their road match against league bottom the Chicago Fire. Despite a very poor showing in their midweek game against the San Jose Earthquakes, the team rebounded with a satisfying rematch victory over Real Salt Lake which showcased plenty of attacking potential originally demonstrated earlier in the season. The Fire and Dynamo both sit in the bottom of their respective conferences and are anxious to gain points. While the Fire have had poor luck on the offensive end, they have maintained a respectable defense despite holding the fewest points in MLS. Meanwhile the Dynamo have struggled mightily on the road and will hope to take advantage of a lowly team.
In the Dynamo's previous match Head Coach Owen Coyle utilized a similar lineup with minor alterations to his backline which helped solidify a shutout. That included inserting the healthy DaMarcus Beasley back into the left back position and slotting Sheanon Williams at right back. The two did well to limit the crafty Joao Plata's movement in the RSL game and did well pushing up the field to create chances for the offense. The team utilized a high press style of play, specifically in the 2nd half against RSL, which granted the Dynamo possession higher up the field and plenty of chances on goal.
My Projected Lineup
In my projected lineup we see Tyler Deric come back into the starting goalkeeper position. Deric has made questionable decisions challenging opponents in 1v1 chances, but he definitely commands his back line well. Erick Torres is away with the Mexican U-23 squad so he will be unavailable, but Will Bruin can substitute well for him and provide holdup play up top. I don't expect to see many changes apart from those, but I would hope that the team continues to utilize its high press style to pen the Fire within their own half the way they did against RSL last week.
You never know what Coyle will deploy and to what effect so let us know who you would want to see lineup against the Chicago Fire. Is this game a must win? How would you put the team in to make it a guaranteed 3 points? Let us know below and feel free to share your formation and selections in the comment section!