Pick the Houston Dynamo Lineup against the New York Red Bulls

The Houston Dynamo return to BBVA Compass Stadium following a bye week which saw several Dynamo players go on stints with their respective national teams. In their previous game the Dynamo took on the Portland Timbers on the road. It seemed almost too good to be true after an incredible first half performance. A questionable penalty kick decision in favor of the Timbers led to an early 1-0 deficit for Houston, but the Dynamo rebounded well with a penalty scored of their own and a goal in stoppage time to take the lead. However, things would sour in the second half as the Dynamo sat in and allowed the Timbers to pass the ball around them and back into the game. The Dynamo ended up losing 4-2 in their first road game and they’re hoping to get back to their early winning ways in front of their home fans when they take on the New York Red Bulls.

Despite having the advantage of a week’s rest over the Red Bulls (seriously MLS, scheduling needs to be a little better), our international players have been involved in matches earlier this week which negates some of the benefits of having a week off. In fact, Corey Roepken reported that Wilmer Cabrera stated it is not automatic that internationals Alberth Elis and Adolfo Machado were not locks to start given the minutes they’ve played this week. While I believe both will get the start, the World Cup Qualifying matches were less kind to Honduran Romell Quioto who suffered a dislocated shoulder against the United States. Quioto, who is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, has been one of the top performing players for the Dynamo as his 3 goals in 3 games is among the league leaders (along with Cubo Torres who has the same goal tally).

The injuries continue as central defender Agus re-injured his hamstring that he was coming back from, goalkeeper Joe Willis remains sidelined, and central defensive midfielder Juan David Cabezas suffered a concussion and will miss the game against RBNY. Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera is likely to fill Cabezas’s void with Eric Alexander, something that he did in the opening two matches which were both wins. Filling in the left wing spot left by Quioto is a bit harder to do, but Cabrera does have some quality options at his disposal. The player most fans would like to see get extra minutes is Mauro Manotas. He isn’t a left winger, but played some games last preseason in the right midfield position so it’s not totally out of the question to put him on the left. The most natural fit would be Andrew Wenger as he’s capable of playing just about anywhere across the top line. Another option is Vicente Sanchez, who was a substitute for Quioto in the opening game.

My Projected Starting Lineup

So who do you want to see face the New York Red Bulls? Let us know and feel free to share your choices in the comments section below!