Houston Dynamo at New England Revolution Preview: Dynamo hit the road full of confidence

The Dynamo are hoping to make it four wins out of five when they make their way to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Revolution. The young MLS season has produced a number of intriguing storylines, and perhaps none have surprised more than the Cubo Torres-led Houston attack. The Dynamo have found the back of the net 11 times, tied with Atlanta for second most in the league behind Portland’s 13, and Torres currently leads the race for MLS Golden Boot with 6 goals after his brilliant performance against the New York Red Bulls.

When news broke that Romell Quioto suffered a dislocated shoulder while featuring for his native Honduras against the United States, Dynamo fans were fearful that their side’s quick, counter-attacking style of play might experience a downturn against the Red Bulls. However, the Dynamo had no interest in slowing up in his absence. The men in orange cruised to a 4-1 win fueled by defender Dylan Remick’s first MLS goal and a Torres hat-trick that earned him Alcatel MLS Player of the Week honors. The Dynamo certainly seem to have bought into coach Wilmer Cabrera’s philosophy and his 4-3-3 has worked to perfection, evidenced by the ability to quickly transition from defense to attack through pacy frontmen Quioto, Alberth Elis, and Mauro Manotas. Midfielder Alex has also seen his stock rise under the new Dynamo boss. After managing only 2 assists in 30 appearances last season, Alex has facilitated 4 of Houston’s goals and is tied with Montreal’s Patrice Bernier for most assists in the league.

Meanwhile, the Revolution have collected only 4 points from a possible 12 with their lone win coming against newcomers Minnesota United. However, the Revolution followed that 5-2 romp with a second positive result in a 1-1 draw at Portland last Sunday, and they will be hoping that three points against the Dynamo can kickstart their season. New England’s second half performance was particularly impressive, holding the Timbers to zero shots on target before Lee Nguyen silenced Providence Park when he hammered home a rebound in the 84th minute to snatch a valuable away point. Although the Revs have struggled to find the net early on, they have created plenty of chances and have at times simply lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. With offensive weapons such as Nguyen, Juan Agudelo, Diego Fagundez, and Kei Kamara, the Revs are more than capable of punishing any MLS defense, so the Dynamo back line will definitely have its hands full.

Saturday’s matchup provides an opportunity for the Dynamo to win in New England for just the third time in twelve attempts. Their last league meeting at Gillette Stadium was a wild affair that involved nearly three hours in weather delays and a last-gasp finish from Daigo Kobayashi that gave each side a share of the spoils in a 3-3 draw.

Saturday’s kickoff is slated for 1:00 pm CST.