Houston Dynamo are back in action with the Colorado Rapids coming to town

The Houston Dynamo have not played since their 3-3 away draw with FC Dallas on August 23^rd. What was supposed to be a double game week for Houston turned into just the away fixture in Frisco due to Hurricane Harvey which devastated the Houston area and much of the Texas Gulf Coast. The match against Sporting Kansas City which was scheduled for the weekend Harvey rolled into town has been pushed back to October 11^th.

It’s incredibly important to remember that this is just a game (even if it means a lot to us) and that there are still people out there that are still affected by Harvey. Still, this game being played and the tremendous acts of kindness we’ve seen from Houstonians and people from all over takes us a step closer to not only getting back to where we were, but to a stronger place. The Dynamo and Dash organization has done a lot by utilizing BBVA Compass Stadium as a place for donations and the Dynamo are donating $5 from every ticket this Saturday to go towards Harvey relief.

The Last Few Games

The Dynamo and Rapids have been on very different paths since they last met July 1^st in Colorado. The Rapids were able to best the Dynamo to the tune of 3-1 with goals for Colorado coming from Kevin Doyle and a brace for Marlon Hairston. The lone goal scorer for Houston was Cubo Torres before the half. The game felt very “road Dynamo” in that they dug themselves a bit of a hole, climbed out by halftime, and then were caught napping for the 2^nd 45 minutes. Since then though the Rapids have not won a game and only picked up 3 points in 9 games. Their draws were impressive as they got points in Frisco and in Toronto while going level with Vancouver in Colorado, but there were a lot of points left on the table for the Rapids who are currently at the bottom of the league. The Rapids are 0-11-2 on the road this season as they remain the only other side apart from the New England Revolution to fail to get a win away from home.

Houston on the other hand had their longest unbeaten run of the year and only lost 1 game of their 8 outings following their loss to Colorado. These are teams in very different positions which should make for an entertaining match. The Dynamo currently sit 5^th in the ultra competitive and tight Western Conference and a win would help them remain competitive with the teams at the top. The Rapids are, as mentioned above, at the bottom of the West and are looking to snap their winless streak. They should not be slept on because they have some dangerous pieces, but the Dynamo should be the favorites coming into this one.

International Players Return

While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, players are likely to be back and available for selection following a brief international window for World Cup Qualifying. The Colorado Rapids should have GK Tim Howard back who represented the US along with defender Mekeil Williams who played with Trinidad and Tobago.

The Dynamo should have LB DaMarcus Beasley (USA), CB Adolfo Machado (Panama), and our Honduran trio with forward Alberth Elis, forward Romell Quioto, and midfielder Oscar Boniek Garcia back and available, but it’s unknown how they’ll be utilized. Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera has not been shy to rest his players so we could see Dylan Remick in at LB, Mauro Manotas, Cubo Torres, and either Memo Rodriguez, Vicente Sanchez, or Andrew Wenger up top.

When to Start Tomas Martinez?

Another fun question is when and where to start Tomas Martinez. In the last game against FC Dallas our newest playmaker and designated player brought a lot of creativity off the bench and was a big reason the Dynamo were able to come back and get a draw in a huge rivalry match. The big question is if he’s ready to start, and I believe he has had plenty of training and enough games off the bench for him to be considered start worthy, where does he go. Most fans agree that it won’t be for Juan David Cabezas and will likely be for Ricardo Clark or Alex if we keep the same formation. This would be a good time against a low opponent on the table to see Martinez get the go, but we’ll have to wait to find out.

Another bit of trivia coming into this game is that Corey Roepken of the Houston Chronicle tweeted out that the Dynamo were 2 goals shy of tying their single season goal scoring total. There’s still a bit of season left to go (8 games!) so that shows you how much this team has been scoring goals.

The Dynamo will kickoff against the Colorado Rapids at 7:30 PM CT at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, TX