CONCACAF Champions League: Pick the Dynamo Lineup vs. Tigres UANL Leg 2

The Houston Dynamo played very well in the first leg of the CONCACAF Quarterfinals against Tigres UANL, but were unable to come away with a win at BBVA Compass Stadium. Now down two goals, they’ll have to go to Estadio Universitario and play an uphill game. The Dynamo have missed several players due to injury and the club has played a lot of games in just a few weeks due to CCL play overlapping with the beginning of the MLS regular season. During this stretch Wilmer Cabrera has largely kept the same players in use. That was until last Saturday’s win over the Montreal Impact where we finally saw some players get rest either altogether or by seeing limited minutes off the bench. Hopefully with players returning to health and several players rested they can get a positive result in Mexico this Tuesday.

Wilmer Cabrera has leaned on his attacking trio of Romell Quioto, Mauro Manotas, and Alberth Elis and he’ll need to do so again if the Dynamo want to win. This game needs to be taken one goal at a time, but we’ll need our front three getting lots of looks on goal.

In the midfield Tomás Martínez returned to the field last Saturday after missing time following some repeated hits against Real Salt Lake in the MLS season opener. Tomás played well against the Impact in his limited minutes as he set up Memo Rodríguez for the equalizing goal and he won balls in good positions of the field. I’d expect him to start and help provide more of a spark in midfield than Tommy McNamara who started in his place in the first leg. Matías Vera and Juan David Cabezas should start behind Tomás. Vera was suspended against the Impact and should be completely rested. Cabezas has missed out several games due to discomfort in his leg, but the team was targeting Saturday’s match against the Impact as a return date. Seeing as he didn’t play in that game, I think he may be finally ready to come back and be the difference maker that he is on the pitch.

DaMarcus Beasley did not play against the Impact and the US Men’s National Team legend should be a lock at left back. In central defense I think we see Maynor Figueroa and Kiki Struna paired together. Cabrera’s preferred starting central defense reunited against the Impact following Kiki Struna’s mysterious omission against Tigres in leg 1 due to “flu like symptoms”. A.J. DeLaGarza should be expected to be the starting right back with Joe Willis in goal.

My Projected Starting Lineup:

With players returning to health and several players rested, it was a little more straight forward to pick the strongest XI, but I want to know who you would pick. Let us know and please share your selections in the comment section below.