Back home looking for three points: 3 things to watch

The Dynamo drew in their last match. Copy. Paste. Ok, maybe it just feels like that but after their 8th draw of the 2021 season, the Dynamo return home to BBVA Stadium tonight to face off with Real Salt Lake. RSL is coming off a 3-0 thumping of their rivals, the Colorado Rapids, and currently sit in 7th place in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Houston. Tonight’s game will air locally on QuestTexas channel 55 with pre-game coverage beginning at 7:00 PM CT.

The Boys Are Back in Town

With Canada, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador now eliminated from the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Dynamo will get all five of their players back from international duty who were at the tournament. Darwin Ceren and Ari Lassiter reported to training on Tuesday after reaching the knockout round. Boniek Garcia and Maynor Figueroa returned to Houston after leading Honduras to the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Tyler Pasher returns to the Dynamo after earning his first international cap with Canada and reaching the semifinals of the tournament. The Canadians lost on Thursday night at NRG Stadium here in Houston to a last-minute goal by Mexico, so Pasher is probably the least likely to feature tonight, although he did not see any playing time in the semifinal loss.

Corey Comes to Town

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Dynamo acquired forward/winger Corey Baird from LAFC on Friday, sending $750,000 in allocation money and an international roster spot next season to Los Angeles. Baird arrived in Houston and will be available tonight against the team he began his Major League Soccer career with. The California native spent the 2018-2020 seasons with Real Salt Lake, scoring 15 goals for the Claret and Cobalt. Baird’s last start for LAFC came on July 3, against RSL as well, so he will likely be eager to get back on the field and take on his old friends.

Slip, Slipping Away

I feel like I keep saying this but the Dynamo have not won since May 22 and their run of draws and losses has pushed Houston out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. The Dynamo currently sit in 9th place in the West on Saturday morning, 3 points behind tonight’s opponent Real Salt Lake for 7th place and the last playoff spot. The team needs to start winning and picking up three points in chunks or their slide down the table will continue. If they continue to slide much more during these summer months, the playoffs could fall out of reach by the time we see fall temperatures arrive in Texas.