Dynamo face Chivas with much at stake
Houston tied with Chivas, LA for West's top spot
"It's a big game and it's the final game of the year," said forward Cam Weaver. "We need the win to have a chance at the top spot. We also want to be firing on all cylinders to get ready for the playoffs. We want to make sure we're playing our best."
The good news for the Dynamo is that, thanks to the MLS schedule-maker, Houston will be allowed to see what happens Saturday night in the rest of the league before having to play on Sunday. Houston can end up anywhere between the first seed in the Western Conference and the fourth seed, and the results of matches with the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday will go a long way in letting the Dynamo know exactly what is at stake when they take the field.
"Last Sunday we let it slip out of our hands and took it out of our control," said Dynamo 'keeper Pat Onstad. "We have to sit back now and see how the results go. We will have better thoughts after Saturday night when we see the standings and what the game means and it will be a good test leading into the playoffs."
If the Dynamo win on Sunday and the LA Galaxy do not, Houston will be the top seed in the Western Conference. For the Dynamo, the real goal is to play host to the conference championship.
"[Hosting the] first round, there is not really much of an advantage, let's be honest," said Onstad. "Obviously you are fighting for the conference championship game."
To have a chance at home-field advantage, Houston will have to beat Chivas USA on Sunday. Going into the game, the Dynamo know that maintaining possession will go a long way in helping contain Chivas USA's possession-oriented attack.
"We watched the game [Thursday] night and they are a strong team," said Geoff Cameron. "We know what to expect and how they play and they are a possession team just like us."
"They are a good team that plays well at home and keeps the ball well," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "So when we have it, we have to keep it for ourselves. We also have to maintain our shape. Disciplined defending is important because they keep the ball well for openings and their movement off the ball is very good."
The Dynamo might have a more difficult time in possession due to some injuries that are still lingering. Ricardo Clark is left with the tough decision between pushing himself to be ready for an extremely important regular season game or to give himself another week to recover in advance of the playoffs. The team will also be without Danny Cruz and Corey Ashe who are recovering, but won't be available for this weekend's game. Weaver will likely be available as an option off the bench for Houston.
"[My recovery] is going all right," Clark said. "Still seeing if I can go on Sunday and strengthen my knee and want to feel 100 percent confident before I go out there and play. Being smart about it is also a factor. I don't want to risk not being ready for the playoffs."
Regardless of whether Clark can go, Sunday's game will have all the necessary ingredients of a playoff game. Both teams will likely be playing to win, will be playing for seeding, and both teams will be hoping to build some momentum heading into the playoffs.
"It's going to be a good battle and it will make for a good game," said Ricardo Clark. "It's tight in the top and that is what MLS is all about. Coming down to the end it is always a battle with teams and no predictions, but it will be a good game."
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
