Streaking Dynamo visit Red Bulls
Pair of sizzling clubs meet at Giants Stadium
Related
GIANTS STADIUM, E. Rutherford, N.J.
Aug. 24, 2008 | 3 p.m. ET (TeleFutura; MSG)
WEEK # 22 | GAME # 147
Two teams that have been on hot streaks recently come together for an interconference matchup as the Houston Dynamo travel to Giants Stadium to take on the New York Red Bulls. Since their midseason makeover has taken hold, the Red Bulls have won back-to-back games, unbeaten in their last four. The Dynamo are just rolling, winners of their last four, unbeaten in seven league matches, and having scored four goals in each of their last two matches.
REFEREE: Edvin Jurisevic. SAR (bench): Steven Taylor; JAR (opposite): Greg Barkey; 4th: Lee Suckle
MLS Career: 1 games; FC/gm: 28.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: NEW YORK RED BULLS - QUESTIONABLE: DF Jeff Parke (R ankle sprain); MF David Roth (L knee pain) ... HOUSTON DYNAMO - PROBABLE: FW Nate Jaqua (abdominal strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: NY: Gabriel Cichero (through Aug. 31)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NY: Kevin Goldthwaite ... HOU: Bobby Boswell
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: NY: Andrew Boyens, Seth Stammler; Sinisa Ubiparipovic ... HOU: Wade Barrett, Stuart Holden
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Red Bulls 1 win, 3 goals ... Dynamo 2 win, 7 goals ... Ties 2
AT GIANTS STADIUM (2 meetings): Red Bulls 1 win, 2 goals ... Dynamo 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 1
• This is the second of two meetings between the teams this season, the only one to be played at Giants Stadium.
• After playing to two draws in the Dynamo's first season in the league, each team won on their home ground last year, and each by shutout.
• The New York victory, on May 19, was the third in an MLS-record season-opening string of four shutouts. The Houston victory, a 4-0 triumph on July 5, was the second of three 4-0 victories by the Dynamo in the space of less than a month, all on MLS Primetime Thursday.
• Coaches record: Juan Carlos Osorio vs. HOU: P2 W0 L2 D0 ... Dominic Kinnear v NY: P10 W5 L2 D3
LAST MEETING (MLS):
5/31: HOU 1, NY 0 (Ching 68)
• The Dynamo claimed a 1-0 victory in the first meeting between the teams this season, May 31 at Robertson Stadium.
• Missing three key starters, including striker Juan Pablo Angel and playmaker Claudio Reyna, the Red Bulls held out for three-quarters of the match.
• But the Dynamo -- missing key starters of their own through international duty, injury and suspension -- finally broke through in the 68th minute. A ball was swung out wide to Geoff Cameron, and he curled a rolling, early cross into the goal area were Brian Ching came sliding in to poke home his third goal of the season, all in the last five games.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-4-2): Tony Caig - Richard Mulrooney, Bobby Boswell, Patrick Ianni, Craig Waibel - Geoff Cameron, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Corey Ashe (Brad Davis 46) - Brian Mullan (Kyle Brown 82), Brian Ching. Substitutes Not Used: Chris Wondolowski, Franco Caraccio, Mike Chabala, John Michael Hayden, Corbin Waller
• Here's Osorio's team (4-4-2): Jon Conway - Chris Leitch, Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke, Kevin Goldthwaite - Dane Richards, Luke Sassano (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 44), Seth Stammler, Danleigh Borman - John Wolyniec (Hunter Freeman 58), Jozy Altidore. Substitutes Not Used: Juan Pablo Angel, Mike Magee, Chris Megaloudis, Carlos Mendes, Zach Thornton
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls moved out of the logjam at the foot of the Eastern Conference, defeating Toronto FC 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands despite playing a man down for nearly the entire second half. The Red Bulls have 28 points from 20 matches, tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with D.C. United, four points behind the third-place Fire.LAST MATCH
• The Red Bulls were coming off their first win in six matches in emphatic fashion the week before to start a three-game home stretch, while Toronto FC were coming off their first road victory since April, at Colorado.
• The Red Bulls took the lead in the 37th minute. Seth Stammler hammered a clearance from the top of his own penalty area downfield, and as Juan Pablo Angel, in an offside position, remained motionless, Mike Magee raced past to collect the ball. He outpaced TFC defender Marco Velez over a 50-yard run before slotting home from inside the area for his second goal in as many games.
• The Red Bulls went a man down just after the second-half restart. Gabriel Cichero, one of the Red Bulls' midseason reinforcements, was sent off with a straight red card after throwing an elbow toward TFC striker Danny Dichio.
• But the visitors couldn't take advantage of the edge in manpower and the Red Bulls finished off the win in stoppage time. Jorge Rojas freed Dane Richards down the right, and the speedy winger raced into the area before sliding a centering pass for Angel to tap home for the easiest of his seven goals on the season.
• For just the third time this season, Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio maintained the same starting team for back-to-back matches, keeping the same group as opening in the 4-1 victory against D.C. United the previous Sunday at Giants Stadium.
• Here's Osorio's team (3-4-1-2): Jon Conway - Jeff Parke (Andrew Boyens 25), Gabriel Cichero, Kevin Goldthwaite - Luke Sassano (Dane Richards 62), Juan Pietravallo, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh - Jorge Rojas - Mike Magee, Juan Pablo Angel. Substitutes Not Used: Danleigh Borman, Carlos Mendes, Caleb Patterson-Sewell, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, John Wolyniec
• "It was a fantastic result. I think we went the entire 90 minutes and deserved the three points. We had a great effort and some outstanding individual performances. It was great to have a clean sheet and a second consecutive win," Osorio said.
TEAM NEWS
• The back-to-back wins are the first all season for the Red Bulls. The four-game unbeaten streak is the club's second-longest of the season, one short of the run from April 19-May 17 (two wins, three draws).
• "I think it shows that we're ready to make a run here," Seth Stammler said. "We've been talking about it for a number of weeks, but I think everybody is settling into their position, knowing their role on the team and we're starting to figure it out."
• Said Juan Pablo Angel: "I think it shows a lot of character. There's still a lot of games to go, but I'm very pleased we're picking the pace up right now and we're winning against two teams from the same conference."
• After Cichero was sent off, Seth Stammler dropped back to right back as the Red Bulls went to a back four.
• "If you use the word 'reliable' to describe his versatility, I would say he is. He has played as a box-to-box midfielder, he has played out wide, and today he played as a fullback and every time, he does very well," said Osorio. "I can remember the goals against New England in New England and the goal against Barcelona in a very difficult game, so he has proved that he is a very versatile and reliable player and a great team player."
• For Magee, the goals in back-to-back games marked the first time he's done that in his career. "He's a very good player. He has ability, he understands the game and he can score goals," Angel said of Magee. "If you give him chances, he'll score the goals. Goals build confidence up. Last week he played really well, scored a great goal and he was buzzing today. It's been a few years since he's been able to play consistently and he's picking up the pace at the right time for us."
• Said Osorio: "All credit to Mike. When I spoke to him a couple of times, I expressed my honest opinion that, if he's 100 percent healthy, then he has a goal in him. Two goals, two games, I think he's getting fitter and stronger and hopefully he will continue contributing that way for his own benefit and for the benefit of the team."
• Magee said he took Osorio's challenge to the team last week personally and it's resulted in his best form of the year. It could also answer a question Osorio has about striking options for the rest of the season.
• "Before last game, Juan Carlos put some pressure on us saying we better win or he's getting more guys, he's going to shuffle the lineup," Magee said. "I think a lot of us took it to heart and showed it last game and this game."
• After the Dynamo match, the Red Bulls will hit the road for back-to-back matches against conference opposition (at D.C. United and Chicago). Five of their final nine games are away from the Meadowlands.
• "I think we've gotten a lot more comfortable with the newer players and gotten more comfortable with ourselves and I think that's been the key," Conway said. "Our commitment now to defending and attacking the ball and then we get our chances to get forward has been great. At this point we're riding a good wave so hopefully we keep it going."
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo won for the fourth consecutive game - and scored four goals for the second game running - in a dominating 4-0 victory against Chivas USA on Wednesday at Robertson Stadium. The Dynamo now have 32 points from 20 matches and lead the Western Conference by five points, four points off the pace of the New England Revolution for the league's best overall record.LAST MATCH
• It took the Dynamo just 11 minutes to open their account. Stuart Holden was set free on the left, and raced into the area unmolested before chipping a shot past Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
• The Dynamo then doubled their lead 11 minutes later. With his back to goal at the top of the area and a defender on his back, Kei Kamara took a pass and made a quick spin around his marker, cutting into the area before slotting home inside the left-hand post for his first league goal since joining Houston.
• The score was 3-0 six minutes later. A corner kick was put in from the right, and Ricardo Clark saw his shot crash off the bar. But the ball eventually fell to Nate Jaqua, who pushed it over the line for his second goal in as many games.
• Kamara hit for his double in the 35th minute, rising up completely unmarked in the heart of the box to head home a Jaqua cross from the left flank.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made four changes to the team that defeated Real Salt Lake 4-3 the Saturday before. Richard Mulrooney returned to the lineup after missing six games, coming in for Craig Waibel. And with Pat Onstad, Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching all on international duty, Tony Caig, Stuart Holden and Kei Kamara came into the team.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Tony Caig - Richard Mulrooney, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan (Geoff Cameron 74), Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Corey Ashe 71) - Stuart Holden - Kei Kamara, Nate Jaqua (Chris Wondolowski 78). Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Brown, Patrick Ianni, Craig Waibel, Corbin Waller
TEAM NEWS
• The Dynamo scored four goals in a half for a second consecutive game, something that hadn't happened in 10 years, since the Los Angeles Galaxy did it in 1998 (May 6 vs. Colorado; May 17 vs. Columbus - both second half).
• In addition, it was a second consecutive game with four goals scored. While the Dynamo did not do that last season, they did score four goals in three successive appearances on MLS Primetime Thursday, over a seven-game span (June 21, July 5 and 12).
• "There's not much more we could have asked for tonight. We kept a shutout, which was very important and something we talked about at halftime. Overall, it was an excellent win. We are scoring goals now and playing very well, so I am pleased for the guys because I do know the work they are putting in every day," Kinnear said.
• After having his first-choice lineup available for really the first time all season, once again Kinnear was forced to improvise with three regulars away on international duty.
• "It was fantastic. We have done a good job of putting a team together, we are deep, we know we have a tough schedule that's going to test us later this month and in September. We need as many good players as possible," Kinnear said. "Everyone is focused when they step on the field, and first and foremost they are good players, so they help us win games."
• Kamara's goal was his first in league competition since coming to Houston from the San Jose Earthquakes; he scored in the SuperLiga final on Aug. 5.
• "The experience is there. There are about four or five guys that have been on team since they were in San Jose. With players that have been there that long, there is a lot of respect," Kamara said. "So I walked in the locker room, and there were young guys on one side and more experienced guys on the other and that respect is there, and you can learn from them. The experience is here, and they have the vision of a champion, that's why I love it here."
• Nate Jaqua extended his goalscoring streak to three games in all competitions, also scoring in the SuperLiga final.
• Richard Mulrooney made his first league appearance since June 12, missing six league games, the U.S. Open Cup tie and all five SuperLiga contests with a knee injury.
• "Mentally, it's good to be back, I have missed quite a few weeks. Last time I was playing on the field, Nate wasn't here yet, Kei wasn't here yet, and we were an average team. You add those two guys in the mix, and the sky is the limit," he said.
);){kind=link}