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Played
July 24, 2010 7:30 PM EDT
Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, USA
July 24, 2010 7:30 PM EDT
Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Houston Dynamo Vs Columbus Crew: Head To Head Preview
The 2007 champs take on the 2008 winners.
By Nick Rosano and Kevin McCauley
On Form
Columbus Crew: After a home defeat to Kansas City and some questions about the team's strength in depth, the Crew bounced back brilliantly, defeating New York 2-0 at Crew Stadium to open up a five point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference. Emilio Renteria continued his strong play against New York and has presented himself as another alternative to partner Guillermo Barros Schelotto up top. Brian Carroll has played an understated, though quite important role in making the Crew's midfield work this season, and finally got his moment in the spotlight with a fine strike against New York. However, he will will miss out on this weekend's match due to a left ankle sprain.
Houston Dynamo: All season, left back Mike Chabala has been the most consistent piece of the Dynamo squad. The team was visibly impacted by his two game layoff for a hamstring injury, but since returning he's showed no ill effects and picked up right where he left off. His combination of positional sense and great distribution from the back makes him a complete left back that the Dynamo rely on in multiple facets of their game. Throughout the game, he's likely to be matched up with Columbus's Eddie Gaven and, in his current form, he's likely to be up to the task.
Off Target
Columbus: Frankie Hejduk has not had the best of months, and although he was not bad against New York, he earned a foolish ejection for hitting out at Carl Robinson. Even though Hejduk's backers will argue he was provoked, a veteran like him can't react like that. Furthermore, the defense looked shaky at times, with Andy Iro and Chad Marshall occasionally losing their man and allowing New York some efforts on goal, but, luckily for them, Will Hesmer was on his game and the clean sheet remained intact.
Houston: All of the strikers. Even the usually reliable Brian Ching has missed a couple of laughable sitters. The recently re-acquired Joseph Ngwenya is working to change that, but we're still a few games away from having a good idea of what exactly Ngwenya can contribute. Houston is now short a body, or should we say one and a half, after releasing Designated Player Luis Angel Landin. The first auto-complete when you Google his name is “Luis Angel Landin fat” so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that it won't be much of a loss for the Dynamo. Ngwenya, Cam Weaver, or Dominic Oduro is going to have to step up soon if the Dynamo wants to break their streak of six games in the league without a win.
Tactics
Columbus: Robert Warzycha has strayed very little from his tried and true 4-4-2, and it should be no different this time. He went for a slightly altered setup against New York, with Emmanuel Ekpo getting a rare start on the left wing with Emilio Renteria moved up top, and that seemed to work well, which is good news for the Crew considering that Steven Lenhart will miss out with a nose injury. With Brian Carroll's injury, expect to see Eddie Gaven partnering Adam Moffat in the center of midfield and Robbie Rogers regaining a starting spot. Frankie Hejduk's late sending off against New York means he will miss out, which will likely give Gino Padula another shot in the starting lineup, though Robert Warzycha could look to any number of players to make up the right and left back positions.
Houston: Nothing fancy for the Dynamo, expect them to stick to their tried and true 4-4-2 diamond formation. Besides Geoff Cameron, the team is injury-free and Dominic Kinnear has a variety of choices to fill out his lineup. The team has struggled to find consistency at Cameron's vacated attacking midfield spot, with Ngwenya, Richard Mulrooney, and Brad Davis all doing decent but not spectacular jobs. I expect to see Ching up top with Ngwenya, Mulrooney behind them, Davis and Danny Cruz on the wings, and Lovel Palmer in the defensive midfield spot, but I would not be surprised to see Ngwenya drop into the hole with Oduro playing up top and Mulrooney dropping to the bench. The distribution of the aforementioned Mike Chabala from the back will be key to starting Houston's attacks.
Intangibles
Columbus: Can the Crew find a consistent striker? Although the problem has been diminished this season by the fact that the Crew are getting solid contributions from all over the pitch, the fact remains that the Crew are lacking a consistent goal-getter. As we have seen in a few games this season, the inability to convert chances has caused the team to drop points and manifested itself in the team's occasionally erratic results.
Houston: Quite simply, it's almost impossible to measure the mental struggle players go through when they can't seem to find a win despite not playing poorly. While the Dynamo haven't played their best lately, they certainly haven't played so badly that you would expect them to be winless in the last six matches. Hopefully for Dynamo fans, the players will be completely unaware of the fact that they're winless in their last six matches and will just go out and play like it's just another game.
Prediction
Columbus: Despite the Crew's striking woes, excellent team play will prevail and the Crew will finish off their three game homestand with a 1-0 win.
Houston: The injury to Brian Carroll will certainly help Houston's chances. Whoever starts in the attacking midfield role for Houston will have an easier job because of it. However, the Crew still look too strong for a struggling Dynamo team. Coming off a complete domination of the New York Red Bulls, Columbus appear to be firing on all cylinders and should be confident. I see a 2-1 win for the Crew.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Columbus Crew: After a home defeat to Kansas City and some questions about the team's strength in depth, the Crew bounced back brilliantly, defeating New York 2-0 at Crew Stadium to open up a five point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference. Emilio Renteria continued his strong play against New York and has presented himself as another alternative to partner Guillermo Barros Schelotto up top. Brian Carroll has played an understated, though quite important role in making the Crew's midfield work this season, and finally got his moment in the spotlight with a fine strike against New York. However, he will will miss out on this weekend's match due to a left ankle sprain.
Houston Dynamo: All season, left back Mike Chabala has been the most consistent piece of the Dynamo squad. The team was visibly impacted by his two game layoff for a hamstring injury, but since returning he's showed no ill effects and picked up right where he left off. His combination of positional sense and great distribution from the back makes him a complete left back that the Dynamo rely on in multiple facets of their game. Throughout the game, he's likely to be matched up with Columbus's Eddie Gaven and, in his current form, he's likely to be up to the task.
Off Target
Columbus: Frankie Hejduk has not had the best of months, and although he was not bad against New York, he earned a foolish ejection for hitting out at Carl Robinson. Even though Hejduk's backers will argue he was provoked, a veteran like him can't react like that. Furthermore, the defense looked shaky at times, with Andy Iro and Chad Marshall occasionally losing their man and allowing New York some efforts on goal, but, luckily for them, Will Hesmer was on his game and the clean sheet remained intact.
Houston: All of the strikers. Even the usually reliable Brian Ching has missed a couple of laughable sitters. The recently re-acquired Joseph Ngwenya is working to change that, but we're still a few games away from having a good idea of what exactly Ngwenya can contribute. Houston is now short a body, or should we say one and a half, after releasing Designated Player Luis Angel Landin. The first auto-complete when you Google his name is “Luis Angel Landin fat” so I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that it won't be much of a loss for the Dynamo. Ngwenya, Cam Weaver, or Dominic Oduro is going to have to step up soon if the Dynamo wants to break their streak of six games in the league without a win.
Tactics
Columbus: Robert Warzycha has strayed very little from his tried and true 4-4-2, and it should be no different this time. He went for a slightly altered setup against New York, with Emmanuel Ekpo getting a rare start on the left wing with Emilio Renteria moved up top, and that seemed to work well, which is good news for the Crew considering that Steven Lenhart will miss out with a nose injury. With Brian Carroll's injury, expect to see Eddie Gaven partnering Adam Moffat in the center of midfield and Robbie Rogers regaining a starting spot. Frankie Hejduk's late sending off against New York means he will miss out, which will likely give Gino Padula another shot in the starting lineup, though Robert Warzycha could look to any number of players to make up the right and left back positions.
Houston: Nothing fancy for the Dynamo, expect them to stick to their tried and true 4-4-2 diamond formation. Besides Geoff Cameron, the team is injury-free and Dominic Kinnear has a variety of choices to fill out his lineup. The team has struggled to find consistency at Cameron's vacated attacking midfield spot, with Ngwenya, Richard Mulrooney, and Brad Davis all doing decent but not spectacular jobs. I expect to see Ching up top with Ngwenya, Mulrooney behind them, Davis and Danny Cruz on the wings, and Lovel Palmer in the defensive midfield spot, but I would not be surprised to see Ngwenya drop into the hole with Oduro playing up top and Mulrooney dropping to the bench. The distribution of the aforementioned Mike Chabala from the back will be key to starting Houston's attacks.
Intangibles
Columbus: Can the Crew find a consistent striker? Although the problem has been diminished this season by the fact that the Crew are getting solid contributions from all over the pitch, the fact remains that the Crew are lacking a consistent goal-getter. As we have seen in a few games this season, the inability to convert chances has caused the team to drop points and manifested itself in the team's occasionally erratic results.
Houston: Quite simply, it's almost impossible to measure the mental struggle players go through when they can't seem to find a win despite not playing poorly. While the Dynamo haven't played their best lately, they certainly haven't played so badly that you would expect them to be winless in the last six matches. Hopefully for Dynamo fans, the players will be completely unaware of the fact that they're winless in their last six matches and will just go out and play like it's just another game.
Prediction
Columbus: Despite the Crew's striking woes, excellent team play will prevail and the Crew will finish off their three game homestand with a 1-0 win.
Houston: The injury to Brian Carroll will certainly help Houston's chances. Whoever starts in the attacking midfield role for Houston will have an easier job because of it. However, the Crew still look too strong for a struggling Dynamo team. Coming off a complete domination of the New York Red Bulls, Columbus appear to be firing on all cylinders and should be confident. I see a 2-1 win for the Crew.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Columbus Crew 1-0 Houston Dynamo
- 33.33 %
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Columbus Crew 2-0 Houston Dynamo
- 16.67 %
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Columbus Crew 3-0 Houston Dynamo
- 8.33 %
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Apr 21, 2012 | Columbus Crew 2 - Houston Dynamo 2 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Sep 14, 2011 | Columbus Crew 2 - Houston Dynamo 2 |
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| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Jun 18, 2011 | Houston Dynamo 0 - Columbus Crew 2 |
|
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Jul 24, 2010 | Columbus Crew 3 - Houston Dynamo 0 |
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| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Jul 10, 2010 | Houston Dynamo 0 - Columbus Crew 0 |
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Columbus Crew
   |
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| May 26, 2012 | Columbus Crew 2 - Chicago Fire 1 | MLS |
| May 23, 2012 | Seattle Sounders FC 0 - Columbus Crew 2 | MLS |
| May 19, 2012 | San Jose 1 - Columbus Crew 1 | MLS |
| May 12, 2012 | Columbus Crew 2 - FC Dallas 1 | MLS |
| May 5, 2012 | Portland Timbers 0 - Columbus Crew 0 | MLS |
Houston Dynamo
  |
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| May 26, 2012 | Houston Dynamo 2 - Los Angeles Galaxy 1 | MLS |
| May 19, 2012 | New England Revolution 2 - Houston Dynamo 2 | MLS |
| May 15, 2012 | Houston Dynamo 0 - Portland Timbers 0 | MLS |
| May 12, 2012 | Houston Dynamo 1 - D.C. United 0 | MLS |
| May 9, 2012 | New York Red Bulls 1 - Houston Dynamo 0 | MLS |
| 1 | Will Hesmer | Goalkeeper |
| 29 | Shaun Francis | Defender |
| 14 | Chad Marshall | Defender |
| 12 | Eddie Gaven | Midfielder |
| 22 | Adam Moffat | Midfielder |
| 20 | Emilio Renteria | Striker |
| 24 | Jed Zayner | Defender |
| 6 | Andy Iro | Defender |
| 5 | Danny O'Rourke | Defender |
| - | Robbie Rogers | Midfielder |
| 7 | Guillermos Barros Schelotto | Striker |
| - | Jason Garey | Defender |
| - | Leandre Griffit | |
| 17 | Emmanuel Ekpo | Midfielder |
| 1 | Tally Hall | Goalkeeper |
| 31 | Andre Hainault | Defender |
| 22 | Lovel Palmer | Midfielder |
| 11 | Brian Ching | Striker |
| - | Mike Chabala | |
| 15 | Cam Weaver | Striker |
| 26 | Corey Ashe | Midfielder |
| - | Eddie Robinson | Defender |
| 32 | Bobby Boswell | Defender |
| - | Richard Mulrooney | Midfielder |
| 11 | Brad Davis | Midfielder |
| - | Joseph Ngwenya | |
| - | Danny Cruz | Midfielder |
| - | Dominic Oduro | Striker |
| Eddie Gaven | |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Squad Number: | 12 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Mike Chabala | |
| Position: | |
| Squad Number: | 0 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Results
Times In EST
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kenny Cooper
Striker NY Red Bulls |
11 | 2 |
|
Chris Wondolowski
Striker San Jose Earthquakes |
11 | 1 |
|
Thierry Henry
Striker NY Red Bulls |
9 | 0 |
|
Saer Sene
Striker New England |
7 | 1 |
|
Maicon Santos
Striker D.C. United |
7 | 0 |