The Houston Dynamo will look to bounce back from a rare loss when they host the struggling San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday in a Western Conference clash.
Houston (12-7-2, 38 points) heads home after a 2-1 away setback to St. Louis City SC on Aug. 22 that snapped its eight-match unbeaten streak (6-0-2), with the surge propelling it all the way to second place in the West.
The loss to St. Louis City was Houston’s first since a 3-0 road decision against Real Salt Lake on May 13. Ibrahim Aliyu scored the tying goal in the 75th minute for the Dynamo, but St. Louis responded with the game-winner ten minutes later.
Houston coach Ben Olsen said he welcomes the fact that the team’s recent hot streak has raised the expectations for his side.
“The team has been really good in the last couple of months, especially at understanding the plays that really matter in both boxes,” Olsen said. “I love that the expectations have changed now and that we need to win every game — that’s healthy.”
Guilherme remains the player to watch for Houston. He leads the team in goals with 12 and in assists with seven.
The Earthquakes (10-8-3, 33 points) are winless since their return from the World Cup break, dropping all four of their games in the month of August and five of the six matches they’ve played (with one draw) since July 22. San Jose has been outscored 18-5 in those six games, including a 5-1 setback at home to Minnesota United on Aug. 22 in their most recent outing.
Timo Werner’s sixth goal of the season, on a penalty kick in the fourth minute, accounted for San Jose’s lone tally in that loss. Werner was forced from the match early in the second half after sustaining an apparent leg injury.
After beginning the regular season with wins in nine of their first 10 matches and shooting to the top of the West standings, the Earthquakes have fallen to fourth place in the table.
“Our opponents have been very physical against us over the last four or five games, and we haven’t responded well to that,” San Jose coach Bruce Arena said. “We haven’t done a good job in the middle third of the field in terms of having some physicality, some presence, winning the ball, and making better passes.”
Preston Judd leads the Earthquakes in goals with 11 while Niko Tsakiris and Werner share the team lead with seven assists.
–Field Level Media
