Dynamo begin road-trip in Vancouver: What to watch for
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo have traveled to the Great White North for the first of two visits in the 2023 season. Tonight, they’re on Canada’s west coast to visit the Vancouver Whitecaps. Houston is coming off a 2-1 win over Austin on Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium. Vancouver lost 4-1 in St. Louis over the weekend.
When: Wednesday, May 31 | 9:39 PM CT kickoff
Where: BC Place; Vancouver, British Columbia
TV/Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV - free
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN Deportes Houston 93.3 FM (Spanish)
On the road again
Tonight’s match is the first of three straight on the road for the Dynamo with two league matches and a quarterfinal of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in the next seven days. It’s not an easy road trip either starting in Vancouver tonight, then heading to St. Louis for Saturday’s game and up to Chicago for Tuesday’s USOC match. There are going to be some tired legs, and more squad rotation is likely, but Ben Olsen’s message to his players is one of focus. “He wants us to be focused,” Dynamo midfielder Artur said this week. “He has been working with us to navigate a busy week, busy month with a lot of games. He wants us to recuperate so we can be ready for the next match and fully focused.”
Ever-changing defense
Whether because of injuries or rotation, the Dynamo defense has seemed like a rotating door of players in and out this season. At left back alone we’ve seen Tate Schmitt, Chase Gasper, Djevencio van der Kust, Brad Smith, Franco Escobar, and now Micael last week. We’ll probably see another new back four tonight with the busy schedule of matches that the Dynamo are currently in the middle of. “We are going to need every player in this,” Olsen said after Saturday’s win over Austin. “Because over the next eight days, we are going to need quite a few players to get the job done and each we have to become deeper as we go. Erik (Sviatchenko), Brad (Smith), Chase (Gasper) and Ivan (Franco). We’ve got some real quality now on the bench that is itching to get in the game and prove themselves.”
Contain the wide threat
Vancouver loves to play on the wings, perhaps more than anyone in Major League Soccer. The Whitecaps have completed the most crosses into the 18-yard box in all of MLS, with 49 in 14 games. They attack down their right side much of the time, and that is where the Dynamo will have to slow down Vancouver’s Swiss Army Knife Julian Gressel. The recently capped US international is very dangerous on the ball, he is third in the league is expected assists, just behind Cristian Espinoza and Thiago Almada. Add Gressel with striker Brian White, who has 7.8 expected goals this season, and Ryan Gauld who average 4.5 shot-creating actions per game and the Vancouver attack is very formidable. “They can score. A lot of service and a lot of looks on target,” Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen said on Monday. “So, we're going to have to be at our best defensively.”
Availability Report
Houston Dynamo – Out: Ifunanyachi Achara (knee), Teenage Hadebe (leg), Tate Schmitt (knee); Questionable: Daniel Steres (hip)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Out: Ali Ahmed (concussion)
Predicted Lineup
