Dynamo welcome Miami to town while looking to stay perfect at home: What to watch for
(image via Billy Mears)
The Houston Dynamo welcome Inter Miami to town tonight as they look to stay perfect at home. Houston is coming off a 1-1 draw last weekend away to the New York Red Bulls. Miami had last weekend off, but lost 1-0 to FC Dallas at home in their most recent MLS match.
When: Saturday, April 22 | 7:39 PM CT kickoff
Where: Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, Texas
TV/Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: 97.5 FM (English), 93.3 FM (Spanish)
Perfect at home
Not only have the Dynamo won all three of their games at Shell Energy Stadium this season, but they have also yet to concede a goal. While Houston is red hot at home, Miami comes into this match having lost their last five games. They had a bye last weekend and will look to use that as a restart for their season. So, this seems like a simple win for the Dynamo, right? Not so fast. “They have got a lot of very good individual players, and the bye week itself can come at a good time and a bad time,” Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen told the media this week. “They’ve picked up some new players, and they’ve had two weeks to prepare for us and also fix some of the things that I'm sure they want to work on and enhance some of the things that they're already very good at. We’ll expect a very good team like we do every weekend. In this league, there’s no easy game. It's built that way. The whole system is designed to not have an easy game, and every game you can win or lose in this league. We’ll be prepared for their best shot.”
HH returns
Dynamo captain Hector Herrera will return tonight after missing last week’s draw with the New York Red Bulls for a red card suspension. Herrera has been one of the best midfielders in Major League Soccer this season and his leadership on the field has been mentioned by multiple teammates as one reason the team has been successful this season. Herrera should slot right back into the lineup with his midfield partner Artur and Coco Carrasquilla. Olsen knows Herrera is the engine that makes this team run and says he is ready to get back in the lineup tonight. “He makes us tick, right? If you watch the games, he's a big part of this,” Olsen said. “The way we build the game, having his leadership on the field, just having his presence for the guys, it’s always a boost. We missed him last week, but the Red Bulls game is a different animal anyways half the time. So, if we're going to lose him, maybe the Red Bulls game was the one to not have him in. But we’re pleased to have him back. He's looked sharp all week, and he's refreshed. He had some time in Mexico, and I think he's ready to get back on the field in front of our fans.”
The 9 dilemma
Ask any Houston Dynamo fan and they will give you an opinion on the striker position and where it currently stands. Corey Baird continues to start as the team’s forward with Designated Player Sebastian Ferreira relegated to the bench. Olsen has repeatedly said he likes Baird in the lineup for his defensive duties and the way he can break lines with runs. So, where does Ferreira fit in? So far, he hasn’t. Could that change? We’ll have to see. And wait, there’s more. The Dynamo are reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Nigerian youth international Ibrahim Aliyu to a U22 initiative deal.
Availability Report
Houston Dynamo - Out: Ifunanyachi Achara (knee), Tate Schmitt (knee); Questionable: Brad Smith (knee), Erik Sviatchenko (pending documentation)
Inter Miami CF – Out: Ian Fray (knee), Gregore (Lisfranc); Questionable: Nick Marsman (foot), Noah Allen (knee), Robbie Robinson (calf)
Predicted Lineup
