Throwback Thursday: Dynamo dismantle Real Salt Lake
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo host Real Salt Lake this Saturday, meaning it’s time to look back at a previous matchup between the two. Let’s flash back to May 31, 2017 where the Dynamo dismantled RSL at home.
Background
The Dynamo had a fantastic start to the Wilmer Cabrera era, winning three of their first four games and scoring nine goals in the process. They stayed in fine form until the end of May when they had three road games in a row. They lost to Philadelphia Union and then conceded four against Atlanta United the following week, giving up a hat-trick to Miguel Almiron. They followed that up with a tie on the road to a poor FC Dallas side. The fans were beginning to think their start to the season was just a hot patch of form and the same-old Dynamo was coming back. They had a chance to answer those fans with a big performance against Real Salt Lake the following week.
Real Salt Lake were in an awkward position in 2017 with a lot of their strong core over the past few seasons starting to age or move on. Javier Morales and Jameson Olave both departed after the 2016 season and Kyle Beckerman, Tony Beltran, Chris Wingert, and Nick Rimando were not getting any younger. They made one massive move in the offseason, acquiring Albert Rusnak, who to this day is a star midfielder in MLS. This was also Jefferson Savarino’s first season in MLS.
Lineups
First Half
The Dynamo got off to a flying start just three minutes into the game with Alex Lima finding Mauro Manotas out wide to play in a cross. RSL defender Justin Schmidt deflected the ball into his own net to give the Dynamo the early 1-0 lead. Some Alex Lima magic came ten minutes later with him picking up the ball on the right to beat a defender and slot the ball past the goalkeeper from just inside the box giving the Dynamo a 2-0 lead. To end the half, there was some fantastic link up between the entire front three of the Dynamo. Alberth Elis found the ball out wide and beat a defender to find Cubo Torres who flicked it on to Mauro Manotas to make it three goals before the half.
Second Half
The Dynamo were right back at it again to start the second half with a few half chances for both Cubo and Elis. Minutes into the half, we saw the most 2017 Dynamo goal you will ever see with Alex Lima playing Elis in behind who squared it to the back post for Cubo’s tap in goal. This type of play was a staple for the Dynamo with Elis on the wing. Despite being down 4-0, Real Salt Lake showed some fight with a free kick that was quite some distance from goal. Joao Plata took on the free kick and blasted it past Tyler Deric in net to get them back in the game. Any doubts the Dynamo had were silenced just minutes later when Boniek Garcia recycled a set piece to put a cross in that found the head of Leonardo to make it 5-1 Houston. The game slowed down after the fifth goal with the life sucked out of Real Salt Lake’s players and the game ended with the 5-1 score line.
Can the Dynamo replicate this scoring spree against what is yet again a poor Real Salt Lake team? We shall find out Saturday night where the Dynamo are looking for their first win of the season.
