The Kansas City Wizards will be looking to keep Houston’s early-season struggles going while the Dynamo will try to post its first win of the season without several key players.
With Pat Onstad, Eddie Robinson and Stuart Holden all doubts, Houston will need a special effort to hand the Wizards a second-straight defeat.
Look for the Kansas City attack to take advantage of the short-handed Houston defense and shaky back-up goalkeeper Tony Caig, who has looked awful in Onstad’s place since the Canadian was hurt last weekend.
If you will be watching the match, please share your thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the soccer.
Chance Meyers looked good going forwards from right back, he forced Eddie Robinson to foul him a few times and put the ball into dangerous positions. Defensively, he didn’t break… but even a just-back-from-injury Brad Davis is going to get dangerous crosses in on you.
He also made a few bad passes towards the end of the game that were almost costly, but those seemed to be the exception to his play and not the rule.
thanks alex. much appreciated
That’s much more of a full strength Houston side, and great to hear Holden made an appearance. KC was also a good opponent for them to regroup against, they don’t exactly feature speed.
How did Myers play?
Thanks for keeping us updated.
Alex,
Thanks for the updates!
Joe
And it’s over. 0-0
Houston now has what I think is an entire week before their next game. Houston unlucky to escape with just the point, but I’m not going to knock it.
90′ Sealy hits a good one, but Eddie Robinson is there to deflect it out for a corner. Ching clears the corner to another Dynamo.
Nothing right away on the counter.
88′ KC is absorbing the Dynamo attack and just knocking it upfield in hopes of getting a player onto one in a dangerous position. Good game by KC tonight, but they haven’t had a ton good chances.
89′ On a free kick, Caig gets to the shot on tips it over.
I’d like to take this moment to remind you all, last year is was 0-0 in KC until Ianni put in a header in the 87th minuite. Or some time around it. Way late in the game.
84′ We now know that Cameron has no left foot shot, because he had a good chance but couldn’t get anything behind it with his off-foot. Quickly heads back to Tony Caig, who once again comes up to the edge of the 18 yard box and beats Sealy to the ball.
81′ BAH! Mullan hits it just a bit too hard and it goes high! To be fair, he was sliding when he hits it… but still! BAH!
75′ DeRo skies one after picking it up and entering the 18 yard box.
77′ DeRo gets a yellow for shirt pulling.
Seems to me like Boswell is keeping the attackers in front of him, which makes a huge difference. Having Rico Clark, Brian Mullan, and Brad Davis back are also huge defensive upgrades. Makes it a lot harder to run on them from either flank or from the middle. Eddie Robinson doesn’t look like he’s been injured. Tony Caig hasn’t screwed up.
It’s all because the Dynamo have the first string midfield back. They aren’t making stupid passes that get picked up for quick opposing goals. That makes a huge difference in the Houston defense.
The KC attack looks good, they aren’t being overtaken at all, but they need to find a spark to break down the Houston defense.
70′ Boswell gets a yellow for pancaking Sealy. Score is still 0-0.
Caraccio off for Holden!
Stuie!
Also, Davis off for Cameron. Cameron to forward, Holden to left side?
Is Hou defense playing well, or is KC skilled but not all that fast?
Thanks man!
Sorry about that, anybody who’s watching. Had to run to the grocery store.
65′ Still 0-0.
Halftime
So far, both sides are evenly matched. Dynamo defense (including Tony Caig) have played well against a good KC attack. Boswell hasn’t been blown by yet (crosses fingers) and both sides have had good chances denied by good goalkeeping.
I think at least one side scores before this is over. Still, a draw (be it 0-0 or 1-1 or 12-12) would be a fair result, based only on the first half.
44′ Sealy fouled by Eddie Robinson just outside the box. Robinson got ball and didn’t like the call. Robinson also got Sealy’s leg, and Claudio Lopez wanted Robinson to get a yellow.
Kick is saved by Caig, who pushes it out for a corner.
Mulrooney deflects the corner for a throw in.
That’s the half.
41′ Davis with a great cross to DeRo who launches a rocket on goal!
FSK!
Hartman with a great save to knock it out for a corner.
On the corner Boswell gets a header to it, but that’s not going in.
37′ Caig likes to come out a lot. This time, he beat Scott Sealy to the ball just at the edge of the 18 yard box (unlike the play against Saprissa on Wednesday, where he didn’t beat the guy) to keep him from getting it with only the keeper to beat. Making those bets are good when you win (saved it from being a real good chance), but make you look like an idiot when you lose.
33′ Caig looking strong tonight, blocked a shot from distance from KC. That’s not the same Tony Caig that played in the last two games.
31′ GAH! Dynamo can’t clear for what seemed to be forever. When they did it went to Carraccio who couldn’t get it by Hartman, and Ching’s shot was weak (he was off balance) and couldn’t find the back of the net either.
0-0
21′ Conrad bulldozes Ching, no call 🙁
oh, at 15′ Yellow on Clark, either a slight foul or a slight Handball, I missed it
17′ Caig makes a timely punch! He almost looks like some sort of professional goalkeeper!
14′ ERob looks good, considering he packed his bags for the trip after morning practice Friday
16′ Caig makes a save! No kidding! He makes a good play!
11-ish’ Seems pretty even right now.
Nice to see Rico, Davis, and Mullan starting
4′ Dynamo are controlling the ball and sending it in, a few good plays by Hartman and the KC defense keep them out.
6′ KC with an attacking forray, Dynamo can’t clear it and let KC put on more pressure.
7′ Ching shot just spilled over by Hartman.
Houston lineup:
—————-Caig—————-
-Mulrooney-Boswell-Robinson-Barrett-
—————-Clark—————
—Mullan——————-Davis—
————–DeRosario————-
————Ching-Caraccio———-
KC lineup (don’t know the formation):
Kevin Hartman
Michael Harrington
Chance Myers
Claudio Lopez
Carlos Marinelli
Kurt Morsink
Jimmy Conrad
Jack Jewsbury
Roger Espinoza
Scott Sealy
Tyson Wahl