A new year can mark a big difference, just ask the New York Red Bulls and Houston Dynamo.
A year ago, the Red Bulls started the season with a solid draw against Kansas City and an empathic win over rival D.C. United. The 2015 Red Bulls, with Head Coach Jesse Marsch in his first season in New York, went on to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield and reach the Eastern Conference final.
This year is a different story.
Courtesy: Major League Soccer
The Red Bulls are 0-2-0 and dead last in the Major League Soccer standings based on their -5 goal differential, and no points to show for their Week 1 home loss to Toronto FC and their Week 2 road loss to an Ignacio Piatti-led Montreal team that did not feature Didier Drogba. While it’s still early in a 34-game regular season, the Red Bulls need to make some ground and at the very least pull away with a point on Saturday.
The good news for the Red Bulls? The surging Dynamo, whom after a 5-0 win over rivals FC Dallas in Week 2 are the talk of the league, have been hit by the injury bug.
Saturday’s Dynamo lineup is likely to not feature team captain Giles Barnes and midfield maestro Cristian Maidana. Joe Willis will continue in goal as Tyler Deric remains unable to play due to an abdominal strain that has him out for 4-6 weeks.
The Houston Dynamo are coming off a solid two-game home stand to open the season but home games weren’t what did the Dynamo and their playoffs hopes in last season. It was their road record.
If only home matches counted, Dynamo would have made playoffs last year. Instead, club’s 11 road points in 17 matches were lowest in West.
— Corey Roepken (@RipSports) March 17, 2016
In their 17 road games in 2015, the Houston Dynamo came away with only 2 wins, 10 losses and 5 draws. No matter how good they look now, the road habits will need to chance if Owen Coyle’s squad is serious about making the playoffs.
In the history of the Red Bulls-Houston Dynamo series, the Dynamo have never won a regular-season game in New Jersey. On top of that the Dynamo have lost their last five regular-season matches at Red Bull Arena. The Dynamo, however, did manage to pull off a 2-1 victory in Harrison in the second leg of the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinal series.
For the Dynamo, Oscar Boniek Garcia and Leonel Miranda are expected to feature in the starting lineup after proving to be solid reinforcements for Barnes and Maidana. Andrew Wenger, the reigning MLS Player of the Week, has gotten off to a hot start with two goals and two assists in his first two games with Houston.
.@HoustonDynamo depth will b tested. Boniek & Cubo have started on bench last 2 matches. Both could start in #NYvHOU https://t.co/lzqUiRt4mF
— Victor Araiza (@victoraraiza) March 17, 2016
Saturday’s game could very well be the season debut of Mexican designated player Erick Torres due to the injuries in the Dynamo attack. For the Red Bulls, Argentinian designated player Gonzalo Veron looks to make his way into the lineup for the first time this year after being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Saturday’s match will be the only meeting between the two sides in 2016, so however small the bragging rights are they are up for grabs. The match will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. CT) and will be broadcast on MSG+ 2 (New York market), ROOT Sports Soutwest (Houston market) and is available on MLS Live for all other markets in the USA and Canada.
Where to watch/listen to #NYvHOU:
| New York Red Bulls | Houston Dynamo | |
| TV (English): | MSG+ 2 | ROOT Sports SW |
| Radio (English): | New York Red Bulls Radio Network Available on NewYorkRedBulls.com, TuneIn.com (online stream) and Tune In app (mobile) |
CBS Sports Radio 650 AM 95.7-3 FM (simulcast) www.houston.cbslocal.com (online stream) Radio.com app (Mobile app) |
| Radio (Spanish): | New York Red Bulls Radio Network Disponible por NewYorkRedBulls.com, TuneIn.com o la aplicación móvil TuneIn |
KLAT – Univision Radio 1010 AM |
| Online stream available in USA and Canada (except New York and Houston areas): MLS Live | ||
Follow @victoraraiza Tweet to @victoraraiza
