The New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo are set to renew their rivalry on Saturday, May 18th when the two clubs have their first meeting of 2013. The bad blood began in 2006 when the Dynamo defeated the Revs in penalty kicks to win the MLS Cup in their inaugural year. The following season saw an MLS Cup rematch with Houston once again reigning supreme. The Revs did earn some redemption in 2008 when they defeated their nemesis to win SuperLiga. While there is no championship on the line on Saturday, both teams will want a win as a way of negating recent results.
The Revolution recently finished up a two-game home stand that saw them collect a total of one point. The final haul was disappointing since the Revs scored first against both Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls before allowing the visitors to regain momentum.
“Whether it’s two wins, probably not, but (we should have had) at least a win in one of those two matches,” head coach Jay Heaps said. “It’s disappointing in that regard. We learn from it. We use it as some material to get better on. It’s Houston now.”
The Dynamo is also coming off a disappointing result since Sporting KC ended their 36-game home unbeaten streak on Sunday. The 1-0 score line was heartbreaking for Houston who has taken great pride in making BBVA Compass Stadium a fortress. The goal now is to show that the defeat was nothing more than an anomaly.
“I’ve said this since you guys have started talking about the streak, it’s given teams that come in here more] motivation,” center back Bobby Boswell said. “Obviously (Sporting KC) feel they’ve accomplished something great. Credit to them for getting the result, but it’s not going to break us as a team.”
Heaps doesn’t believe that the loss will have any bearing on the match as he knows that Houston is a good team. The Dynamo is currently tied for second in the Eastern Conference with 20 points and has scored 17 goals. In comparison, the Revolution’s 10 points puts them in seventh place in the East with only 6 goals scored.
Heaps explained his mindset by saying, “Our preparation is not going to change whether they had won or loss. We’re looking at each game that they play and how they’re going to play, not so much the result all the time.”
Despite being higher in the standings, Houston knows that they can’t underestimate the Revs because their roster is full of talented players that have yet to meet their potential. Lee Nguyen and Kelyn Rowe have only recently started to form a solid partnership in the midfield while pairing Saer Sene and Juan Agudelo could be the answer to the Revs’ scoring woes.
Goalkeeper Tally Hall said, “There are a lot of parts to that team that are dangerous. Going way back to college days, I played against Ryan Guy and he has found some very good form lately in just the way he plays. Obviously they do have a lot of attacking pieces of the puzzle and we have to be ready because at any time they can turn it on.”
Although Houston has dominated the recent series with a 2-0-2 record, the Revs do hold an advantage in the all-time series (6-3-5). Both teams will be looking to add another tally in the win column as a way of solidifying superiority over their rival and erasing recent memories.
3 Things to Look for Against Houston
1. Player consistency is needed. The Revs have recently gotten solid performances from a number of players, including Rowe, Diego Fagaundez and Dimitry Imbongo. While many players have had sterling moments, there hasn’t been much consistency from game-to-game. If the Revs are going to salvage the season, they will need players that are willing to step up on a weekly basis. Playing in Houston should be a great test for a team that has only gotten solid moments, not games, from players. Can Faganudez work his magic after Domenic Kinnear has prepped his team for a week? Can Rowe match up against Ricardo Clark? Will Imbongo be able to penetrate the daunting Dynamo defense? These questions need to be answered in the affirmative to show that the Revs can turn this season around.
2. Injury concerns continue. As Agudelo and Sene inch closer to full health, the Revs have added Rowe (calf tightness) and Jose Goncalves (adductor tightness) to the injury report as “questionable”. It’s unknown if either player made the trip to Houston but it should be noted that Heaps has always tried to err on the side of caution when dealing with injuries. If one or both players are unable to compete on Saturday, Houston could have an easy night. Rowe currently leads the team with three assists and Goncalves has been the only constant in the ever-changing defense.
3. A new formation could be on the horizon. With imminent returns of Sene and Agudelo, the Revs need to find a way of getting the most talent on the field as possible. In order to do this, a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 might be necessary. Guessing the starting lineup for Saturday is difficult because the team has not been clear about which strikers will be ready for selection. If they are all ready, Agudelo, Bengtson and Sene could make a formable trio. If Heaps would rather play with two forwards, Sene should see time with Agudelo or Bengtson. If the Revs want to continue using a 4-1-4-1, Imbongo should be given the role of single striker. Saturday’s game should allow fans to get a preview of that Heaps intends to do with the lineup.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
