The Warm Up: #NEvHOU
- Updated: August 14, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
For the first time in club history, the Houston Dynamo will march into Gillette Stadium without Dominic Kinnear at the helm in Saturday’s clash against the Revolution. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm.
The Dynamo, who are now led by former Wigan Athletic manager Owen Coyle, enter the match on the heels of a 2-1 win over, incidentally, Kinnear and the San Jose Earthquakes. The victory extended the side’s recent surge of results (3-1-2 in their last six), allowing them to start their climb up the Western Conference ladder.
On the other side of the pitch, the Revolution have also done well to piece together a modest patch of success thanks to a three-game unbeaten run (2-0-1). Of course, the recent streak comes after an extended run of poor form which saw them claim only one win in 12 tries between May 8 and Jul. 11.
Below is a breakdown of each team and the match.
THE TEAMS
New England Revolution (8-9-7, 31 points), tied for fourth (with Toronto FC) in the Eastern Conference
Houston Dynamo (8-8-7, 31 points), seventh in the Western Conference
WHAT’S AT STAKE
For the Revolution, Saturday’s match is another opportunity to prove that their summertime struggles are nothing more than tiny specs in the rear view mirror. The recent three-game run has given the squad a noticeable confidence boost, as evidenced by the recent scoring exploits of Lee Nguyen and Charlie Davies. Coming off of their first bye week of the season, the Revolution should come into match refreshed and re-energized as they head down the home stretch.
The Dynamo enter their clash with the Revolution looking very much the worse for wear with Ricardo Clark, Tyler Deric and Jermaine Taylor are nursing injuries. As such, the prospect of pulling the rug from under the Revolution appears to be an unlikely prospect. Even, the Revolution have faced the Dynamo – who’ll still have Brad Davis, Will Bruin and Giles Barnes available – enough times to know that three points won’t be easy to come by.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Revolution: No doubt the man of the hour (and a half) minutes will be Jermaine Jones. The 33-year-old midfielder recently returned from groin surgery in a late cameo against Toronto two weeks ago, and was taken off the injury list entirely ahead of Saturday’s match. Although Jones told the media earlier in the week that he estimated he could go about 60 minutes, coach Jay Heaps wouldn’t put a hard number on just how long his prized midfielder will go on Saturday.
Dynamo: His role may have changed over the course of the season, but Giles Barnes has been a major reason why the Dymamo are starting to hit their stride. Whether it’s scoring goals or setting them up, the Jamaican International has no qualms taking on defenders anywhere in the final third. With Bruin starting to heat up, look for Barnes to look for opportunities to combine and put the Dynamo on the board against a Revolution backline that has shown itself vulnerable against pacey players like the Dynamo attacking midfielder.
NOTABLES
-Thanks to offseason realignment, Saturday’s match will mark the only time the former MLS Cup rivals will face each other during the regular season. Previously, the sides had met at least twice a season since the original incarnation of the Earthquakes moved to Houston to become the Dynamo in 2006.
-Longtime U.S. International DaMarcus Beasley is set to make his first trip to Gillette Stadium since 2004, when he faced the Revolution as a member of the Chicago Fire.
-Boston’s own Sheanon Williams will be making his first appearance in Foxborough as a member of the Dynamo. Williams was traded to Houston on Jul. 23 for allocation money and future considerations.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following Saturday’s match, the Revolution will get another bye week before they hit the road to face the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park on Aug. 29.
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