Dynamo aiming to end losing ways on road
The Dynamo face a tough task this weekend.
The Orange, who lost all three games they have played away from home this season, will play this Saturday at 8:30 pm at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, where Real Salt Lake has won all three home games it has played in the MLS this season.
Dynamo coach Owen Coyle apparently has kept his faith in the players who last week narrowly fell 1-0 against the Columbus Crew at MAPRE Stadium and probably will only make two changes from the lineup for last Saturday.
Goalkeeper Joe Willis will return in place of Tyler Deric, who was sent off in the 18th minute of the match in Columbus for a hard foul, while Cristian Maidana will replace Alex Lima in midfield. The Brazilian was suspended by the MLS on Thursday for a hard hit on a challenge against Columbus’ Mohammed Saeid.
The inclusion of Maidana would mean that Coyle can slightly alter his tactical structure because the experienced Argentine’s game is so different from Lima’s. While the Brazilian may cover the midfield , with his irrepressible running, especially from a defensive point of view, the Argentine has more weapons and creativity to challenge the defense. He would be better suited to try to play close to Giles Barnes, who once again will be the only one playing up front in the attack.
Without Alex, Collen Warner, who entered the lineup with the modifications implemented by Coyle last week, will accompany Ricardo Clark in a defensive role in midfield, while Andrew Wenger and Oscar Boniek Garcia will play on the right and left flanks. In that sense, it will be interesting to see if a partnership between the Honduran international and Maidana can spark the midfield and provide service for Barnes.
Another possible option would be to leave Maidana again on the bench and instead use Will Bruin up front, supported by Barnes coming from behind.
But aside from that change in the midfield, the weakest area of the team so far this season has been the defense and Coyle could keep the same four players who played in Columbus. That means Sheanon Williams will start again on the right side and Spaniard Agus Garcia will continue in the center with Raul Rodriguez. Experienced international DaMarcus Beasley maintains his usual place on the left.
Williams looked a little lost against the Crew, especially when he had to reposition after counter attacks, but overall showed more commitment on the defensive end in comparison to Jalil Anibaba, who lost his spot in the starting 11.
Meanwhile, Agus did have a promising performance in Ohio. He showed a better understanding with his countryman Rodriguez compared to David Horst, the other option in the back, and showed more poise in a key position.
The strength in defense will be the key in Utah as Real Salt Lake has two dangerous attackers in Ecuadorian Joao Plata, selected as the Player of the Month by the MLS in March, and Argentine Juan ‘Burrito’ (Little Donkey) Martinez, a versatile and fast player with international experience.
In the midfield, the key is to sever the connection between USA international Kyle Beckerman and playmaker Javier Morales, a highly skilled Argentine veteran and one of the most consistent players in the MLS for several years.
“They look exciting and have some very good players . ... They are a very good side, but when we go there, I’ll certainly understand after my first year, the altitude and everything else that comes with it, and we’ll be prepared to go there and get points on the road,” Coyle said about some of the threats posed by Real Salt Lake. “Javier Morales has been a wonderful player in the league and continues to show that. ( Joao) Plata is a very good player, who has speed and a low center of gravity”.
The Dynamo (1-4-2, 5 points) remains at the bottom of the Western Conference and needs a win not only because of its worrisome position in the standings but also because the team badly needs a win and a convincing performance to recover its confidence.
While it has not given points away playing at home this season, Real Salt Lake (4-1-2, 14 points) goes into this game after being thrashed 5-2 by the LA Galaxy, which the previous week had also humiliated the Dynamo.
“We will have real desire and motivation going into the game to get points on the road and place us where we want to be in the conference,” Coyle said.