Good second half would be whole lot better this time
Goal vs. Sporting KC is to guard against another late collapse
The Dynamo hope to do something they haven't done in nine years when they host Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday.
Houston is trying to advance to the semifinal of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2009.
This will be the second of three meetings between Houston and Kansas City this season. The teams last met on June 23 in Kansas City, when the Dynamo lost 3-2.
In that game, Houston had a 2-0 lead going into halftime, but Kansas City scored three goals in the second half,
“That first 45 (minutes), you could say it was probably some of the best soccer and (one of the best) performances that the team’s put together this entire year,” defender Jared Watts said. “The guys came out and really dominated the first half, and (Kansas City) made adjustments and things changed. We want to finish the job this time.”
The stakes are higher this time around, though. The Dynamo have only made it to the Open Cup semifinal two times in the franchise’s 13-year existence — in 2006 and 2009.
Coach Wilmer Cabrera says that advancing to the semifinal of the Open Cup would show they are making progress and help boost the confidence of his players.
“It’s important because the team has struggled in getting into the playoffs in MLS and getting into the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup,” Cabrera said. “It would be important for us to feel like we’re improving as a team and we’re getting closer to important things. (It’s important) not only for the players, but especially for the fans and for the city.”
Kansas City is in third place in the Western Conference standings, while Houston is outside of the playoff picture at seventh. Sporting KC has one of the best offenses in the MLS and ranks fourth in the league in goals with 37 and third in assists with 38.
The Dynamo have a strong offense, as well. Houston ranks sixth in the MLS in goals with 36. Forwards Mauro Manotas and Alberth Elis have led the team’s offensive attack with nine goals each.
“We are a team that also scores a lot, which should worry (Kansas City), too,” Manotas said through a translator. “We have a tough offense, and people have seen that in the last two years.”
After Wednesday’s game, the Dynamo will have a two-day gap before playing at home against FC Dallas on Saturday.
“These are the type of games that motivate you, and there is no need to talk much about them,” Manotas said. “We all know that when we face opponents like these, we need to win.”