Sagging team tries to regroup vs. old nemesis FC Dallas
The Dynam owill be looking to return to their late summer form when rival FC Dallas visits BBVA Stadium on Wednesday.
“I think the team is wellprepared,” midfielder Darwin Ceren said. “We know it’s been difficult in the last few games because we created a lot of chances to score but the goals weren’t coming. The team is confident because we’ve been doing great, and now the team is prepared for the derby.”
Houston (3-5-7, 16 points) has earned just three points in its last six matches. After edging into playoff position in early September, the Dynamo haven’t won since Sept. 5. They haven’t defeated Dallas (5-3-6, 21 points) since May 2019.
Still, the Dynamo remain just two points from eighth place in the Western Conference as the bulk of the playoff pack struggles to break away. After Wednesday, they’ll have seven more games to close the gap, including another match against Dallas on Oct. 31.
“I expect them to be really motivated to come down here and get some points. Last time (the teams played in Houston) they defended very well, and for me, they got away with one point in a game that I felt we should have won,” Dynamo coach Tab Ramos said, referring to a0-0tie on Aug. 21. “They are nowin a different place. They have (Andres) Ricaurte that they added to the team since that game. They are a teamthat is playing much better, and I think when you add players like (Fafà) Picault and (Michael) Barrios on the opposite side, they are one of the more dangerous teams in the league. They are in a good moment. They are a difficult team to play against, but we are certainly ready for that.”
The Dynamo also will look different in the near future. They welcome a new attacker in Mateo Bajamich, who was signed from Argentinian side Instituto AC on a full transfer, the club announced Monday. The 21year-old recorded 10 goals and six assists in 28matches with Instituto. He is unavailable for Wednesday’s match as he quarantines before joining the team.
“He has mostly played on the right side — let’s say like a seven,” Ramos said. “I have also spoken with Mateo myself about the possibility that he could also play as a withdrawn striker or even as a number nine. He is coming here mostly to be playing on the right side. That is where he plays best. That is where he is most comfortable.”
In the Dynamo’s most recent meeting with Dallas, a Sept. 12 road matchup, midfielder Memo Rodriguez’s 41st-minute goal leveled the game before Houston fell 2-1. He missed last Saturday’s game — a 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City — and is listed as questionable with a right thigh injury for Wednesday.
Former Dallas defender Maynor Figueroa and midfielder Matias Vera willmiss the match as they serve suspensions for yellowcard accumulation.
Looking beyond Wednesday, Rodriguez, midfielder Boniek Garcia and defender Kiki Struna are all within two bookings of the same fate.
“Maybe we have a few tweaks here and there that will help us to play better and to be able to utilize our front players better. So there will be a couple of things for this game, but in general, we know who we are,” Ramos said of his adjustments to those absences. “We have to stay the course. We have to keep working really hard to continue to create opportunities, and this game will be no different in that respect.”