Superb home record faces challenge from Minnesota
In their last regular-season home game before a month-long Leagues Cup break, the Dynamo will face Minnesota United FC for a third time this year at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Shell Energy Stadium.
While Houston (8-9-4) beat Minnesota 4-0 in a U.S Open Cup match on May 23, it hasn’t prevailed against the Loons in MLS action since a 3-0 triumph back in 2020. Minnesota (6-8-6) has won the last six regular-season meetings and is looking to extend its longest win streak against any MLS foe.
But the Dynamo hold the best home record in the Western Conference at 71-2, having amassed 23 of their 28 points at Shell Energy Stadium to put them in eighth place in the standings. They’ll need to snap a losing streak to maintain their stellar home record.
“Minnesota comes into town. It’s a very good group,” Dynamo coach Ben Olsen said. “They’ve had two big-time additions, one with (Teemu) Pukki, who is a worldclass striker, and then (Emanuel) Reynoso is back. So it’s almost as if they have two new attacking pieces for us to deal with.
“They have high-level players and a hardworking team. It’s tough to break down. We’re looking forward to responding and try to get three points at home.”
Midfielder Reynoso, second on the Loons in MLS goals scored with three in five games, returned in May from a three-month suspension for failing to report to preseason training. Pukki, who signed with the club in June from Norwich City, where he scored 87 goals, made his debut in a 4-1 loss to Austin FC on July 8.
The duo, along with forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane, who leads the team in MLS goals with five, could help the Loons, who are 11th in the standings with 24 points, move above the playoff line heading into the break.
Héctor Herrera, who leads the Dynamo in MLS assists with nine and is tied for second in goals with three, will be the first Dynamo player since 2018 to represent Houston at the MLS All-Star Game, which will be played on July 19.
Two days later, the 2023 Leagues Cup, which pits MLS and Liga MX teams against each other, will kick off. There are 15 groups of three in the round-robin competition. The Dynamo were placed in the South 2 group with Orlando City SC and Santos Laguna.
But in the Dynamo’s second of three regular-season games in eight days, Olsen knows it won’t be easy dealing with Minnesota in dangerous situations. Most importantly, he’s eyeing a better start off against a squad that has allowed four goals in three of its last eight games in all competitions. Minnesota leads the all-time regularseason series 8-4-4.
“A better mentality, a full 90 (minutes) and making sure we don’t have some of the momentary lapses that we had in this last game that ended up costing us some points,” Olsen said.
The Dynamo are coming off a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City on July 8 that extended their unbeaten home streak to five games. Alan Pulido scored his third brace in his last six games for Kansas City, while Ibrahim Aliyu, who scored his first MLS goal, and Iván Franco scored at the end of each half for Houston.
Herrera, who is tied for second in assists leaguewide, became the second player in club history to tally an assist in four straight games.
“The data says that it’s maybe our best performance of the year as far as services and opportunities and chances, shots on goal. The way we dealt with set pieces and throw-ins, just a really complete performance,” Olsen said. “A few moments can cost you. So it’s a reminder for us to play complete games and every moment’s going to matter.”