Feast your eyes
A tripleheader was attempted, but three games at two sites will fill the bill
For 48 hours almost two weeks ago, Dynamo president Chris Canetti had a dream.
What if Houston — already known for hosting major soccer competitions — could be one of the first cities to put on a tripleheader showcasing the highest levels of the sport in the United States, Mexico and Africa?
Mexico’s national team already was scheduled to play a friendly against Ghana on Wednesday night at NRG Stadium. The Dash already were scheduled to play a regular-season game at BBVA Compass Stadium that same night.
Then, on July 15, the Dynamo won the random draw in the U.S. Open Cup and were awarded a home game for the next round. The next round just so happens to be Wednesday night.
Canetti saw an opportunity. He reached out to Soccer United Marketing, the promoter of Mexico’s friendly, to ask about the possibility of a tripleheader at NRG. To Canetti’s delight, SUM considered it. But it politely declined.
Potential scheduling difficulties with the Dynamo possibly having to play 30
extra minutes due to their game being in a knockout competition and the high probability of the pitch being torn up for Mexico’s game was too much to overcome in less than two weeks.
“The idea was well-received,” Canetti said. “It would have been a cool narrative.”
The games will go on anyway Wednesday night for a smorgasbord of soccer unlike any Houston has ever seen.
Mexico’s game against Ghana may be a friendly, but for Mexico it is a tune-up for next month’s Gold Cup, which will be played in the United States.
El Tri will not have its top team on hand Wednesday or for the Gold Cup. Its “A” team is in Russia for the FIFA Confederations Cup and has advanced to the semifinals. Mexico will face Germany on Thursday.
Eight miles away from NRG Stadium, the Dynamo will kick off the doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. against Sporting Kansas City. The teams are first and second in MLS’s Western Conference, but Wednesday’s game will not count in the standings.
Instead, it will determine one quarterfinalist in the U.S. Open Cup, the annual competition for American soccer clubs at all levels. Both teams are missing key players due to Gold Cup duty and have called in players from their United Soccer League affiliates to help with those absences.
Approximately 30 minutes after the Dynamo game ends, the Dash will play a league game against the Boston Breakers.
The Dash are coming off a victory that snapped a six-game losing streak. They expect to add momentum against Boston, which is winless in its last five and is the only team below the Dash in the standings.
The Dynamo and Dash also played a doubleheader in 2014.
“It works out great to be able to put both games on the same night,” Canetti said. “We’re trying to grow the US Open Cup and the support for it in the city and for the Dash within the city. To be able to combine the two under these circumstances is ideal.”