Houston Dynamo Vs Kansas City Wizards

Posted Thursday, April 29, 2010 by Goal.com

East versus West in MLS.

On Form

Houston: It all went horribly wrong for Houston on Saturday night. A 2-0 defeat, Danny Cruz sent off after collecting two yellow cards in a five minute span and little offensive creativity to speak of. Chicago was simply the better team on the night and the weather didn't help either with high winds effecting play throughout the match. Despite all that, the news got worse on Monday afternoon when the club announced that midfielder Geoff Cameron will miss the rest of the season after suffering a PCL tear. It's a hugely disappointing loss for the Dynamo as Cameron was just starting to look comfortable in his new role at the top of the midfield. Brad Davis seems the likely option to fill the role until the Dynamo can find and sign a new attacking midfielder, but Dominic Kinnear is not without options.

Kansas City: The defense. Simple really. Led by Jimmy Conrad, the youthful Wizards backline held Los Angles scoreless in their last match and helped keeper Jimmy Nielsen record his fourth clean sheet of the season. In doing so, they now are tied for the fewest goals allowed with the very same team they shut out.

Off Target

Houston: The Dynamo offense is struggling and the match against Chicago showed just how much they need Brian Ching back. The lack of a forward that can hold the ball up front hurt the team on Saturday as the Dynamo struggled to creative opportunities in the final third. No matter how hard the likes of Dominic Oduro and Brian Mullan work, neither has the skill set that Ching brings to the table. Luis Angel Landin could fill the role but his inconsistency continues to limit his time and many are starting to wonder how much longer the Dynamo will stick with him. It was already going to be a tough season for the Dynamo and with the injuries starting to pile up, things may get worse before they get better.

Kansas City: The offense. Simple really. The team has been shutout in two straight matches and has only scored one goal since their opener in which they netted four times. That’s not going to cut it in this league. Oh, and Kai Kamara missed an absolute sitter last weekend that could go down as one of the worst misses in League history. So him, specifically.

Tactics

Houston: The injury to Geoff Cameron leaves a huge hole at the top of Kinnear's midfield diamond. Obviously, there is no quick fix and until the Dynamo can find an option either within the league or from outside, someone will need to step in to the attacking midfield role. Brad Davis could shift to a more central role in the midfield, a position he's played before out of necessity. Davis didn't have a strong showing against Chicago and he'll need to be on his game if the Dynamo are to threaten the Wizards goal this weekend. Palmer should remain in the holding midfield role with Corey Ashe replacing Davis on the left. Brian Mullan will likely shift back in to the midfield on the right with Luis Angel Landin returning to the starting lineup up front along side Dominic Oduro. Of course Palmer could move up front, Davis could stay on the left and Serioux could fill the holding mid role...or Serious could move up font, leaving Palmer in the back...confused yet? Expect the defense to look the same with Chabala, Robinson, Boswell and Hainault across the back, unless Kinner decides to rest someone with FC Dallas coming to town four days later.

Kansas City: With Houston’s best player this season - Geoff Cameron - now out for the year, the Wiz have to expose their midfield and put pressure his replacement. Players like Davy Arnaud and Ryan Smith need to take advantage of Cameron’s absence by pushing the ball upfield early and often.

Intangibles

Houston: Luis Angel Landin needs to put up or shut up. The Dynamo designated player has had a slow start to the season and patience is running out for the talented but clearly struggling forward. With Brian Ching still a couple weeks away, this could be the last chance for Landin to prove he belongs on the roster, let alone the field. Houston needs him to step up and be a scoring force up front, but all signs seem to be pointing to this not happening. Landin needs figure things out and give the Dynamo a much needed boost, or he'll likely join the ever expanding list of failed designated player signings by MLS clubs.

Kansas City: Houston aren’t having the best start to the season and have shown they can be exposed, as we saw from Chicago at the weekend. If the Wizards, playing on the road, can continue to exhibit their strong passing game, they could sneak a point.

Outcome

Houston: Kansas City plays a tough, physical style similar to Chicago even with the game being back home for Houston, it seems likely they will struggle in many of the same ways they did against the Fire. Kansas City wins 3-1 and takes three points on the road behind a strong performance from Kei Kamara.

Kansas City: Houston have to be the favorite here. Despite Kansas City’s stingy defense, playing at Houston is never easy. Going 2-1 Dynamo.