Houston Dynamo Communications
Houston Dynamo (6-4-1; 19 pts.) at Atlanta United FC (3-4-3; 12 pts.)
Saturday, May 20, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. CDT – Bobby Dodd Stadium – Atlanta, Ga.
(Houston, TX) — The Houston Dynamo make their first trip to Atlanta to take on expansion Atlanta United FC on Saturday evening at Bobby Dodd Stadium. And while it will be a debut for the Men in Orange in the Peach State, one Dynamo player stands ready to celebrate a feat of incredible longevity.
Dynamo captain Ricardo Clark has started 299 games in Major League Soccer since his debut in 2003, and an appearance by the 34-year-old midfielder in the Starting XI would be No. 300. He would become just the 14th field player in league history to eclipse 300 career starts. The milestone will be of particular significance for Clark, who will also be playing his first game as a professional in his hometown.
Clark and his teammates fly to Atlanta from Philadelphia after dropping a 2-0 decision to the Union on Wednesday night. For the Dynamo, the challenge continues to be translating their dominant home form into results on the road. Houston is 6-0-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium and has taken two-goal leads in all seven contests; on the road, they are 0-4-0 and have lost each game by two goals. To win, you first have to score, and the Dynamo are riding a 315-minute scoreless streak away from home. Their last away goal came in first-half stoppage time at Portland on March 18.
Saturday's matchup will feature a pair of South American managers - Houston's Colombian coach Wilmer Cabreraand Atlanta's Argentinian boss Gerardo "Tata" Martino. Perhaps it is no coincidence that their respective teams each play some of the most entertaining soccer in the league. In boxing, they say styles make fights. If that holds true in soccer, then Saturday's game promises to be a thriller.
Despite the shutout on Wednesday night, the Dynamo are tied for the league lead in goals scored with 21, while Atlanta is one back at 20. Houston has been at its best when flying up the field on counterattacks, taking advantage of possession-oriented teams that push into the attacking third. United have entertained crowds in their inaugural season with free-flowing attacking moves, most of which run through 23-year-old Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almirón. Generally paying out of a 4-2-3-1 alignment, Atlanta ranks second in the league in possession, averaging 58.2 percent through 10 games.
The Dynamo center back tandem of Leonardo and Adolfo Machado will have their work cut out for them with Almirón, Yamil Asad and Héctor Villalba keying the fast-paced Atlanta attack, while Houston's Hydra attack ofErick "Cubo" Torres, Romell Quioto, Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas will be looking to make life difficult on Atlanta captain Michael Parkhurst and his defensive mates.
ABOUT THE HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships and four conference championships in its first 11 seasons and qualified to represent the United States in international competition six times. The team trains in the Houston Methodist Champions’ Field at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com
-Forever Orange-
Saturday, May 20, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. CDT – Bobby Dodd Stadium – Atlanta, Ga.
(Houston, TX) — The Houston Dynamo make their first trip to Atlanta to take on expansion Atlanta United FC on Saturday evening at Bobby Dodd Stadium. And while it will be a debut for the Men in Orange in the Peach State, one Dynamo player stands ready to celebrate a feat of incredible longevity.
Dynamo captain Ricardo Clark has started 299 games in Major League Soccer since his debut in 2003, and an appearance by the 34-year-old midfielder in the Starting XI would be No. 300. He would become just the 14th field player in league history to eclipse 300 career starts. The milestone will be of particular significance for Clark, who will also be playing his first game as a professional in his hometown.
Clark and his teammates fly to Atlanta from Philadelphia after dropping a 2-0 decision to the Union on Wednesday night. For the Dynamo, the challenge continues to be translating their dominant home form into results on the road. Houston is 6-0-1 at BBVA Compass Stadium and has taken two-goal leads in all seven contests; on the road, they are 0-4-0 and have lost each game by two goals. To win, you first have to score, and the Dynamo are riding a 315-minute scoreless streak away from home. Their last away goal came in first-half stoppage time at Portland on March 18.
Saturday's matchup will feature a pair of South American managers - Houston's Colombian coach Wilmer Cabreraand Atlanta's Argentinian boss Gerardo "Tata" Martino. Perhaps it is no coincidence that their respective teams each play some of the most entertaining soccer in the league. In boxing, they say styles make fights. If that holds true in soccer, then Saturday's game promises to be a thriller.
Despite the shutout on Wednesday night, the Dynamo are tied for the league lead in goals scored with 21, while Atlanta is one back at 20. Houston has been at its best when flying up the field on counterattacks, taking advantage of possession-oriented teams that push into the attacking third. United have entertained crowds in their inaugural season with free-flowing attacking moves, most of which run through 23-year-old Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almirón. Generally paying out of a 4-2-3-1 alignment, Atlanta ranks second in the league in possession, averaging 58.2 percent through 10 games.
The Dynamo center back tandem of Leonardo and Adolfo Machado will have their work cut out for them with Almirón, Yamil Asad and Héctor Villalba keying the fast-paced Atlanta attack, while Houston's Hydra attack ofErick "Cubo" Torres, Romell Quioto, Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas will be looking to make life difficult on Atlanta captain Michael Parkhurst and his defensive mates.
ABOUT THE HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo are a Major League Soccer club that has won two MLS Cup championships and four conference championships in its first 11 seasons and qualified to represent the United States in international competition six times. The team trains in the Houston Methodist Champions’ Field at Houston Sports Park (HSP), the premier training facility in Southeast Texas, and plays at BBVA Compass Stadium in downtown Houston. For more information, log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com
-Forever Orange-