Dynamo and Sounders Have Cause to be Nervous

MLS Nightmare Poses Question “Who are the Favourites Tonight?”

July 1st – Canada Day

Nobody likes to lose a local derby. Nobody likes to lose to a side from a lower division in cup competition. Tonight, at opposite ends of the country, Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders face the prospect of accomplishing both in one night.

New Rivalry Emerges in Texas

8800 will pack into Nelson Field for the first ever competitive meeting between two sides with no history of rivalry. The Austin Aztex are the USL’s newest club. The Aztex come into the game with a few injury problems. They are without starting goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo and midfielder and second top scorer Yordany Alvarez. Also missing for nine games has been forward Noel Gifton-Williams, who has been out with a bad hamstring. Noel-Williams is slowly working his way back to form and may be fit enough for Wednesday.

Several other minor injuries and work permit issues have forced Austin to look elsewhere for help with several short-term loans for players. The latest has been the Dynamo’s Erik Ustruck, who was brought to Austin last week on a loan that will last until the end of August. The defender won’t be eligible Wednesday since he can’t play against his original team. Austin have managed just two wins and six draws in their 14 USL games so far.

Their visitors are very much the form team of the Western Conference. Before their shock 1-0 defeat at the Galaxy last weekend, they had gone 11 games without defeat in MLS and had leapt to the top of the Western Conference. Dynamo have been knocked out by USL Charleston the last two seasons. Eddie Robinson and Craig Waibel are still absent for Houston. Ricardo Clark, Andre Hainault and Stuart Holden are absent due to Gold Cup duties.

The Oldest of Foes Meet Again

In contrast to the feeling of newness in the Austin v Houston match stands the 60th meeting between sides called the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders. Owners and divisions have changed, but for fans this is the continuation of a three-decade-old rivalry. The sides first met in 1975, and although Seattle have had the better of the results, and are the senior club in league terms, there are grounds for optimism for the Timbers. PGE Park’s record crowd is 15,833 vs. Charleston in 2007. There is every chance, safety permitting, of that being exceeded tonight.

They sit third in their league, but would almost certainly be first when games in hand are completed. Their league run has stretched to 12 games unbeaten. The squad looks to be fully fit and Gavin Wilkinson won’t have to balance Gold Cup call ups and pressure to win his next league game, with the importance of this fixture. Sounders have some players like Roger Levesque and Seb Le Toux who have played at PGE Park before, and the raucous atmosphere created by the home fans will not daunt anyone who has been to Qwest this season. But Sounders coach Sigi Schmid has lost Brad Evans and Tyrone Marshall to the Gold Cup, and Osvaldo Alonso to a groin strain. Steve Zakuani may return from a weekend injury but he is also under fan pressure to do what MLS coaches rarely have to, put out a competitive side in the US Open Cup.

Last night, six ties were played between MLS and lower league opposition. The MLS lost four of them and Kansas City needed penalties to get by the Minnesota Thunder. MLS clubs largely put out reserve sides for these occasions and are regularly eliminated, yet the money chiefs of these clubs don’t seem to care, and to be honest, many of their fans beyond the hardcore, with an ingrained respect for the game, don’t either. This time is different. All of which adds up to a cracker of a tie this evening in Oregon.

We’ll be there. If you can’t make it to the match, there will be live coverage on FSN as soon as a baseball game in New York is finished. You can also follow the game on USL Live, where you won’t have to wait for other sports.

---

NEW Commission an Award-Winning Prost Amerika Match Report for your child, school or team. Send us an email for further details.*

Stay Informed When We Post a New Story

Facebook User? Become a Facebook Fan

Click For All Stories in the Soccer Northwest, Sounders FC, US Open Cup Category

Back to Soccer Homepage

*Discount for Washington Youth Soccer Members. Perfect for a birthday present too.