NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. HOUSTON DYNAMO
RED BULL ARENA, Harrison, New Jersey
March 19, 2016 (WEEK 3, MLS GAME #23)
7 pm ET (MLS LIVE, MSG+ 2, ROOT Sports SW)
A pair of clubs who have gotten off to opposite starts to the new season meet in an intraconference matchup when the New York Red Bulls play host to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls have yet to score a goal this season in starting off with back-to-back defeat, last a 3-0 reversal at the Montréal Impact. The Dynamo have scored a record eight goals in their first two games, coming off a 5-0 rout of FC Dallas at BBVA Compass Stadium last weekend.
- The Red Bulls were shut out for a second consecutive match to open the new season, following a 3-0 defeat by the Montréal Impact on Saturday afternoon at Olympic Stadium.
- The Dynamo matched their club record with five goals in their 5-0 Texas Derby win against FC Dallas on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. It was the largest margin of victory ever in the Dynamo’s 11-year history.
- Andrew Wenger netted a goal and added two assists in the win vs. FC Dallas; he has played a part in four of the Dynamo’s nine goals this season after coming over from Philadelphia Union in the offseason.
- The Dynamo won the only meeting between the clubs last season, a 4-2 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium, that snapped a seven-game Red Bulls undefeated streak in league play in the series. The Red Bulls had come away with points on their three previous trips to Houston before last year’s result.
- The Red Bulls are 8-0-3 all-time at home in league play vs. Houston, with wins in the last five regular season matches in Harrison (dating back to 2012). But the Dynamo did win the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series between the clubs in 2013, winning 2-1 at Red Bull Arena in the second leg, after the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Houston.
REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Jaime Herrera
MLS Career: 195 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 37; pens: 56
SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: NYR: Damian Perrinelle
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME(22 meetings): Red Bulls 10 wins, 35 goals … Dynamo 4 wins, 23 goals … Ties 8
AT RED BULLS (11 meetings): Red Bulls 8 wins, 19 goals … Dynamo 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 3
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/5: HOU 4, NYR 2 (Garcia 59; Clark 72; Bruin 80, 93+ -- Grella 42; Abang 90)
• This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
• The Dynamo won the only meeting between the clubs last season, a 4-2 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium, that snapped a seven-game Red Bulls undefeated streak in league play in the series. The Red Bulls had come away with points on their three previous trips to Houston before last year’s result.
• The Red Bulls are 8-0-3 all-time at home in league play vs. Houston, with wins in the last five regular season matches in Harrison (dating back to 2012).
• But the Dynamo did win the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series between the clubs in 2013, winning 2-1 at Red Bull Arena in the second leg, after the teams played to a 2-2 draw in Houston.
• Coaches record: Owen Coyle vs. NYR: P1 W1 L0 T0 … Jesse Marsch vs. HOU: P4 W1 L2 T1
