Preview: Minnesota United v Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo are coming to town, and Minnesota United will be looking to cause some problems for them. We caught up with Derek Stowers of Dynamo Theory to chat about Saturday’s opposition.

Houston has been on the right side of some big wins this season. Is the attack that good or was it more luck?

It’s that good. The real identity of the Dynamo and when they’re at their best is when they counter attack and press defenders to create turnovers. This team has so much speed on the wings coming from Alberth Elis and Romell Quioto that it can be overwhelming. Elis in particular has a gear that I haven’t seen other players match. The problem that the Dynamo tend to have is they get out to an early lead and then sit back. The issue there is we have two wingers, a center forward, and an attacking midfielder that aren’t defending as often which gives opponents chances to get back in games. When they don’t do that, they make teams chase and they keep attacking which is why the team’s only two wins this year have been by four goals in both games.

What are Dynamo fans’ expectations for this year?

After missing out on the playoffs for three years straight, the Dynamo were able to get to the Western Conference Finals last season. The front office has largely kept the same team together with a few changes like Cubo Torres departing, but they’ve added depth with players like Darwin Cerén. Fan expectations are that there is no excuse not to be in the playoffs at the end of the year. This team can compete with anyone due to their potent offense so it’ll be an exciting year if they can consistently play their brand.

How is the hurricane recovery going?

There are a lot of different ways to answer this question. There are so many things that cannot be replaced, but it’s been inspiring watching this city and its people supporting each other. Homes are being rebuilt, some of the bayous are being widened to increase water volumes, and people are keep spirits high despite all that has been lost.

There’s a lot of work to be done though. More flood prevention measures need to be taken, updated flood zone maps drawn, money has not gotten to everyone impacted, and regulations on places like chemical plants and refineries who ended releasing toxins because of the storm need to be put in place to prevent future water contaminations.

Houston has been hit hard three years in a row by heavy flooding. The Memorial Day flood of 2015, the Tax Day flood of 2016, and Harvey last year all highlight the need for much bigger changes – hopefully we get them.

The city is being rebuilt in a lot of ways as infrastructure improves and homes are raised or rebuilt. The Houston Astros World Series win, the Rockets playing great basketball, and all the other ways city officials and celebrities have helped inspire and show that the greatest part about this city is its people and while some unfortunately are no longer with us because of the storm, everyone else has shown their strength in a time of adversity. That strength is needed to make the changes to prevent future major flooding events.

Projected Lineup:

Chris Seitz; DaMarcus Beasley, Leonardo, Adolfo Machado, Andrew Wenger; Darwin Cerén, Tomás Martínez, Eric Alexander; Romell Quioto, Mauro Manotas, Alberth Elis