A SOCCER LOOK AHEAD

Ten Houston Dynamo matches worth checking out in 2018

Victor Araiza
Jan 5, 2018, 9:40 am
Alberth Elis and the Dynamo will look to get back to the playoffs. Photo by Wilf Thorne/Houston Dynamo

The 2018 Major League Soccer regular season calendar was unveiled on Thursday, including all 17 of the Houston Dynamo’s league matches at home this season. Fans who attended a match in 2017 rarely saw the Dynamo lose as the team boasted 12 wins, 5 draws and only one loss - which came two weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston.

This season’s calendar is fairly evened out in that the team will not play home or away for more than a two-game stretch, allowing for an attractive home match at least once a month. If you are interested in making the trip downtown, you may also be interested in checking out SportsMap’s guide to a Dynamo Matchday and the BBVA Compass Stadium cheat sheet.

Here are 10 home matches worth checking out this season:

Saturday, March 3 vs. Atlanta United FC (2:30 p.m. kickoff)

The Dynamo will open the season at home - and on national television - when they host 2017 expansion club Atlanta United FC for the very first time. The sister club of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons were the talk of the league last season due to their potent on-field offense, their world-class tactician and their devoted fans that broke MLS attendance records. 

Former Argentina national team and FC Barcelona manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has composed a side worthy of praise and young stars like 23-year-old Miguel Almiron and 24-year-old Josef Martinez will make this a great first test to kick off the season. As if the Dynamo need any additional motivation, it’s worth noting Atlanta won the only meeting between the clubs last season in a 4-1 beatdown where Almiron scored a hat-trick.

Saturday, April 21 vs. Toronto FC (2 p.m. kickoff)

The MLS Cup Champions come to town with their roster of stars - composed of the highest salary total in the league - in 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco and U.S. Men’s national team players Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley. Because of MLS’ unbalanced schedule, this Eastern Conference team will be visiting BBVA Compass Stadium for the first time since late in the 2016 season - a meeting that was postponed from its original date due to inclement weather. Many fans missed out on seeimg this talented side on that occasion but, coming off winning the league title, that shouldn't be the case this time around as it's expected to be a hot ticket.

Saturday, May 5 vs. LA Galaxy (7:30 p.m. kickoff)

This “Cinco de Mayo” match should have plenty of Mexican flavor as the Dynamo’s Erick “Cubo” Torres - the club’s top scorer in 2017 - faces off against fellow countrymen Giovani dos Santos and Jonathan dos Santos. The dos Santos brothers are all but shoe-ins to represent Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and this match may be a great opportunity to see them of before they join their national team ahead of preparations for Rusia. It will also be the return to Houston of Dominic Kinnear - the manager who led the Dynamo to their 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup titles - who these days is an assistant for the LA Galaxy.

Friday, May 25 vs. NYCFC (8 p.m. kickoff)

Another former MLS MVP, 2010 FIFA World Cup Champion David Villa may be visiting BBVA Compass Stadium for the last time when New York City FC come to town. Villa scored a brace in his last trip to Houston in 2016, a match were fans were treated to witnessing another World Cup Champion in the now retired Andrea Pirlo. The club owned by both the New York Yankees and the Premier League’s Manchester City F.C. is led by managed by former Arsenal star Patrick Vieira and is sure to be a tough outing.

Tuesday, July 3 vs. LAFC (8 p.m. kickoff)

This season, a new face joins MLS in 2018 expansion side Los Angeles FC. The team owned by a big name investors like Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Will Ferrell, Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm-Garciaparra has spared no expense in announcing their arrival with the signing of Mexico national team forward Carlos Vela and Uruguayan prospect Diego Rossi. Fans expecting to see Vela may not get an opportunity to see him on this date, however, as it occurs during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The team should still field a competitive side with MLS veterans like Benny Feilhaber, Laurent Ciman and Marco Ureña. The team is managed by Bob Bradley, who led the U.S. Men's national team to a second place finish in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Saturday, July 21 vs. FC Dallas (8 p.m. kickoff)

The first Texas Derby match of the season will be a much anticipated one as it takes place around the midway point of the season. Last season’s match against FC Dallas was the highest attended regular season game at BBVA Compass Stadium and there’s no reason to think this one won’t be a sellout. It will also be the first of three matches between the clubs in 2018, so expect both sides to want to get a lead on bragging rights. 

Saturday, August 4 vs. Sporting Kansas City (8 p.m. kickoff)

Speaking of rivalry games - although not officially dubbed as one - most devoted Dynamo fans will attest that matches against Sporting Kansas City are as much about personal pride as any. The two clubs developed this rivalry naturally during the 2011, 2012 and 2013 playoffs and, with the Dynamo’s return to the postseason, picked it back up in the 2017 playoff match that went to extra time. The Dynamo won that encounter 1-0 with a goal by Alberth Elis.

Thursday, August 23 vs. FC Dallas (8 p.m. kickoff)

Round two against FC Dallas will take place on a Thursday night as part of MLS’ rivalry week. The difference with this edition is that it will be less than a week removed from their third and final match of the season the next week in Frisco. It could be an opportunity for the Dynamo to seal the season series at home, making the result even sweeter.

Saturday, September 15 vs. Portland Timbers FC (7:30 p.m. kickoff)

The 2017 MLS MVP Diego Valeri will visit BBVA Compass Stadium as the push for the playoffs begins to hit the final stretch. Despite never winning in Houston, Portland nearly came close to doing that in 2017 at BBVA Compass Stadium in a back and forth contest that finished in a 2-2 draw. Mark this one as a match to visit late in the season.

Sunday, October 21 vs. Seattle Sounders FC (TBD p.m. kickoff)

The home finale during the regular season for the Dynamo will come against the team that eliminated them in last year’s playoff run. This edition will be between two teams expecting to make the playoffs and, as such, could have playoff seeding implications. Sounders FC will count on the likes of U.S. men’s national team forwards Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris and the ever electric Nicolas Lodeiro as they look to make it to a third-straight MLS Cup Final.

The full 2018 Houston Dynamo schedule can be found here.

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Houston's magic number stays at 2

Astros drop series finale to Mariners after rough start by Greinke

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

With their magic number at 2 to secure their spot in the 2020 MLB postseason, the Astros returned to T-Mobile Park in Seattle for this three-game series' finale and rubber game. Here are the highlights from the game:

Final Score: Mariners 3, Astros 2.

Record: 28-28, second in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Nick Margevicius (2-3, 4.57 ERA)

Losing pitcher: Zack Greinke (3-3, 4.03 ERA).

Greinke unable to complete five innings

While the Astros were being held scoreless, the Mariners were putting up runs on Zack Greinke. They took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles followed by an RBI-double with one out. Greinke would stop the damage there, then looked to settle in over the next few frames.

He allowed just one baserunner in the second through fourth innings, a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth. Then, in the fifth, the Mariners would knock him out of the game by getting a one-out single that would come around to score on a two-out RBI-double, followed by an RBI-single to extend the lead to 3-0. Greinke faced one more batter, allowing a single before Dusty Baker would take the ball and move to the bullpen. His final line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR, 92 P.

Astros try a late rally, come up short

On the other end, the Astros were unable to break through against Nick Margevicius, getting just one hit and two walks through the first four innings. They had a chance to get on the board in the top of the fifth, starting the inning with back-to-back singles before a walk loaded the bases with one out to turn the lineup over. They'd come up empty, though, with George Springer striking out before a long flyball to center by Jose Altuve to end the inning.

After finishing the fifth for Greinke, Andre Scrubb returned for a scoreless sixth, working around a one-out walk. Still 3-0, Blake Taylor took over on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, erasing a leadoff single and two-out walk to keep Seattle from extending their lead. Houston had another chance to score in the top of the eighth, getting two runners in scoring position, but again would strand them.

Cy Sneed was the next reliever out for the Astros, working around a two-out walk to send the game on to the ninth. The Astros would avoid the shutout, getting a two-RBI single by pinch-hitting Josh Reddick in the top of the ninth to make it a one-run game at 3-2. That's as close as they'd come, though, as the Mariners would eventually get the final out to take the series and keep the Astros' magic number stagnant at 2.


Up Next: There is one series left in the regular season for Houston, and it awaits them in Arlington with a four-game series against the Rangers, who are well eliminated from playoff contention. The first of the four games will start at 7:05 PM Central on Thursday with a pitching matchup of Lance Lynn (6-2, 2.53 ERA) for Texas and Cristian Javier (4-2, 3.33 ERA) for the Astros.

astros recap astros vs mariners astros score mariners score mariners recap mlb mlb recap zack greinke astros

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