Dynamo vie for elusive road victory at D.C. United (Jul 22, 2017)
Stymied in their prolonged search for a first away win of the season against one last-place team, the Houston Dynamo will get the chance against another when they visit D.C. United on Saturday night.
The Dynamo (8-7-5) moved to 0-7-3 away from BBVA Compass Stadium following a scoreless draw against the Western Conference bottom dweller Minnesota United on Wednesday night.
Houston outshot the host 19-4 in that one, but still required two goal-mouth clearances from A.J. DeLaGarza to escape with a point in the standings.
"In our road games, we've had so many chance's that we don't finish, and the home team has been making us pay for our mistakes," DeLaGarza told the Houston Chronicle. "Thankfully, this time I was here to back (our goalkeeper) up and clear the ball away and save us a point."
Houston is one of four MLS teams yet to win away from home this season, and the only one that currently holds one of 12 playoff positions in the league standings, thanks in part to an undefeated home mark.
In D.C. United (5-12-3), the Dynamo face the Eastern Conference's last-place team, one that has only scored six times in nine home matches this season.
With 17 goals overall, D.C.'s offense remains the worst in the league, though recently defense has been the problem.
On Wednesday, United gave back a three-goal second-half lead in a 4-3 loss in Seattle. It was their second consecutive game letting in four goals while starting goalkeeper Bill Hamid is with the United States national team.
"We could have scored more goals in the first half, then got a little stretched in the second," United coach Ben Olsen. "And then (when) they're throwing aggressive numbers at you with some of the quality they have, you've gotta make some plays. We weren't able to do that. We let ourselves down on too many plays."
United remains without Hamid, who will be on the U.S. roster in their Gold Cup semifinal against Costa Rica later Saturday night.
Houston conceivably could get Honduran trio Romell Quioto, Alberth Elis and Boniek Garcia back after their national team lost 1-0 to Mexico in a Gold Cup quarterfinal Thursday. It's unlikely any of the three would start on such short rest.
