Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo
MLS Regular Season
Sunday, August 10; 7:30 pm PT; CenturyLink Field
TV/Radio: ESPN2; KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; ESPN Deportes Radio, 1490 AM (Spanish)
On Sunday, Sounders FC hosts the Houston Dynamo for the only meeting of the season between the two teams.
Here are three matchups to watch at CenturyLink Field or at home on ESPN2.
Seattle’s right side vs. Houston’s left side
If DeAndre Yedlin is available after visiting a European club earlier this week, his side of the field will likely feature four players that were in Jurgen Klinsmann’s World Cup camp. With Yedlin and Brad Evans on the right for Seattle and Brad Davis and the newly signed DaMarcus Beasley on the left for Houston, the quality on that side of the field will rival any match on the MLS calendar. And with the propensity for both defenders to press forward, it could make for an entertaining match.
Obafemi Martins vs. David Horst
Sounders FC fans may remember Horst as the burly center back from the Portland Timbers in 2011 and 2012. He is now one year removed from a knee injury that wiped out most of his 2013 season and is the centerpiece to the Houston defense. Meanwhile, Martins has not scored a goal since June 7 and is aiming to help Seattle break out of a slump that has seen Sounders FC get shut out in three of the last four matches. With his speed and holdup play, he could cause issues for Horst in the attack.
Will Bruin and Giles Barnes vs. Seattle’s center backs
Last time these two teams met in 2013 at BBVA Compass Stadium, Barnes and Bruin scored all three goals for Houston in a 3-1 win for the Dynamo. Thus far this season, the duo has combined for 13 goals and five assists, including a game-winning goal for Bruin last week against D.C. United. Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid has said that Djimi Traore is ready to make his return to action and Chad Marshall is nearing a return from injury himself, so Schmid will have options at center back. That pairing, if available, could do well in combatting the combination of Barnes and Bruin.
