Major League Soccer 2015 regular season wars continue as two Western Conference hopefuls Colorado Rapids (6-9-9, 27 points) and Houston Dynamo (8-9-8, 32 points) clash at the Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado on Wednesday.
The match will be important for the two teams as both are desperately trying to advance to the MLS Cup postseason. A win and its corresponding three points would be a big boost for the aspirations of either squad.
Pablo Mastroeni's men got a huge break during their last game against the Chicago Fire on the road as they held on to a 1-0 decision after midfielder Dillon Serna scored on a counterattack in the opening seconds.
The Fire tried to come back the whole game, but the Rapids defense stood firm in impeding the attacks of Chicago.
Meanwhile, Houston is coming off a 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers in their match last Friday at the Providence Park in Portland.
The Orange Crush scored two goals in the first half, via midfielder Óscar García and forward Will Bruin, but they failed to capitalize on the road opportunity as they allowed the Timbers to fight back in the second half.
Prediction: A tough game to call as both teams are evenly matched. However, Dynamo will pull off a 1-0 win to draw close to a playoff berth.
Match Details
Colorado Rapids starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Irwin; Figueroa, St Ledger, Burling, Moor; LaBrocca, Sarvas; Serna, Powers, Torres; Doyle
Houston Dynamo starting lineup (4-4-1-1 formation): Deric; Williams, Rodriguez, Horst, Sarkodie; Alex, Olabiyi, Garrido, Garcia; Davis; Bruin
Date: Wednesday, August 26
Time: 9:00 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado, United States
Gamecast & Commentary: ESPN FC
TV Info & Live Stream: Root Sports Southwest, MLS Direct Kick, MLS Live, Directv / Live Stream - MLS Live (US)