Crew SC heads south on Saturday to take on the Houston Dynamo at 8:30 p.m. ET in Houston, Texas, to kickoff Week 2 of the Major League Soccer regular season. The cross-conference collision is the first away match for Crew SC in 2017, and will be broadcast on television via The CW Columbus, Spectrum Sports, BCSN2. Live audio will be simulcast on CD 102.5 FM and ColumbusCrewSC.com and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1 FM.
Before tuning in, catch up on our things to watch:
New Year, New Houston
The Houston Dynamo are coming in hot off a win against the reigning MLS champion Seattle Sounders FC after the season-opening 2-1 victory on March 4.
In addition to hiring new head coach Wilmer Cabrera, Houston also added a young and intriguing mix of players this season. Alberth Elis, Juan David Cabezas, and A.J. DeLaGarza all enter the fray in Orange for 2017. However, Houston has also parted ways with some of it's mainstays from years past.
A total of 12 players left the Dynamo before the 2017 season, including Will Bruin, David Horst, Cristian Maidana, and Sheanon Williams.
In the match against Seattle, Houston started five of their newcomers with solid performances from each of them. With a newly revamped roster, the Dynamo hope to improve after finishing 2016 last in the Western Conference.
Hondurans in Houston
Honduran internationals Romell Quioto and Elis are two players to watch. They flanked Erik “Cubo” Torres in attack in Houston's a 4-3-3 formation against Seattle. The Hondurans were a constant headache for the Seattle backline, combining to take on Seattle 11 times in 1-v-1 dribbles — with six being successful.
Houston's Designated Player, Elis, is one of the most promising attacking prospects this season. In the match against Seattle, Elis proved he is willing to attack the defense under any circumstance.
Torres scored the team’s first goal of the season in the 20th minute off a well-taken free kick. Quioto then secured his team’s victory with a curling right-footed shot to the back post in the 42nd minute. It was Quioto’s first goal in MLS. Torres and Quioto were also named MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week last week.
We Meet Again
Houston and Columbus are meeting for the first and only time in 2017's regular season. Columbus and Houston played against each other once last year at MAPFRE Stadium, with Columbus winning via a 1-0 scoreline.
All-time, Crew SC is 7-5-10 against Houston and has never beaten them at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.
Crew SC next faces the Houston Dynamo on March 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET in Houston, Texas. The Black & Gold return home on March 25 to host the Portland Timbers for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at MAPFRE Stadium.
