August 1, 2009 – Three first-half goals should have been enough for
Houston to cruise comfortably to victory, but a second-half Luciano
Emilio brace and a goal from midfielder Fred made things closer than expected. In the end, Stuart Holden’s penalty kick conversion proved to be the difference in a 4-3 win for the Dynamo.

What's at Stake?

It may be too early to call any match a must win, but if the Dynamo
want to stay with the pack in the extremely competitive Western
Conference — the Rapids, a resurgent RSL, and the surprising Earthquakes are right with them now — a win against lowly United at home might be required.

As for United, they have continued to struggle. Two straight losses
have the entire side, particularly head coach Curt Onalfo, struggling
for answers. Even a draw would be considered a massive victory.

Heroes & Villains

Tally Hall vs. Bill Hamid—
Two of the least experienced keepers in MLS — Hall will be making his
league debut; Hamid is just 19 years old — both keepers have shown they
are extremely talented in their limited minutes. Their success, or
mistakes, could determine the outcome in the game. Troy Perkins could return in goal for D.C. United after Hamid picked up a shoulder injury late in the week.

Dominic Oduro vs. Carey Talley—
The Dynamo speedster may be able to use his pace for maximum affect
against a D.C. backline that has struggled with pacy attackers. United
has conceded more goals (16) than any other team in the league. The
quality of Oduro’s performances of late seems to correlate to whether
Houston wins or loses. Talley is an experienced veteran whose play can
easily frustrate Oduro.

Stat of the Day:

Pat Onstad’s streak of 51 consecutive MLS starts will be snapped; he was called up for Canada's May 24 friendly against Argentina.

He said it:

“Every team has their runs. You can’t afford to take anything
lightly. There are no easy weeks in this league.” — Dominic Kinnear,
Dynamo coach