The Houston Dynamo look to rediscover last month’s strong form on Wednesday night when they visit the San Jose Earthquakes, who continue to struggle after the dismissal of their manager.
The Dynamo (8-7-7, 31 points) were unbeaten in five matches in June, saving the best of the month for last with wins at D.C. United and home to Charlotte FC.
July has been trickier. First came a 3-2 defeat at Real Salt Lake, one of three teams tied atop the Western Conference. Then the approach of Hurricane Beryl forced the postponement of a challenging match at home against LAFC.
When the Dynamo finally took the field again, they had to rally from behind at home to earn a 1-1 draw against Minnesota United, with Sebastian Ferreira leveling in the 82nd minute.
“Once we started pushing, the energy in the building was great, and the guys played as hard as they could tonight,” Dynamo manager Ben Olsen said. “It was a wild week for Houston, and our thoughts are with the people that have passed away and everyone who is still without power. This is my first time in Houston with this kind of natural disaster, and the sense of community is real. Hopefully, we can all get back to normal soon.”
San Jose (4-17-2, 14 points) has posted a 1-3-0 record under interim manager Ian Russell following the dismissal of Luchi Gonzalez.
Over the past two matches, Russell has opted for a formation utilizing three center backs, which would help the club avoid the MLS record for goals allowed in a season of 75. San Jose has allowed 58 goals this season.
The new strategy worked in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire, but Sporting Kansas City scored twice after halftime in their 2-1 win at San Jose on Saturday night.
The Quakes have scored only one non-own goal — and only two total — since Russell took over.
“This new lineup has been more to shore up things defensively,” Russell said. “I think that’s gotten better. Now it’s about trying to create more attack.”
Amahl Pellegrino leads the Quakes with five goals but hasn’t scored since May 31 and has lost his starting role under Russell. Hernan Lopez scored his fourth goal in the 1-0 win over Chicago.
–Field Level Media