Houston Dynamo Hou vs Minnesota United Fc Min Picks and Predictions July 13th 2024

Loons Trying to Break 6-Match Skid with Visit to Dynamo

Match Overview

Minnesota United will endeavor to snap a group record six-match series of failures when they travel to Houston to confront the Dynamo on Saturday night. The Loons, who were once third in the Western Conference, have slipped to tenth spot following a line of unfortunate outcomes.

Minnesota United’s Recent Struggles

Minnesota (8-9-5, 29 focuses) has not dominated a game since overcoming Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at home on June 1. In spite of their new battles, the Loons stay only four focuses behind the fifth-place Portland Timbers with a match close by, mirroring the firmly bundled nature of the Western Conference standings.

“If we can start stringing some results together and be where we were, everything can be rosy quite quickly,” first-year Loons head coach Eric Ramsay told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I do genuinely get a sense that for as quickly as it’s changed against us, it can very, very quickly change back in our favor.”

Injury and Absence Challenges

Part of Minnesota’s difficulties can be attributed to the absence of up to 10 regular players due to international obligations, injuries, and suspensions during their losing streak. The Loons are currently without starting goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and leading goal scorer Tani Oluwaseyi (seven goals in 15 games), who are set to return next week after playing for Canada in the Copa America third-place game on Saturday. Additionally, defender DJ Taylor, who reinjured his hamstring in a 2-1 loss to the LA Galaxy on Sunday, is expected to be sidelined for about a month.

Houston Dynamo’s Position

Houston (8-7-6, 30 points) sits eighth in the Western Conference and will be playing for the first time since a 3-2 road loss to Real Salt Lake on July 3. The Dynamo were supposed to host Los Angeles Football Club on Sunday, but that match was postponed due to Hurricane Beryl.

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The loss to Real Salt Lake ended a six-match unbeaten streak for Houston, which had previously defeated the Loons 2-1 on April 13 in Saint Paul, Minn., thanks to Sebastian Kowalczyk’s first career MLS goal in the 77th minute.

Key Players and Recent Performance

Ibrahim Aliyu scored his team-leading sixth goal in the loss to Real Salt Lake, a match in which Houston was heavily outshot, facing a 10-2 deficit in shots on goal and a 20-7 disadvantage in overall shot attempts.

“Not a great performance from us,” Dynamo coach Ben Olsen said. “We looked a little bit unfocused. … Just a little bit lackadaisical. We gave up poor goals, played into their hands, short balls into the midfield, and transitions from them coming down the heart of our defense. Not the greatest performance from us.”

Houston will be without defender Franco Escobar, who is suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Conclusion

As Minnesota United seeks to end their six-match losing streak and the Houston Dynamo aim to rebound from their recent loss, Saturday night’s game promises to be a critical contest for both teams. With key players returning soon for Minnesota and Houston looking to regain their form, the match will be an important opportunity for both sides to gain momentum in the tightly contested Western Conference. The outcome could significantly impact the playoff aspirations of both teams as they head into the latter part of the season.