Houston Dynamo will have an enocunter with Charlotte FC on Monday, with the two sides fighting to break into the playoff spots in their respective Major League Soccer conferences.
The hosts are ninth in the Western Conference, two points outside of the top seven, while Charlotte have a four-point gap to bridge to the playoffs in their division.
Having claimed 12 points from their opening seven league matches, Houston Dynamo seemed to have made a positive start to the MLS season, but they have since found times tougher.
Paulo Nagamura’s side have suffered seven defeats in their last 10 games, starting with three straight losses across late April and early May.
El Naranja have, at least, managed to win the other three of those matches though, with the most recent victory being a rebound from back-to-back defeats when they faced Chicago Fire on home soil.
Having struggled for consistency in recent months, Houston will now be desperate to establish a stronger run of form with the chance to climb back into the top seven of their conference with a win on Monday.
Meanwhile, Charlotte FC will arrive seeking to make a return to winning ways after three matches without a league victory.
In their debut MLS campaign, they have struggled for consistency thus far, losing 10 of their opening 18 matches, and they find themselves 10th in the Eastern Conference as a result.
Victories over Inter Miami, Vancouver Whitecaps and New York Red Bulls in a five-game span provided cause for optimism for CLTFC, who were newly under interim management of Christian Lattanzio for the last of those.
That was followed by a draw with Columbus Crew before they suffered a setback away at CF Montreal, with Guzman Corujo’s early eqauliser followed by the winner for the hosts through Mathieu Choiniere.
Houston Dynamo vs Charlotte FC head to head
The two teams have not prevously met on any occasion and this will be the first time they meet in a competitive match in the Major League Soccer.
Houston Dynamo latest home form
Houston Dynamo have recently kept a patchy run of form at home, as they have lost two of their five most recent matches. They managed to defeat Chicago Fire 2-0 in their last home game in the MLS. In their last five matches, they have scored six goals and conceded three.
Houston Dynamo 1-2 Austin 30/04/22
Houston Dynamo 1-0 San Antonio 12/05/22
Houston Dynamo 2-0 Nashville SC 15/05/22
Houston Dynamo 0-1 Seattle Sounders 19/05/22
Houston Dynamo 2-0 Chicago Fire 26/06/22
Houston Dynamo latest away form
Houston Dynamo have recently been on a poor run of form on the road, having lost each of their four most recent matches. They lost 2-1 to Portland Timbers in their last away game in the MLS. In their last five matches, they have scored six goals and conceded nine.
LA Galaxy 0-3 Houston Dynamo 23/05/22
Sporting KC 2-1 Houston Dynamo 26/05/22
Real Salt Lake 3-0 Houston Dynamo 29/05/22
Orlando City 2-1 Houston Dynamo 19/06/22
Portland Timbers 2-1 Houston Dynamo 30/06/22
Charlotte FC latest home form
Charlotte FC have recently kept a patchy run of form at home, as they have lost two of their five most recent matches. They were beaten 1-0 by Austin in their last home game in the MLS. In their last five matches, they have scored five goals and conceded four.
Charlotte 1-0 Inter Miami 07/05/22
Charlotte 0-2 Montreal 15/05/22
Charlotte 2-1 Vancouver Whitecaps 23/05/22
Charlotte 2-0 New York RB 11/06/22
Charlotte 0-1 Austin 01/07/22
Charlotte FC latest away form
Charlotte FC have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having won just one of their seven most recent matches. They lost 2-1 to Montreal in their last away game in the MLS. In their last five matches, they have scored nine goals and conceded nine.
Richmond Kickers 1-5 Charlotte 12/05/22
New York RB 3-1 Charlotte 26/05/22
Seattle Sounders 2-1 Charlotte 30/05/22
Columbus Crew 1-1 Charlotte 19/06/22
Montreal 2-1 Charlotte 26/06/22
Houston Dynamo news
Houston Dynamo’s winger Darwin Quintero should come back into the starting XI on Monday, with the 34-year-old dropped to the bench.
Tyler Pasher is likely to operate on the other flank with the line being led by Sebastian Ferreira, while Matias Vera will keep his place in the engine room.
Charlotte FC news
Charlotte FC’s attack should be led by Karol Swiderski, who has scored four goals in 13 MLS appearances so far this season, with Andre Shinyashiki being another key man.
Full-back Christian Fuchs will continue to feature in a back four, with Guzman Corujo likely partnering Anton Walkes at the heart of the defence.
Prediction and Odds
Both teams head into Monday’s contest having struggled to put victories on board and each side will be looking for a victory to get back to winning ways.
Given the unpredictable form of the two sides, we are expecting a tough game and we see the most likely outcome as a draw.
Odds: 1 2.20 X 2.05 2 2.30
Probable outcomes
Houston Dynamo 0-0 Charlotte
Houston Dynamo 1-1 Charlotte
Houston Dynamo 2-2 Charlotte
Houston Dynamo 1-0 Charlotte
Houston Dynamo 2-1 Charlotte
