Houston Dynamo has only lost one game in their last 12 games in the USL, a strong performance that has them heading into the playoffs with a lot of confidence.
The team is well-balanced in terms of goals, with Golibai Adi and Amy Bass being the top scorers, but not as accurate as they could be. In contrast, I think the midfield is our real strength.
Mexican star Hedda Boot Lira skillfully weaves the web of his team's offense from his central midfield position. Not only does he have excellent footwork, but he also excels at disrupting opposing attacks. This season, he has become the second in the USMNT assists list and is able to create a great threat to the opponents in set-piece attacks such as corner kicks.
Karaszkina, another talented creative player, has a versatile kicking game and is able to provide deadly passes to his forward teammates.
So, against Real Salt Lake, our biggest challenge may be to stop Hector Boot Lira and Carrasquina from playing, however, it's going to be really hard to win the battle in the midfield!
Real Salt Lake's offense is not sharp, and the team's top hitter, Kirsten Arango, is out with an injury, and his return or not will have a profound impact on the team. He scored five goals in the first seven matches against the team, but the team's last two matches have been marred by his absence, and even if he is able to return to action, it is uncertain whether he will be at his best.
Salt Lake City are not bad on the road, winning two and drawing one of their last three away games, making them the team with the best road record on the West Coast, collecting eight wins, four draws and five losses in 17 league games.
