Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy Predictions

• Houston Dynamo finished in 19th place in 2019, after picking up a disappointing 40 points.
• LA Galaxy finished 8th overall, eventually losing in the playoffs to rivals, LAFC.
• Houston Dynamo ended the season with 49 goals, averaging 1,44 goals per game.
• LA Galaxy scored 58 times in the Western Conference but conceded as many as bottom placed Vancouver.

Tab Ramos leads Houston Dynamo for the first time

Houston enter the 2020 MLS season without many expectations after a season that didn’t inspire many last year. Houston lost 18 times, eventually finishing in 19th position, eight points off the playoffs. This poor season cost Wilmer Cabrera his position in August and Tab Ramos is the man that has been chosen to lead the Dynamo into the new campaign.

The new head coach made wholesale changes with eight players leaving and seven arriving but none of the signings look as though they are going to change Houston into a playoff chasing team. Quintero is the best of the new players arriving at the club and he’s likely to slot into a 4-3-3 formation that will see Elis and Manotas supporting him in attack.

Houston scored 49 times last season with Manotas scoring 13 and assisting 8 whilst Elis scored 8 and assisted 10. These figures are a really good base for the side and if they can improve on this slightly they could push themselves closer towards the playoffs once again. They need to improve defensively though as the side conceded 59 times in 2019, an average of 1.73 goals per game.

Expectations are high for LA Galaxy ahead of an important season

Last season saw LA Galaxy qualify for the playoffs before being beaten in the quarter finals by their biggest rivals, LAFC. This compounded a season that, whilst not too disappointing internally, would’ve been a real shot to the ego of everyone connected to the club after LAFC dominated the Western Conference. LA Galaxy will be keen to regain their crown as the kings of the west but it’ll be a hard job to overturn the 21 points deficit between the clubs last season.

The biggest change at the club in the off season came in attack with Zlatan Ibrahimovic departing the club for AC Milan but this marked the arrival of Javier Hernandez from Sevilla. ‘Chicharito’ is expected to take the league by storm with the striker being a natural finisher. His task will be made a little easier by the arrival of Aleksandar Katai and Cristian Pavon signing for the club once again in what should be a very attacking line up.

In 2019, LA Galaxy were able to find the net 58 times, the second highest in the Western Conference and the side will be hoping that the goals lost by Ibrahimovic will be replaced by Hernandez, who has a great record around Europe. Their defensive output was awful though, conceding 59 goals in 34 games, a tally matching Vancouver Whitecaps, who finished bottom of the Western Conference and they’ll need to improve in their own half rapidly to stand a chance of adding any silverware to their trophy cabinet this season.

The MLS season gets underway for these two sides

Houston and LA Galaxy get their seasons underway in what should be a tough game for both of them and both will be looking to start with a positive result. One thing that does look on the cards between these two sides however is goals. Houston Dynamo games averaged 3.2 goals per game last season whilst the figure rises to 3.4 goals per game when LA Galaxy played. There should be plenty of chances between these two sides at the weekend as both try and take on a new, attacking minded system.

Both games between these two sides last season saw over 2.5 goals with nine goals in the two games they played in 2019. This is a common theme with eight of the last 10 matches between the two sides seeing over 2.5 goals, with seven of those seeing both teams scoring with this fixture traditionally being one that is full of goals. We have this at the front of our minds then when we predict that this match sees both teams scoring and over 2.5 goals.

Whilst the game should see plenty of goals, it’s hard to separate the two sides with LA Galaxy travelling to Texas for this match and their frontline being new. We can’t pick the sides apart on opening weekend and, as a result, are predicting a 2-2 draw between the teams in what should be an entertaining match.