Against the Portland Timbers last Sunday, coach Brian Schmetzer did something amazing—something fans had not seen since 2010: he started the same lineup in three consecutive MLS matches.
Frei; Mears, Marshall, Evans, J. Jones; Alonso, Roldan; Lodeiro, Dempsey, Ivanschitz; Morris
Tomorrow night, that streak may very well come to an end. Because, in order to safely navigate his squad through 3 matches in the span of 8 days, Schmetzer may be compelled to enlist in the help of his bench to take the pitch against the Dynamo.
A choice to be made
As if 3 matches in 8 days wasn’t enough of a challenge, Schmetzer will soon have to make a rather difficult strategic decision: employ a “one game at a time” approach, fielding the strongest possible lineup against Houston, or play the “long game” strategy by resting key starters for the scheduled invasion of Providence Park mere days later.