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Dynamo-Red Bulls Preview

The Houston Dynamo know firsthand how difficult it is to contain New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Wright-Phillips has scored five of his MLS-leading 24 goals against Houston and will try to help New York post its first six-game home win streak in franchise history Saturday night.

The England native has been a revelation, and he's three goals shy of the league record set by Roy Lassiter in 1996 and matched by Chris Wondolowski two years ago. He has been especially dangerous at home with 17 goals for the fourth-highest total in MLS history.

All three of Wright-Phillips' hat tricks have come at Red Bull Arena, including one in New York's last match there - a 4-1 victory over Seattle on Sept. 20.

Another came in a 4-0 rout of the Dynamo (10-13-6) on April 23, and he added both goals in a 2-2 draw at Houston on July 4.

"He's a poacher, a goalscorer," forward Will Bruin told the Dynamo's official website. "He's not going to turn you at midfield and dribble you and score; he gets in the box, gets good service and he finishes his crosses off and chances and that's a goalscorer right there."

This match is critical to both teams' playoff hopes. New York (10-9-11) is in contention for the fifth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 41 points while Houston is five points back in eighth place with a game in hand.

The Dynamo bring in plenty of momentum by entering on a 3-0-2 roll after Sunday's 2-0 home victory over Chicago. Omar Cummings and Boniek Garcia had the goals.

"I think we look dangerous, we seem to look like we're going to score every game and defensively we're smarter," coach Dominic Kinnear said.

New York has won five straight at home for the fifth time in its history, going 6-0-2 in its last eight there. The Red Bulls, however, come into this contest after suffering their worst defeat, 4-0 at Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Dynamo are wary of a backlash.

"It's weird, you never know," defender Kofi Sarkodie said. "Sometimes teams lose big and then come out and all of a sudden they win big. And sometimes they lose big and lose again, they keep conceding goals."

Midfielder Lloyd Sam is expected to return after missing the Galaxy game with a hamstring injury. He leads New York with 2,483 minutes.

"Lloyd is looking good, and Lloyd is expected, knock on some wood, to be back for this weekend," coach Mike Petke told the Red Bulls' official website. "His was a minor thing that we didn't feel too comfortable taking a chance with."

New York's Ambroise Oyongo could miss a second straight game with a hamstring injury. Fellow defender Jamison Olave is suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

Bruin has four of his team-high 10 goals in the Dynamo's last six games.

New York is 5-0-1 in its last six regular-season meetings with Houston, which won a playoff series between the teams last year.

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