HOUSTON -- This time of year, when just about every team in Major League Soccer is playing a crucial match, there is always one that carries a little more importance with every passing tick toward kickoff.
If you don't think the Houston Dynamo and San Jose Earthquakes have been looking forward to Wednesday's match for quite sometime, you're wrong.
Most MLS fans are acutely aware that the Dynamo used to play in San Jose. They left after the 2005 season, moved to Houston and, in a nutshell, won back-to-back championships.
Mind you they were a pretty good team in California as well, racking up many kudos and league accolades along the way.
Fans there, understandably were and perhaps still are bitter about the relocation, but now they have their own team -- a team that kept all of the aforementioned records -- and they are undefeated against the Orange this season.
After playing to a 1-1 draw in San Jose on Sept. 13, arguably both teams' most emotionally draining of the year, both teams could not wait until the following weekend for the rematch.
But that didn't happen. The lingering effects of Hurricane Ike left the stadium in no condition to host a competition, and the game was moved to Wednesday night.
After playing to a scoreless draw against D.C. United Sunday night, the Dynamo are more than ready to take out their frustrations on a team that has outscored them 3-2 this season.
"We feel like we owe them a little bit and there is a little chip on our shoulders in that we feel a bit disrespected because we did not get to keep all our accomplishments from San Jose," said defender Eddie Robinson. "A lot of these guys worked our tails off for those things, and we feel a little bit disrespected. We are really looking forward to showing them who won those two championships there and who won the two here."
Forward Nate Jaqua said Wednesday's match has been circled on his calendar since the Sept. 13 meeting. He said he was disappointed in the result and was looking forward to the rematch the first time it was scheduled.
"I was disappointed that we did not get a little bit more as that was one of those hard-fought games this year," Jaqua said. "I came away from that match really wanting to play them that next week and bring them back here. But (because of Ike) we obviously were not able to do that. Now we get that opportunity and this is one of those games that we really want to win."
And there are several other reasons that make Wednesday night's battle one to watch.
San Jose needs to run the table and get help just to make the MLS Cup Playoffs. Their 1-0 loss last weekend to Chivas USA not only put their playoff hopes on life support, but it allowed Chivas to solidify their positioning behind the Dynamo in the Western Conference standings.
Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear said his team needs to be ready for an intense 90 minutes of football.
"They have three games to go, and if they run the table and something else happens, up above them, they have a chance to make the playoffs," Kinnear said. "They will be looking to rebound from their most recent result, and we do know our games against them have been very physical and very emotional. I don't think it will be any different this time around."
Jaqua said his team gave maximum effort in the 0-0 tie with United, but noted several area in which the team could improve.
If the Dynamo are going to beat a desperate San Jose team Wednesday night in Houston, the Orange, he said, are going to have to learn from Sunday's miscues.
"We know San Jose is really going to be fighting for their playoff lives and we need to be ready for that," Jaqua said. "Hopefully we can get the ball down (field) a little bit more, and I kow we want to be sharper. When we do get our chances, we need to be a little bit better with them."
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