Dynamo 2sday: Dos impress in 4-1 win at KC
(image via Sporting KC II)
Houston Dynamo 2 were back in action this weekend. Head coach Kenny Bundy mentioned earlier in the week that if we liked the past lineups, we would be in for a treat in this match against Sporting Kansas City II. The gears in our heads started turning, given the fact that the first team had been given a forced bye week due to LAFC’s CONCACAF Champions League match versus Philadelphia. Many of us envisioned a Dos team featuring several first team players to keep them in “game shape” but Bundy had something completely different in mind. Not only did this game not feature any first team players in the starting XI, but none were even on the bench!
The game started with both the Dynamo and SKC exchanging shots in the first few minutes, with both teams trying to get the upper hand from the start. Sporting would strike first in the 8th minute. Sebastian Cruz got between both center backs and put a perfect pass in for Pau Vidal. With one touch, Vidal controlled the ball and with the second touch he was able to get the ball past Xavier Valdez for his 5th goal of the season. SKC seemed to be getting ready to shut the Dynamo down from the beginning, but the guys in Orange would put their heads down, go to work, and would answer back about 10 minutes later with a goal of their own.
Houston continued to pressure as the home side tried to come out of their half. That pressure paid off in the 18th minute. Jathan Juarez got the ball right on the midfield line and found Yair González open out wide. The Argentine played a nice one-two with Jacob Evans. After receiving the ball back from Evans, Yair proceeded to beat two SKC players on the run, down the left flank. Once he got into the box, he centered a low cross to find Diego Gonzalez, who with a single touch, put the ball in the back of the net giving Dynamo Dos the tying goal. Houston continued to pressure as SKC tried to come out of their half, and they weren’t finished just yet.
Only a few minutes later, the Dynamo would go ahead on the scoreboard. In the 21st minute a great through ball from Evans found Zeke Soto, who managed to draw the foul inside the box for a penalty kick. Papa N’Doye was the man given the responsibility from 12 steps and he placed the ball in the upper 90 of the right side of goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh to turn this game on its head and give the Dynamo the 2-1 lead.
This first half would continue, with Kansas City trying and trying to play out of their own half. Every time they would just find themselves looking up and seeing a sea of orange jerseys before even getting to the midfield line. The pressure implemented by Bundy and the staff was a beauty to watch. Seeing the team pressure as a unit up top with many numbers and in a well-structured manner gave me Guardiola-esque flashbacks. The way Soto would hustle to run after the center backs would remind you of Julian Alvarez chasing down opponents. Evans and Diego Gonzalez giving support to the pressure reminded you of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva going high to get quick turn overs. N’Doye and Yair Gonzalez, would give you glimpses of Jack Grealish or Erling Haaland forcing turnovers deep in enemy territory to take advantage of quick counter that would lead to real scoring opportunities.
Maybe I may be exaggerating on the comparisons, but in my opinion, this was the best half of soccer I have seen at this CLUB in a while, and the first team this year has been looking pretty good with the some of the personnel/idea changes. Let it be known that it is my personal opinion, and I could be wrong in my vision of the game, but I doubt it. (Lol)
(image via Sporting KC II)
The second half also started quick for SKC II. In 51st minute, captain Talen Maples had to make a goal-line clearance to keep the score 2-1 in favor of the Dos. Sporting kept looking for the equalizer with Vidal and company, even hitting the crossbar and making the Dynamo defenders and Xavier Valdez put in work to keep the home side to their lone goal.
Houston responded to the Kansas City threats with dangerous shots of their own. In the 69th minute, a long cross from midfield found Yair Gonzalez across the field for a dangerous play and a chance at a third. But Sporting kept coming. One minute after the shot by Yair, Valdez had to stand tall to control a shot from the opposition. Valdez did very well on the night. responding to mid-range shots from Sporting.
In the 77th minute the Dynamo would get another penalty kick. Isaiah Reid, who had replaced Soto, drew a foul in the box and Yair Gonzalez would turn it into the third goal for the Dynamo to extending the lead to 3-1. The third goal also gave the Dynamo a little bit more air to breathe to close out this match.
In the 86th minute, after a fast break, man of the match Diego Gonzalez put a gorgeous thru ball between two Sporting Kansas City players to leave Reid one on one with the goalkeeper. Isaiah beat his defender, who was chasing him down, and when encountered by the onrushing goalkeeper McIntosh, he placed the ball in the bottom left corner to give the Dynamo Dos their 4th goal of the match.
In the dying minutes, Diego Rosas made a huge run on the right and managed to get a cross to the back post and find Paolo Rios. He launched a rocket of a shot which forced McIntosh to send it out for a corner kick. Even towards the end of the match, Houston didn’t slow down. The substitutions made by the coaching staff were as dangerous as the starting players.
The matched ended with a comfortable 4-1 victory for Houston Dynamo 2. Coach Bundy has been speaking about how vital it was not only to create chances but to put them away and it seems like this match was the perfect start in implementing the “putting away chances” part of the plan. “Nothing is different about the attack that created more opportunities,” Bundy said after the match. “We’ve created all of these opportunities for the last six games. The fact of the matter is we finished our chances tonight.”
(image via Sporting KC II)
Diego Gonzalez, with a goal and an assist (and his leadership and hustle overall), was named of the match. “Diego Gonzalez was fantastic,” Bundy said. “He took his first goal really well. The assist was also a really good bit of play. The thing that needs to be identified about that is that it’s not just about the work that he does on the ball, it’s the work that he does off the ball, the work he puts in and the leadership he brings for such a young guy in the midfield…We can celebrate Diego’s attacking performance and we can look at the goal and the assist, but we have to also look at the work he does off the ball and how even when we don’t have the ball or the run of play, the work he’s doing to make sure that everybody is in our block and defending well.”
Another player that impressed me a lot, and coach Bundy as well, was the 15-year-old that took control of the midfield like a veteran, Sebastian Rodriguez. “Sebastian Rodriguez looks miles above his age because he played under pressure as the lone six in an area of the field where any mistake can be detrimental to the team, but he looked comfortable,” Bundy said after the match. Sebastian played 72 minutes in his debut with this team and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing this young man more often on the pitch with this Dos team and even the first team in the future. He is a true testament of how this club has been putting in work on the academy side of things.
The team continues their travels next Sunday, May 7th, as they travel to Vancouver to take on Whitecaps FC 2. They are coming off a 2-1 defeat on the road against St. Louis CITY 2. The game will start at 8 PM CT and it will be streamed on Apple TV - MLS Season Pass.
But until then, VAMOS LOS PIBES!!! HOUSTON CONTRA TODOS!!!
