Dynamo 2sday: Dos shine at Shell Energy Stadium
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
After returning home from a West Coast road trip, the Houston Dynamo Dos hosted in-state rivals, Austin FC II Thursday night.
For this match, head coach Kenny Bundy fielded Nico Hansen in goal, supported by Kieran Sargeant, Tate Lampman, Femi Awodesu, and Isaac Mwakutuya—who was named to play in the MLS NEXT All-Star match—in the back line. Sebastian Rodriguez, Diego Gonzalez, and Jefferson Valverde played in midfield, while Isaiah Reid, Stephen Annor, and Mattheo Dimareli formed the front line.
Getting to play at Shell Energy Stadium, where the Houston Dynamo FC's first team plays, was a big moment for the Dynamo 2 players. Coach Bundy shared his thoughts on the occasion. "It’s a special environment,” Bundy said. “Not only does this mean something to the players and staff, but also to the fans… a lot of appreciation has to go to the fans, the atmosphere… when you sit behind the bench and hear the crowd yelling, and when you score, the noise—it’s great."
The game opened up in the 36th minute when Gonzalez delivered a corner kick to the top of the six yard box. Awodesu made a run from outside the box, maneuvering past Austin defenders to meet the ball with his head and slot it into the far post, scoring the first goal for the home team.
In the 66th minute, the visitors had a chance to equalize when substitute Bryan Arellano's shot from the left side hit the post. The rebound fell to another Austin player who managed to put it into the net, but he was in an offside position, and the goal was waved off. The score remained 1-0 in favor of Dynamo 2.
Austin went down to 10 men in the 74th minute when Anthony De Anda was shown red and sent off. In the 84th minute, the Dynamo extended their lead to 2-0 off another corner kick by Gonzalez. This time, second half substitute David Garcia connected with the ball and scored a goal of his own. Houston was able to finsh off the match from there and collect a valuable three points.
Next up, Dynamo 2 face another important match against another in-state rival, North Texas SC. The match will be on Sunday, July 21, at 7 PM at Shell Energy Stadium. As always, there is no entrance fee to the matches, so be sure to come out and support the Dynamo stars of tomorrow. If you can't make it, you can tune in to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. #VamosDos
