Dynamo at Austin FC: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo were unable to finish a season sweep of Austin, losing 3-0 on Saturday night in the state capital.
MATCH SUMMARY
Austin FC 3-0 Houston Dynamo FC
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Venue: Q2 Stadium - Austin, Texas
Referee: Victor Rivas
Assistants: Jeffrey Greeson, Jason White
Fourth Official: Elvis Osmanovic
VAR: Sorin Stoica
Attendance: 20,738
Weather: 94 degrees, clear skies
SCORING SUMMARY
ATX: Ethan Finlay (unassisted) 22’
ATX: Gyasi Zardes (Sebastián Driussi) 32’
ATX: Julio Cascante (Daniel Pereira) 50’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
HOU: Erik Sviatchenko (caution; foul) 31’
ATX: Jon Gallagher (caution; foul) 39’
ATX: Owen Wolff (caution; foul) 45’
HOU: Artur (caution; dissent) 45+5
ATX: Daniel Pereira (caution; foul) 68’
ATX: Nick Lima (caution; foul) 75’
HOU: Héctor Herrera (caution; foul) 77’
ATX: Julio Cascante (caution; foul) 77’
LINEUPS & STATS
Austin FC: Brad Stuver; Jon Gallagher, Aleksandar Radovanovic (Kipp Keller 46’), Julio Cascante, Nick Lima; Diego Fagundez (Emiliano Rigoni 80’), Daniel Pereira (Jhojan Valencia 87’), Owen Wolff; Ethan Finlay (Adam Lundkvist 85’), Sebastián Driussi, Gyasi Zardes (Maximiliano Urruti 80’)
Unused Substitutes: Matt Bersano, Hector Jimenez, Sofiane Djeffal, Will Bruin
Total shots: 10 (Sebastián Driussi and Gyasi Zardes tied with 3)
Shots on goal: 4 (four players tied with 1)
Fouls: 11 (Owen Wolff 3)
Offside: 0
Corner kicks: 7
Saves: 3 (Brad Stuver 3)
Houston Dynamo FC: Steve Clark; Daniel Steres, Micael, Erik Sviatchenko, Franco Escobar; Héctor Herrera (c), Artur (Sebastián Ferreira 83’); Nelson Quiñónes (Griffin Dorsey 73’), Amine Bassi (Iván Franco 59’), Corey Baird (Thorleifur Úlfarsson 46’), Aliyu Ibrahim (Luís Caicedo 59’)
Unused substitutes: Andrew Tarbell, Ethan Bartlow, Chase Gasper, Brooklyn Raines
Total shots: 10 (Héctor Herrera 4)
Shots on goal: 3 (three players tied with 1)
Fouls: 14 (Franco Escobar 3)
Offside: 3 (three players tied with 1)
Corner kicks: 3
Saves: 1 (Steve Clark 1)
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On the result:
“We looked tired. We looked like the season caught up to us tonight. The schedule is brutal. It's brutal for Austin as well. We rolled the same team out and we just didn't look sharp. We made a few mistakes in the first half. They’re a very good team, and they're coming into form now. You can tell that's a much better team than we faced earlier in the season. (MF Sebastián) Driussi is back, and they hit you with a lot of service, and we didn't do enough. The first goal was poor in that it wasn't a foul. (MF) Héctor (Herrera) has a really clean tackle, and the referee just botched it. Then they come down, and that leads to one goal. So, that’s a little bit frustrating. The second one is a bit of a silly turnover from us that ends up leading to their second goal. But overall, it was always going to be a tough ask of these guys tonight, and we'll lick our wounds. We'll take a day or two to exhale and get the minds and bodies right. Then we'll go we'll go out to Seattle and take on another tough team in a tough atmosphere.”
On conceding a goal off another set piece:
“It’s always (an area that needs to be addressed). Going away in particular. It was one emphasis we had because they're strong in service within the run of play but also in set pieces, so it was not good enough in that department. We’ll keep working at it.”
On conceding three goals from headers:
“I'm sure if you look at the stats, they score more headers than most teams in the league. That's how they build their goal model. That’s service and numbers at the back stick. They overload it and they're very good at it. You know it’s coming, but it doesn't mean you can stop it. (DF) Micael was a little bit unlucky. He gets there first on (FW) Gyasi (Zardes), and he ends up flicking it right into the pathway of (FW) Ethan (Finlay) who's offsides, but because it goes off a defender, he's not. So, a little unlucky. Again, this isn’t necessarily about what we didn't do. I think today it’s more that Austin was just better than us, and they just had really good service. The amount of service or inability to maybe get out to service if you give that much time and space against this team to put balls in the way they go about it, you're going to be in for a long night.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO GOALKEEPER STEVE CLARK
On his takeaways from the match:
“They were just better in a few moments than we were. Their pattern of play is the same. We know that they like to overload the back post and service there. They got on the end of them three times, so that's disappointing for us.”
On the challenge of playing on the road:
“I think it's a challenge for every team. That’s pretty clear in this league that the home team have a lot of advantage for sure.”
On trying to take advantage of chances created on the road:
“It’s a game-by-game thing. If you look at the first half, I think we had a couple of chances. They scored theirs. Then when they get the third goal, the game changes. It gets pretty difficult for us. That’s how I see it.”
On the difficulty of trying to beat a team for the third time:
“They’re a very good team at home. It's a difficult atmosphere to come to, so we knew the challenge was going to be difficult. The disappointing thing is knowing what they do and then not meeting that challenge for us. But they're a good team, so you have to give them credit as well.”
On troubles with defending headers:
“No, not at all. It's one of my strengths. Usually, you know, reaction saves, but they were in difficult spots for us. They put a lot of pressure on you in overloads, and they're good. They were better on the night.”
On looking ahead to the next match in Seattle:
“I think we need some rest. We have a couple of days off which will allow us to regroup. That’s a big challenge to go out West. They're obviously a good team, but we’ll be up for the game.”
