Dynamo welcome Austin to town again: What to watch for
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo welcome Texas rivals Austin FC to Shell Energy Stadium for the second time this season. The two teams met on March 18 with the Dynamo winning 2-0. Houston is coming off a 4-0 win over Minnesota on Tuesday in Lamar Hunt US Open Cup play. Austin was eliminated from the tournament, losing 2-0 at home to the Chicago Fire.
When: Saturday, May 27 | 7:39 PM CT kickoff
Where: Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, Texas
TV/Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN Deportes Houston 93.3 FM (Spanish)
Another Texas rival
The Dynamo traveled to Frisco last Saturday, drawing 1-1, and now they welcome Austin to town for a second straight Texas rivalry in league play. Houston beat Austin already once this season and the Verde are struggling in 2023, but anything can happen in a derby. Head coach Ben Olsen is feeling the in-state derbies for the first time and he knows his team will be focused. “You saw it with Dallas, and you also see it with Austin,” Olsen said in his press conference yesterday. “The Texas Derby is real, and I'm seeing it for the first time. You see it with the staff. Everybody just has a little bit more energy and focus around these games, and that's nice. That's what they're about. There’s also a level of respect to what Austin has been able to do, in particular last year and the quality that they bring to the table individually, but even more so, collectively. I have a lot of respect for (Austin FC head coach) Josh Wolff. We've played together in U-20s, Olympics and the World Cup. We've shared a lot of wonderful soccer experiences together, and now we get to coach against each other, which is great. We’re two competitive guys looking to outdo each other. Again, it’s always, special for me as well.”
Second time’s a charm?
Houston played Minnesota for the second time in just seven days and thumped them 4-0 (obviously, with the aid of a red card). Now the Dynamo will get to play Austin for the second time this season. So does that knowledge of playing a team and seeing them already help out? Yes and no, said Olsen. “You understand just a little bit more of not only how they want to go about the game, but also the personnel,” Olsen said. “We’re familiar with how they go about the game. That doesn't make it any easier because they do it so well. They're committed to building, and they're committed to pressing. They understand how to create chances. If you take something away, they’re good enough and well-coached enough to take the other option. They’re a good team. It’s a team that if you watch them play early in the season, it's hard to believe they didn't have as many points when they were struggling to get results. Now they're running into form. We’re familiar with them. They're familiar with us, so I don't know if there's any advantage or disadvantage because we've both seen it pretty close up.” The Dynamo won’t take Austin lightly, no matter how much they have struggled this season, and they can’t afford to. Houston will want to accumulate as many points as possible as the season heats up in a tough Western Conference.
Hat trick hero
Most memorably from Tuesday’s Open Cup win was Corey Baird’s hat trick. Baird has struggled this season offensively and the Dynamo attack desperately have needed something from their attackers. Baird opened his account against Minnesota and did it in style, with three tallies on the night. Now how does Baird respond? Can he stay hot and help invigorate the Dynamo attack? “Touching the net has probably taken a little bit of pressure off him, which usually means you can score more goals when you get these chances,” Olsen said when asked about expectations for Baird moving forward. “That’s the hope. Just in general, last game, even though we take it with a grain of salt, it was nice to hit the net a few times and add a run of play and build. We understand it was a red card, but even when it was 11 versus 11, some of the attacks were getting better, utilizing the width in a more dangerous way with spacing. Hopefully we can continue some of that offensive prowess with keeping our defensive structure and still being still tough to break down.”
Availability Report
Houston Dynamo – Out: Ifunanyachi Achara (knee), Teenage Hadebe (leg), Tate Schmitt (knee); Questionable: Daniel Steres (hip)
Austin FC – Out: Žan Kolmanič (right ACL), Leo Väisänen (right LCL), Owen Wolff (international duty); Questionable: Sebastián Driussi (left adductor)
Predicted Lineup
