Houston Dynamo vs Sporting Kansas City - MLS Cup Playoffs: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Aldo Canale)
The Houston Dynamo advanced to the Western Conference final with a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night at Shell Energy Stadium. Houston will now travel to Los Angeles to take on LAFC for a spot in MLS Cup.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dynamo FC 1-0 Sporting Kansas City
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Assistants: Ian McKay, Jeffrey Greeson
Fourth Official: Lukasz Szpala
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard
Attendance: 20,319
Weather: 60 degrees, partly cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU: Franco Escobar (Héctor Herrera) 39’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
HOU: Adalberto Carrasquilla (caution; foul) 39’
SKC: Tim Leibold (caution; foul) 78’
LINEUPS & STATS
Houston Dynamo FC: Steve Clark; Franco Escobar, Micael, Erik Sviatchenko, Griffin Dorsey; Héctor Herrera, Artur, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Nelson Quiñónes (Brad Smith 77’), Amine Bassi (Luís Caicedo 85’), Corey Baird (Aliyu Ibrahim 77’)
Unused Substitutes: Daniel Steres, Iván Franco, Andrew Tarbell, Teenage Hadebe, Sebastian Kowalczyk, Thorleifur Úlfarsson
Total shots: 15 (Nelson Quiñónes 3)
Shots on goal: 4 (four players tied with 1)
Fouls: 16 (Héctor Herrera 5)
Offside: 2 (Nelson Quiñónes and Aliyu Ibrahim tied with 1)
Corner kicks: 4
Saves: 3 (Steve Clark 3)
Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Tim Leibold (Roger Espinoza 89’), Andreu Fontàs, Dany Rosero, Jake Davis (Graham Zusi 84’); Gadi Kinda (Erik Thommy 70’), Nemanja Radoja, Rémi Walter (William Agada 84’); Dániel Sallói, Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell
Unused substitutes: John Pulskamp, Khiry Shelton, Robert Castellanos, Felipe Hernández, Marinos Tzionis
Total shots: 12 (Dániel Sallói 4)
Shots on goal: 4 (Dániel Sallói 2)
Fouls: 14 (Tim Leibold 5)
Offside: 1 (Erik Thommy 1)
Corner kicks: 4
Saves: 2 (Tim Melia 2)
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On the game:
“It was a fun night, we played at such a high level for most of the night. We didn’t reward ourselves with a second goal, but we got plenty of looks. On the defensive end, the times they were dangerous we had Steve (Clark) there to bail us out. Micael with the block towards the end and Erik (Sviatchenko) on the goal line. This game showed who we are this year.”
On the going on the road:
“I like to put our road performance in two halves. The first half of the season was very difficult for us. But in the second half, there were some games where we earned some real results going away and we won games in different ways. There's Salt Lake or even the Open Cup final and in LA. They weren't in our second half, but our away record was pretty good. So, we have confidence that we can go up and pull something off in LA or in Seattle. They are both tough games when you go away, both were very difficult. But again, I wouldn't count us out.”
On his expectations of this season:
“I think we’ve been used to that standard all year. We've been that dark horse. Even when we get compliments, it still hurts sometimes. We hear stuff and it's good, however we're still in that space where we're trying to prove to everyone that we're real. This helps though, it puts us on the map a little bit more. Now we’re two games away (from a championship), and I don't think the money is going to be on us, especially going away to LA or Seattle. But that's okay, we can live with that. We've punched above our weight, and hopefully we can do it again another time here next week.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO GOALKEEPER STEVE CLARK
On the match:
"We played really, really well. The scoreline was closer than I thought the game was. That was the game that we wanted to play. (Sporting KC) made it difficult by staying low. We always knew that they were going to try to counter, but we did a good job."
On his performance:
"It feels really good as a goalkeeper to make those couple of saves for the team. It felt good tonight, we were having such a good time as a group. To (win and) keep us in it and move on is awesome."
On veteran leadership:
"We have a veteran group and being relaxed is kind of the secret to our success. A lot of us have been here before in big games, so it's just one game at a time. It was a nice win. I hope the fans had fun, but we're not done."
On fan support:
"People are entertained and we really enjoyed the support. It was a great atmosphere. I've played in a lot of good atmospheres. This was a very good atmosphere for sure."
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER GRIFFIN DORSEY
On fan support:
“It gives me the chills to think about the support that I've received from the people in Houston. I'm forever grateful and I feed off that energy, so keep giving it to us.”
On Franco Escobar:
“I'm just so happy for (Franco Escobar). He deserves it. He's been a warrior all season. He’s played almost every single game. He's just a warrior.”
On being reliable for the game:
“I'm the type of guy who wants energy. I bring my energy. But we also have guys like Artur and Hector (Herrera), their composure is what gets us through games. I think you guys see it on the field. That's who they are. I would not want to change that whatsoever.”
On what makes his play special:
“We have a group that's very selfless. We have a group that's willing to give to each other. When that's the case, players don't feel like they're isolated and they're on an island, you feel like you have genuine teammates that are there to be supportive. Whether you succeed or whether you don't succeed, they're going to be there to help you. And that's super special. I think that's what helps me realize how together this team is.”
On the energy built in the team:
“You see it before the game. You see at halftime, we huddle more than any team I've ever been a part of. That’s just organic. That's not something that we plan. That's not something we talked about. That's who we are as a team. I think that's a testament to how close we are and how tight we are.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER FRANCO ESCOBAR
On the significance of the win:
“I have played several years in this league and to be able to return and play in a Conference Final. Last year, when I was with LAFC, I suffered an injury that kept me away from the team and it’s coming full circle now, to be able to be a part of another team that reaches a conference final. It’s been a long and hard year. It was a celebration once the game was over after having to manage the emotions that come with playing a game of this magnitude.”
On his first season with the Dynamo:
“We’ve turned things around. The objective was to create a competitive team and take Houston to the postseason. I believe we have a great group, and it has been an incredible year for us, we won the (Lamar Hunt) U.S. Open Cup. We have a team that plays good soccer and wants to create a relationship with the fans. The team demonstrates that it can attack and play competitive soccer. It is a huge reward for us to be able to play in a conference final.”
On the culture shift of the Dynamo:
“There are a lot of players on this team who have extensive winning experience with other teams. The roster is really good, and no one expected us to be here, competing for a conference title. We’ve already proven we can win meaningful games on the road, like we did against Inter Miami during the U.S. Open Cup. The change began with us adjusting to a new technical staff and I think we found our playing style during Leagues Cup. We’ve kept a low profile of playing well and winning.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER ERIK SVIATCHENKO
On the game:
“It feels like it's been a very long season, but we’re still so hungry and ready to take that next step. Now we are in a conference final—the game against either Seattle or LAFC. We’ll see who we're going to play. We know it will be away as I understand, so we're just ready. We want more. And as Steve (Clark) said, Houston is back. We want to prove that. That's what we need if we want to win it all.”
On playing well as a team:
“It's not rare. What is rare is that it has happened so fast. And with so many new players coming in, you never know really, what type of camaraderie you’ll see in the locker room at the start of a year. We have a really good group that wants the best for each other and respects each other. It's been amazing to see how we can both defend, attack, and combine everything together, then you get a really, really good team. That is what we have shown.”
On if there is a pressure in a one-game final:
“I think there's two different approaches. There's being nervous and being excited. We are excited. And of course, some of us have done it on many, many occasions being in these kinds of games. Of course, that helps but also the young guys who haven't been, they're just excited and that's a big difference between being nervous and excited. Because you're still there, you're ready to make the right decisions. I think we're doing that on most occasions and today as you said, we need a little bit of both and that's also the winning team that gets that on their side.”
