Dynamo 2 earned their fifth win in as many games with a 3-2 victory over North Texas SC this afternoon at Toyota Stadium.
Dynamo 2 netted the game-winner in a back-and-forth affair in the 85th minute through a diving header from forward Beto Avila. Midfielder Brooklyn Raines collected the ball centrally and played it wide to defender Mujeeb Murana on the right flank. The Dynamo right back whipped a cross into the six-yard box where Avila ran onto it and powered the ball home.
The game’s first goal came in the 17th minute for North Texas SC, as Andre Costa received the ball from Mulato in an attacking position. Costa then cut back to create enough space to get a shot off that found the far top corner of the net to put the FC Dallas MLS NEXT Pro affiliate on top 1-0. This marked the first time all season that Dynamo 2 conceded a goal in open play.
Dynamo 2 equalized in the 21st minute, as the team earned a free kick just outside of the eighteen-yard-box. Midfielder Diego Gonzlez took the shot and curled the ball just over the wall and into the back of the net for the equalizer. This was the first goal in MLS NEXT Pro for Gonzlez, who was making his first start for the team.
Dynamo 2 struck once again, this time just before the end of the first half, to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room at halftime. The team drew a corner kick in the third minute of added time, and after a strike from Avila, the shot ricocheted off of defender Talen Maples and found the back of the net.
North Texas SC pulled level in the 55th minute, when Jose Mulato received a pass from Hope Avayevu and maneuvered around the Dynamo 2 defense before getting off a shot from distance that found the back of the net to tie the game at two goals apiece.
The first chance of the game came from North Texas, as Jose Mulato got behind the defense in an attacking play in the fifth minute. His shot, however, was corralled by Dynamo 2 goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg, who was making his MLS NEXT Pro debut.
Dynamo 2 will continue its two-game road trip next weekend when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Tacoma Defiance at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 1.
The team will return home the following week when they face Colorado Rapids 2 at AVEVA Stadium at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 8. For tickets and additional information, visit HoustonDynamoFC.com.
