Houston Dynamo 2 return to SaberCats Stadium on Sunday, July 28 to close a three-game homestand. Dynamo 2 have earned back-to-back victories over in-state rivals and have claimed 10 points from their last four games.
Houston's latest victory was a 4-0 triumph over North Texas SC last Sunday at Shell Energy Stadium. Mattheo Dimareli scored the opening goal, his first at the professional level. The 15-year-old has played in six games this season and tallied two assists prior to Sunday’s victory over North Texas. Gabe Segal finished with a brace and Isaiah Reid scored the fourth and final goal of the evening.
Captain Diego Gonzalez tallied three assists in the match and was named the MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek. The Houston native currently leads the team with 10 assists and is tied for the most assists in the league. The Dynamo Academy alum currently leads the league with 49 key passes.
Goalkeeper Nico Hansen finished with three saves against North Texas and tallied his second clean sheet of the season. Hansen will play a large role for Dynamo 2 this summer as Xavier Valdez competes at the Olympic Games in Paris. Valdez led the Dominican Republic to a clean sheet in the opening match of the group against Egypt.
Defender Isaac Mwakutuya led the team with four clearances and seven recoveries against North Texas. The Dynamo Academy returned to Houston earlier this week after representing the Dynamo Academy at the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in Columbus. The 16-year-old was the third Dynamo Academy player to represent the club at the MLS NEXT All-Star Game since 2022.
LAFC 2 enter Sunday’s match tied with Tacoma Defiance for fifth place in the Western Conference. LAFC 2 earned two points following a draw and shootout triumph over Tacoma on July 20. They look to snap a three-game winless streak on Sunday. Their last victory was a 3-2 victory at home over Colorado on June 28.
This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between both teams. LAFC 2 earned three points in the first meeting of the season, a 3-2 victory at Titan Stadium on March 24. Exon Arzu and Stephen Annor scored for Dynamo 2 that afternoon, but a second half response from LAFC 2 secured three points for the Black and Gold.
Dynamo 2 travel to Denver, Colorado next weekend to face the Colorado Rapids 2 at 9 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 3. The team returns to SaberCats Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 11 to host St. Louis CITY 2. Tickets for all Dynamo 2 home games are free and available HERE.
