Houston Dynamo FC dropped their first match at home this season, losing 2-1 to Austin FC at PNC Stadium.
The Dynamo got on the board early, as forward Sebastian Ferreira scored a goal from 61 yards out in the fifth minute, the longest goal scored in Major League Soccer since 2019.
Defender Adam Lundkvist gained possession of the ball in Houston’s defensive side of the field and quickly got the ball forward to Ferreira, who recognized that Austin’s keeper was off his line and unleashed a shot that arched just over Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver’s outstretched arms and into the goal to give the Dynamo a 1-0 lead.
The goal was Ferreira’s fourth in the last four games and was also the earliest goal that the Dynamo have scored this season.
Austin FC Daniel Pereira leveled the game in the 39th minute as Ethan Findlay found himself open on the right wing and found the midfielder with a cross just in front of goal that he tapped in to tie the score at 1-1.
Austin FC took the lead in the 66th minute, when Sebastian Driussi collected a pass from Diego Fagundez and took a shot from the edge of the penalty area from left of goal and curled the ball into the opposite top corner of the net to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Midfielder Darwin Quintero had Houston’s best chance to double the lead in the 21st minute, as he received the ball just above the 18-yard-box, took one dribble and unleashed a rocket of a shot that was on target but was parried away by Austin backup goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell, who came in as a substitute when Stuver went off after Ferreira's goal.
Recently signed winger out of Brazil Thiago came on in the 77th minute to make his Houston Dynamo debut. Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark was credited with three saves on the day, including a stellar diving effort at the end of the first half to send the teams into intermission level.
After playing each of their in-state rivals the last two weeks, the Dynamo will head to the East Coast next Saturday, May 7 to take on D.C. United at Audi Field. Kickoff for that match is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT.
The team returns to PNC Stadium for a pair of games round the stadium’s 10th anniversary on May 12. Houston hosts FC San Antonio inthe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on Wednesday, May 11 and welcomes Nashville SC on Saturday, May 14.
