Houston Dynamo 2 defeated FC Tulsa in the team’s first home match of the 2022 preseason on Monday, February 28 at Houston Sports Park. The game featured several young and upcoming players in the Dynamo organization, many of whom will help kick off the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season at AVEVA Stadium on Saturday, March 26 against Whitecaps FC 2 at 8:00 p.m. CT.
For Houston Dynamo 2 head coach Kenny Bundy, this match provided the team a chance to see where they stand ahead of the start of the regular season.
"It was a good exercise for us against a strong USL team. I thought the boys did a great job of understanding the style that we wanted to create on the field but I think also they executed some things very well,” Bundy said. “Again, these are always opportunities to see the things we need to work on but also highlight the things that we were successful in, so I'm very proud of the guys to step up and play against a really strong USL team and compete."
Fullbacks stand out
In a highly defensive matchup, Houston was able to generate a good amount of attacking play, highlighted by the combination of its two outside defenders, Dynamo Academy defender Jathan Juarez and newly signed Dynamo 2 defender Mujeeb Murana.
Murana was able to dispossess the opposition numerous times and was quick to turn those possessions into long passes downfield to create attacking plays. At one point, Murana found forward Papa Ndoye streaking up the sideline, where he was able to get in behind the defense and get his shot off, however Tulsa’s goalkeeper stopped the shot from finding the back of the net.
“I thought we really utilized Mujeeb and Jathan well,” Bundy said after the game. “We created a lot of opportunities for our three up front because we were able to utilize the width and those guys were able to get in behind. So I was really happy with them because it's a very hard position to play sometimes, when we're asking so much of them."”
Xavier Valdez helps keep a clean sheet
When goalkeeper Xavier Valdez was subbed on near the 60th minute, his job was to help maintain the clean sheet that the Dynamo had kept during the early portion of the match. Valdez, who signed a homegrown contract with the Club on Sunday, was able to do that, helping lead Houston to a one-goal victory.
While his talent in net is readily apparent to those that watch him, Bundy says that it is his professionalism that truly sets Valdez apart.
"Xavier has been acting like a professional for years. I don't think there was much of a change in his attitude because he's always had a professional attitude,” Bundy said. “He brings a lot, as do the other goalkeepers we have, where they can play with their feet. I felt that the moments Xavier had in the game, where he had to kind of slow the game down and we had to build through him, I thought he did a great job."
An overall team performance
While a few individuals stood out, the way that the players performed as a team was what Bundy was most impressed with after the game.
"It was a very good team performance. I think individuals stood out, but that was part of the plan going into it,” Bundy said. “When you are building out of the back with 11, which includes the goalkeeper, I think the team feels much more confident that we can find the opportunities to move forward collectively."
Houston Dynamo 2 will next be in action on Sunday, March 6 at 11 a.m. when they take on Rio Grande Valley FC at AVEVA Stadium. For information about purchasing tickets to Dynamo 2 games, visit HoustonDynamoFC.com/Dynamo2.
