The Dynamo close a two-game homestand on Saturday when they host Austin FC at Shell Energy Stadium.
Houston looks to build momentum after scoring four goals in Tuesday’s victory over Minnesota United FC in the Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The team also earned their eighth clean sheet of the year on Tuesday. Aliyu Ibrahim scored his first goal for the club in that game and had an assist on the final goal of the evening. Corey Baird finished with a hat trick, the first of his career, and led the team to the next round of the tournament. Houston will travel to Bridgeview, Illinois on June 6 to face Chicago Fire FC in the quarterfinals.
Defender Erik Sviatchenko made his Dynamo debut on Tuesday and played 45 minutes in the 4-0 victory over Minnesota. Sviatchenko wore the captain’s armband for the match and finished with one clearance and won both of his aerial duels.
This is the second in-state rival the Dynamo will face in a week after Houston secured a point in the Texas Derby on May 20. Dynamo captain Hector Herrera found Thor Ulfarsson on a corner kick to secure a point in the final minutes of regulation against FC Dallas in Frisco last weekend. Ulfarsson has now scored two goals this month and looks to earn key minutes as the team navigates midweek games for the next three weeks.
Herrera and Amine Bassi scored for the Dynamo in the 2-0 victory over Austin FC on March 18, the first meeting of the season between both teams. The Dynamo enter with a 2-1-0 (WLD) record against Austin at home and look for their first triumph in Copa Texas. The final meeting of the year is scheduled for June 24 in Austin.
Austin was eliminated from the Open Cup on Wednesday in a 2-0 loss at home to Chicago. The team entered Wednesday’s game with back-to-back victories in league play after they defeated Seattle Sounders FC on the road and Toronto FC at home. Those two triumphs gave Austin a one-point cushion for ninth place in the Western Conference.
The Dynamo start a three-game road trip on Wednesday, May 31 when they face Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 9:30 p.m. CT. Houston returns to Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, June 10 to face LAFC.
