The Dynamo look to snap a three-game losing streak after they fell on the road against D.C. United on Saturday. Houston was held scoreless for the first time since a 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers on April 16. Defensively, the Dynamo looked to Teenage Hadebe for key stops on Saturday and the Zimbabwe international delivered with five interceptions and 11 clearances. Offensively, Darwin Quintero and Sebas Ferreira combined for five chances created against D.C. United. Ferreira nearly tallied an assist on Matias Vera’s effort in the 63rd minute that was saved by the D.C. goalkeeper.
Wednesday’s match will be the second against San Antonio FC and third against a club from the Alamo City in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Houston defeated San Antonio FC 4-0 in the last meeting between these teams in the Open Cup on June 15, 2016.
San Antonio looks to bounce back after falling 3-0 to Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday in league play. San Antonio entered Saturday’s game with back-to-back victories and scored seven goals in that stretch. San Antonio qualified for the Round of 32 after defeating Austin FC at home on April 20. The USL Championship side has reached the Fourth Round, or the Round of 32 of the U.S. Open Cup, three times since they made their debut in 2016.
The Dynamo return to PNC Stadium for league play on Saturday, May 14 to host Nashville SC at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Club will celebrate the 10th anniversary of PNC Stadium with $10 tickets to the match and the first 2,500 fans will receive a Dynamo flag banner, courtesy of Shell Energy.
Here are three key points ahead of Wednesday’s match:
- DYNAMO FIRST TEAM PLAYERS EARN KEY MINUTES WITH DYNAMO 2: Six members of the Dynamo first team have earned key minutes for the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, Dynamo 2, this season. To date, eight first team players have dressed for Dynamo 2 and the team currently sits top of the table after defeating Colorado Rapids 2 on Sunday. Beto Avila, Juan Castilla, Ian Hoffmann, Marcelo Palomino, Brooklyn Raines and Xavier Valdez are all eligible for Wednesday’s midweek Open Cup game. Four players that have earned substantial minutes for Dynamo 2 took the field on April 19 in Houston’s 2-1 victory over RGV, which includes the newest member of the first team in Beto Avila. The forward tallied the game-winning assist against RGV and could see more minutes as the Dynamo navigate the second of three games in an eight-day stretch.
- DEPTH KEY IN CONGESTED STRETCH: The Dynamo will navigate five games across a 15-day stretch in May, which includes three matches at PNC Stadium beginning with Wednesday’s fixture. Houston will look for key minutes from players like Zeca who recently earned his first league start on Saturday. Offensively, Thor Ulfarsson will be one of the primary threats to come off the bench and has appeared in every regular season match to date. Darwin Ceren offers veteran experience and national team pedigree in the middle of the park as Houston looks to capitalize on a three-game stretch at home prior to traveling to Southern California on May 22.
- SAN ANTONIO LOOK TO EXTEND CUP RUN: San Antonio reached the Round of 32 by defeating Austin FC at home on April 20. They opened their run in the tournament with a 3-1 victory over D’Feeters Kicks on April 5 and look to qualify to the Round of 16 for the first time in club history. Wednesday’s match is the fourth meeting with an MLS team in the tournament and San Antonio holds a 1-2 (W-L) record against MLS teams in the competition. The winner of Wednesday’s match will advance to the Round of 16, which will take place from May 24-25.
