Houston Dynamo FC open a two-game road trip in the state capital on Tuesday when they face Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Houston looks to earn their first victory of the season against their in-state rival and their third road victory of the season.
Houston split the points with FC Dallas on Saturday evening at PNC Stadium. Defender Teenage Hadebe scored the equalizer 11 minutes into stoppage time in the second half, the latest goal scored in league play this season excluding penalty kicks. This was the second goal for the defender who nearly scored a goal earlier in the match with an athletic bicycle kick inside the box.
Saturday’s match was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,284 fans who witnessed midfielder Héctor Herrera step on the field in a Dynamo uniform for the first time. Herrera finished the match donning the captain’s armband after a 35-minute shift.
Rookie forward Thor Úlfarsson came off the bench to score an equalizer in the 69th minute on Saturday. The 21-year-old has now scored three goals this season with two coming at home.
Tuesday’s match is the second meeting of the regular season and the Dynamo look to split the series after they dropped the first meeting 2-1 on April 30. Dynamo forward Sebas Ferreira scored from midfield on April 30, earning Goal of the Week honors. The forward has scored in two of the previous three meetings against in-state rivals in 2022.
Austin FC enters the match with three consecutive victories after they defeated Atlanta United on the road on Saturday. The victory was also the fourth consecutive road victory for Austin away from home. The bulk of Austin’s success this season has been away from home with a 7-3-1 (WLD) record. The team is currently 4-1-3 at Q2 Stadium and finishes the weekend with the second-best record in the Western Conference.
The Dynamo close the two-game road trip on Sunday, July 17 in northern California against the San Jose Earthquakes at 8:30 p.m. CT. The match will air live in English on AT&T SportsNet and in Spanish on TeleXitos 47.2. The Dynamo return to PNC Stadium on Saturday, July 23 to host Minnesota United FC.
Here are three key points ahead of Tuesday’s game:
1. HERRERA MAKES DYNAMO DEBUT: Héctor Herrera made his Dynamo debut on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd, the first sold-out Dynamo match since the home opener in the 2020 season against the LA Galaxy. The captain of El Tri created two chances for the Dynamo in the Texas Derby, most notably his cross to the far post in the 69th minute that ultimately fell to Thor Ulfarsson for the equalizer. Defensively, the Mexican international won possession two times and finished with one tackle won.
2. OFFENSE STRIKES LATE IN DERBY: Dynamo defender Teenage Hadebe scored the latest goal of the season for the team when he pounced on a loose ball inside the box in the 11th minute of stoppage time in the second half against Dallas. Prior to Saturday’s goal, the latest goal was three minutes into stoppage time when Fafa Picault found the back of the net against Inter Miami CF. To date, the Dynamo have scored 15 of the 24 goals in the second half. Of the 15 goals scored in the second half eight came in the final 30 minutes of the match.
3. BACKLINE FACES POTENT AUSTIN OFFENSE: The Dynamo backline will be tasked with containing one of the most potent offenses in the league on Tuesday. Austin is tied for the most scored this season with 38. Forward Sebastian Driussi has scored 11 goals for Austin this season and the midfield trio of Ethan Finlay, Diego Fagundez and Daniel Pereira combine for nine goals. Former Dynamo forward and current Austin striker Maxi Urruti has found the back of the net six times in 2022.
