Houston Dynamo FC returns to Shell Energy Stadium to host NYCFC

Houston earned their first three points of the season last Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Austin FC at Shell Energy Stadium. This was the first match of the year in downtown Houston at the newly renovated venue that welcomed 19,000 fans on a chilly evening in the Bayou City. Houston took the lead in the 71st minute after the Dynamo were awarded a penalty kick following a handball inside the box. Amine Bassi earned his first start of the year and he converted the penalty kick for his first goal of the season.

Defensively, the Dynamo earned their first clean sheet of the season and goalkeeper Steve Clark finished with five saves. This was the 51st clean sheet for the Dynamo shot stopper and his first since a 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas City at home on Sept. 10. 

The Dynamo doubled their lead in the 86th minute after Hector Herrera and Griffin Dorsey combined for a give-and-go inside the box. Dorsey found the Dynamo captain in the heart of the box for a one-touch finish. That was Herrera’s first goal in MLS and he earned MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors for his performance against Austin. 

This is the first meeting between both teams since the 2019 season and the first match in Houston since 2018. Saturday’s match is the sixth meeting between both sides and New York City enters with a slight advantage with a 2-1-2 (WLD) record. The teams have split the two meetings in Houston with the Dynamo earning three points on May 25, 2018 in the last meeting between both sides in Texas.

New York City have won two consecutive games and claimed a 3-2 victory at home against D.C. United on Saturday. Santiago Rodriguez scored his first goal of the season in the victory and the midfielder returned to MLS after a brief stint with Montevideo City Torque in his native Uruguay. The Dynamo backline will be tasked with containing both Rodriguez and a Brazilian duo that combine for two goals and one assist in the first four games of the season. Talles Magno and Thiago Andrade tallied their first goal of the season in the victory over D.C. United. 

The Dynamo travel to PayPal Park next weekend to face the San Jose Earthquakes. The team returns to Shell Energy Stadium on April 8 to host the LA Galaxy.