The Houston Dynamo rolled past Houston Baptist University 6-0 in a preseason scrimmage Wednesday night at Sorrels Field on the campus of HBU.
The Dynamo controlled the tempo against the local NCAA Division I program for the entire night, and jumped into the lead in the 12th minute off the head of Giles Barnes. Tony Cascio slid a pass to Kofi Sarkodie overlapping on the right flank, and the right back's cross was right on target for Barnes to easily redirect into the back of the net.
Brad Davis doubled the scoreline just three minutes later, finishing off a move he began. Davis played Will Bruin into the box and the fourth-year forward found Cascio near the penalty area with a pass. Cascio's shot was blocked on its way to the HBU keeper, but Davis collected the rebound and curled a shot with his right foot to the far corner.
Davis and Sarkodie, both playing in just their second match of the preseason, teamed up 27 minutes in for the third goal. Sarkodie collected a blocked Ricardo Clark shot inside the 18 yard box and lofted another cross to the middle of the area, and Davis rose above to notch a rare headed goal for the midfielder.
Dynamo loanee Tony Cascio improved upon his impressive preseason run 10 minutes before halftime, slotting home a rebound after Boniek García's curling attempt from the edge of the box was impressively tipped away by the HBU goalkeeper. The goal was Cascio's third of the preseason to go along with two assists.
Wholesale changes in the lineup came in the second half for Houston, but the result was much the same. Mark Sherrod had a diving header go off the post from an Alex López corner kick in the 49th minute, and the Dynamo earned a penalty kick after an HBU player was called for a hand ball off an Omar Cummings shot. López stepped up to take the spot kick and had the keeper beat, but his shot went wide left in one of the few miscues for the Orange.
HBU was unable to put any sustained pressure on the Dynamo defensive unit, but were punished on one of the few occaisions they were able to get bodies forward. Sherrod hung around the halfway line during a Huskies corner kick in the 72nd minute, and Cummings found the second round SuperDraft pick behind the HBU defense with half the field open in front of him. Sherrod shrugged away two HBU defenders to collect the ball, then chipped the onrushing goalie with the outside of his boot for his second goal of the spring.
Cummings put his name on the scorer's sheet two minutes later to close the action for the night. On another Dynamo break, trialist Sito Seoane charged down the middle of the park before laying off to Cummings on the left flank. The Jamaican took a couple of touches inside, then unleashed a curling shot from the corner of the penalty area to the far corner of the goal. It was the second goal in as many games for the MLS veteran, and his third overall in 2014.
The Dynamo next face another college outfit—the Southern Methodist University Mustangs—in a preseason scrimmage on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. at Houston Sports Park. Following the match, several Dynamo players will make their way to BBVA Compass Stadium for the team's second annual Fan Fest from 1:30-6 p.m.
Houston Dynamo vs. Houston Baptist University
February 12, 2014 – Sorrels Field, Houston, Texas
Preseason Scrimmage
Scoring Summary:
HOU: Giles Barnes (Kofi Sarkodie, Tony Cascio) 12
HOU: Brad Davis (unassisted) 15
HOU: Brad Davis (Kofi Sarkodie) 27
HOU: Tony Cascio (unassisted) 34
HOU: Mark Sherrod (Omar Cummings) 72
HOU: Omar Cummings (Sito Seoane) 74
Houston Dynamo: Tally Hall; Kofi Sarkodie (Mike Chabala 38, Bryan Salazar 80), David Horst (Brian Ownby 46), Eric Brunner (AJ Cochran 46), Corey Ashe (Euan Holden^ 46); Brad Davis (Jason Johnson 46), Ricardo Clark (Servando Carrasco 46), Boniek García (Alex López 46), Tony Cascio (Sito Seoane* 46); Giles Barnes (Omar Cummings 46), Will Bruin (Mark Sherrod 46)
*Trialist
^Guest player
Houston Baptist University: Kevin Suarez; Sebastian Henke, Walter Kromholz, Charlie Gagnon, Alex Baez; Patrick Toh, Miguel Zapata, Gustavo Alvarado, George Kelley; Tobenna Uzo, Stefan Lamanna
Substitutes: Mark Gendi, Kenneth Shonaike, Thilo Borgmann, Andres Lozano
Disciplinary Summary:
HBU: George Kelley (caution) 17
HOU: Giles Barnes (caution) 21
HOU: Jason Johnson (caution 55
