Houston Dynamo FC earned their first three points of the year with a 2-0 victory over Austin FC at the newly remodeled Shell Energy Stadium this evening.
The Dynamo took the lead in the 71st minute after forward Amine Bassi converted from the penalty spot. Houston was awarded a penalty kick after the video assistant referee confirmed that an Austin defender handled the ball with his arm inside the box.
Houston doubled their lead in the 86th minute after Hector Herrera switched the ball at the edge of the box. His pass to defender Griffin Dorsey created space for the captain to run between two defenders and beat the Austin shot stopper with a one-touch finish toward the near post.
Houston forward Ivan Franco generated one of the best opportunities of the second half in the 52ndminute after the Paraguayan playmaker forced a save off a bicycle kick.
Herrera forced a save in the 42nd minute off a set piece after drawing a foul outside the box. Herrera took the shot directly toward the goal forcing goalkeeper Brad Stuver to punch the ball over the crossbar for a corner kick.
Bassi gave the Dynamo its earliest chance of the night with a shot in the opening minutes of the match. The 25-year-old made his first start for the team today and was a threat throughout the game. His ability to create separation from the Austin backline generated a shot that just missed the inside of the near post in the opening minutes of the game.
Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark finished with five saves, and he made a key stop in the 21st minute. The Dynamo shot stopper successfully handled an effort from midfielder Sebastián Driussi. With today’s clean sheet the Dynamo shot stopper has earned 51 shutouts in league play.
The Dynamo return to Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, March 25 to host New York City FC. The Dash kick off their 2023 campaign the following day against Racing Louisville FC.
