Postgame Notes | Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders FC

THE WIN:

• Gave Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera his first victory on the Dynamo sideline.
• Gave the Dynamo a 6-2-4 all-time record on Opening Day.
• Was Houston’s fifth win on Opening Day in the last six years.
• Gave the Dynamo a 7-1-4 all-time record in home openers
• Kept the Dynamo unbeaten against Seattle in Houston, improving their record to 4-0-4 all-time against Sounders FC at home.
• Improved the Dynamo’s all-time record against Seattle to 4-5-6 overall.
• Broke a streak of six consecutive matches against Seattle without a win.
• Snapped a string of four consecutive draws against Seattle, including all three matches last year.
• Improved Houston’s record at BBVA Compass Stadium to 43-18-25.

TEAM NOTES:

• The Dynamo led at halftime, 2-0. Houston led at intermission 12 times in 2016 and finished with a 5-3-4 record in those games.
• The Dynamo scored first through a Erick Torres goal in the 20th minute. Houston scored first 17 times in 2016 and finished with a record of 7-4-6 in those games.
• Houston registered 15 shots in the first half. That total is the most in the opening 45 minutes in club history, topping a 14-shot first half on April 10, 2016, also against Seattle. The 15 shots in a half tied a club record, previously set on August 25, 2016 vs. Seattle and September 6, 2010 vs. San Jose. The Dynamo managed 10 or more shots in a half just six times last season.
• The Dynamo Starting XI came into tonight with a combined 1,037 MLS starts under their belts.
• Four members of the Starting XI (MF Eric Alexander – 130, DF DaMarcus Beasley – 150, DF A.J. DeLaGarza – 196 and MF Ricardo Clark – 291) came into the night with more than 100 career starts in Major League Soccer.

DYNAMO STARTING XI (4-3-3):

• Tyler Deric; A.J. DeLaGarza, Adolfo Machado, Leonardo, DaMarcus Beasley; Ricardo Clark ©, Eric Alexander, Alex; Alberth Elis, Erick Torres, Romell Quioto

PLAYER NOTES:

• Three members of the Starting XI made their Major League Soccer debuts today: defender Adolfo Machado and forwards Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis.
• MF Alex registered his first assist of the season when he set up FW Romell Quioto’s goal in the 42nd minute. Alex finished with two assists in league play in 2016 and has five career assists.
• It was Alex’s first game-winning assist with the Dynamo.
• Alex led the Dynamo with 63 total touches in the game, his 36 passes were second-most on the team and he tied for the team lead with five tackles in the game.
• MF Eric Alexander will make his fourth start in Dynamo Orange and his first on Opening Day.
• Alexander led all Dynamo starters by completing 91.9 percent of his passes in the game; and his 37 total passes were the most on the team.
• DF DaMarcus Beasley made his 151st career start in MLS play and his 63rd with the Dynamo.
• MF Ricardo Clark made his 275th career appearance for the Dynamo across all competitions.
• Clark passed Brian Mullan and tied Mike Petke for 18th on the MLS all-time regular-season starts list with his 292nd career start in MLS play. Clark has started for the Dynamo on Opening Day in each of his five full seasons since returning to Houston midway through the 2012 season.
• Clark wore the captain’s armband for Opening Day for the first time in his career. Clark wore the armband five times in MLS play last year.
• DF A.J. DeLaGarza made his first start with the Dynamo and the 197th start of his MLS career. It will also be his first start as a professional not wearing LA Galaxy colors.
• GK Tyler Deric started in goal for the Dynamo on Opening Day for the second time in his career and first time since 2015. It was his 55th career start for the Dynamo.
• MF Boniek García came on as a second-half substitute, replacing MF Ricardo Clark in the 70th minute. García made seven appearances as a substitute in 2016.
• DF Leonardo made his 80th career start and his first as a member of the Dynamo.
• FW Romell Quioto scored his first goal as a member of the Houston Dynamo in the 42nd minute. Quito picked up a pass from MF Alex and dribbled toward the Seattle penalty area before letting loose a bending ball that beat Seattle GK Stefan Frei to the upper right corner.
• The goal was Quioto’s first game-winning goal in MLS and with the Dynamo.
• Quioto tied for the team lead and a game high with four total shots.
• FW Vicente Sánchez made his Dynamo debut when he came on as a substitute for FW Alberth Elis in the 74th minute.
• FW Erick Torres scored his first goal as a member of the Houston Dynamo in the 20th minute. Torres scored from a direct free kick from 20 yards out, bending a low shot around the wall and beating Seattle GK Stefan Frei to the far post. Torres also drew the foul that earned the free kick.
• The goal was Torres’ 23rd in his MLS career, the most by a Mexican-born player.
• Torres tied for the team lead and a game high with four total shots.
• Torres picked up the 10th caution of his career when he was shown a yellow card in the 81st minute for time wasting.
• Torres made his first Opening Day start since March 9, 2014 for Chivas USA vs. the Chicago Fire.
• Torres made his eighth start for the Dynamo and his 52nd overall in MLS play.