Dynamo 2sday: Dos Dominate Tacoma
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
Although the first team was absent from play this weekend, the second team brought the fireworks, delivering a 4-0 battering of Tacoma Defiance, a team that has had Houston’s number in recent years. With this win, Houston Dynamo 2 are seated high up in the table as they try to qualify for the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs after missing the postseason last year.
This game featured several first-team fringe players and hopefuls, which gave Houston the opportunity to analyze these players in real scenarios without the pressure that comes with featuring in MLS. Some of these players included Tomáš Wiesner, Nick Markanich, Matthew Arana, Agustin Resch, Blake Gillingham, and Felipe Andrade, who is still ramping up his fitness after coming back from injury.
It took a bit of time before Dos got on a roll, but once they did, there was no looking back. In the 41st minute, Markanich delivered a silky pass to Mattheo Dimareli, who was on the left side of the pitch. The youngster blasted the ball into the right side of the net, giving Dos the 1-0 lead.
Just a few minutes later, Wiesner made a run deep into opposition territory before passing it to Markanich, and just like before, he found a wide-open Dimareli on the left. He once again didn’t waste his opportunity to capture a brace in the second minute of first half stoppage time.
Dimareli delivered a man-of-the-match performance for Dos, which earned him MLS NEXT Pro’s Rising Star of the Week honor. In case you forgot, he’s 16 and already in his second professional season. Talk about a prospect to watch.
At half, Houston were comfortably in the driver’s seat. With the tempo on their side and Tacoma without any answers offensively, the men in orange were looking at a comfortable win if they kept the pressure up, and they were able to do just that.
Houston didn’t waver in the second half, tacking on two more goals late to turn their win into a rout. Gavin Wolff, son of former Houston Dynamo assistant Josh Wolff, scored his first professional goal in the 78th minute thanks to a set piece.
Shortly after, 2026 SuperDraft pick Austin Brummett also got onto the scoresheet for the first time in his pro career with a shot just inside the box. The goalkeeper got a hand on it, but his attempt wasn’t good enough to keep it out of the net and give Dynamo 2 a 4-0 lead in the 82nd minute.
Dynamo 2 have had a scorching start to their season, and they’ll try to continue that trend with another home game on Sunday, March 15 against Portland Timbers 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 OM, and fans can tune in through YouTube, OneFootball, or attend in person at SaberCats Stadium for free.