Dynamo 2sday: Dos Earn Hard-Fought Road Points Against Austin FC II
(image via Austin FC)
For the second time this year, Houston Dynamo 2 squared off against their closest MLS NEXT Pro rivals, Austin FC II. Just like the first encounter, points were tough to come by—but this time, the trip to Austin ended with a valuable result for the visitors.
Head coach Marcelo Santos, whom we recently had the chance to interview, once again fielded a starting XI made up of a mix of young international players on short-term loans and homegrown talent developed through years of hard work in the Dynamo Academy.
One of those international additions, Argentine forward Tomás Romero, was officially announced on loan from Club Atlético Unión before the match. Romero would go on to make his debut off the bench in the second half.
Between the posts, Pedro Cruz—who had a busy but brilliant night—once again showed why he's the undisputed No. 1 for Dynamo Dos. In front of him, the back line featured Gavin Wolff, Daniel Barrett, Isaac Mwakutuya, and Noah Betancourt. Captain Sebastian Rodriguez and Enrique Correa anchored the midfield, with Exon Arzu, Josh Bolma, and Andy Batioja operating as attacking midfielders behind striker Stephen Annor.
The first half began with Houston enjoying most of the possession over the opening 20 minutes, but they struggled to create meaningful chances. Despite the early control, it was Cruz who had to make three crucial saves in the first 40 minutes to keep the match level. It was a classic rivalry match—tight, tense, and mental sharpness proving to be the deciding factor in every moment.
The best first-half chance for Houston came late via a long-range effort from Betancourt, but Austin goalkeeper Charlie Farrar made a comfortable save. Just when it looked like the first half would end scoreless, Austin broke through. In the 44th minute, a long throw into the box led to a scramble, and Peter Grogan was able to set up captain Nico Van Rijn, who nodded the ball over Cruz to give the hosts a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
Austin started the second half strong, threatening from both a free kick and a corner, but Cruz was up to the task again, pulling off a pair of highlight-reel saves. In the 63rd minute, Grogan had a golden opportunity to double Austin’s lead but failed to put his shot on target.
Just when it seemed like the hosts were tightening their grip, Dynamo Dos found their moment. In the 69th minute, a well-driven dead ball from the right flank caused chaos in the six-yard box. After a scramble, the ball was touched by Houston’s Jayden Puna and ultimately redirected into the net by Austin defender Daniel Ciesla for an own goal. With 21 minutes to go, it was 1-1—and a different game.
Pedro Cruz continued to be the difference-maker down the stretch, producing multiple game-saving stops to keep the score level. The match would finish 1-1 after regulation, sending the teams to a shootout for the extra point.
Once again, Cruz became the hero. Wearing the metaphorical orange cape, he denied two of Austin’s five penalty attempts to help Dynamo Dos claim the shootout win and an additional point.
After 11 matches, Houston Dynamo Dos now sit in 5th place in the Western Conference with 19 points. They’ll look to build on this momentum when they return home to host Sporting Kansas City II on Saturday, June 7, at 6:00 PM. This match will take place at Shell Energy Stadium, and as always, tickets are FREE for all fans.
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