Dynamo 2sday: Dos Fall to St. Louis CITY2
(image via St. Louis CITY SC)
Houston Dynamo 2 traveled to the Midwest to take on St. Louis CITY2 this past weekend, riding a three-game winning streak after a 2-1 victory over in-state rivals Austin FC II. The team aimed to extend that streak to four straight wins—the longest active run in MLS NEXT Pro.
Head coach Marcelo Santos named the following starting XI: Pedro Cruz in goal; a backline of Noah Betancourt, Micah Harris, Isaac Mwakutuya, and Daniel Barrett; a midfield trio of Josh Bolma, Enrique Correa, and Sebastian Rodriguez—who wore the captain’s armband for the night; and a front three of Andy Batioja, Stephen Annor Gyamfi, and Exon Arzu.
Before kickoff, Bayou City Soccer confirmed via club sources that long-time captain Diego Gonzalez suffered a lower-body injury that will sideline him for an extended period. Gonzalez has been a key part of Santos' setup, contributing five goals and earning MLS NEXT Pro’s March Player of the Month. We wish Diego a speedy recovery.
The match got off to a dramatic start. Within seconds, Arzu had a chance from a free kick just outside the box. His powerful right-footed strike rattled the crossbar, nearly putting Houston ahead early. Moments later, St. Louis thought they had taken the lead on a set piece, but the linesman’s flag ruled it offside.
CITY2 began applying pressure, creating dangerous chances—most notably a back-post cross that Ryan Dugan couldn’t steer on target. The home side’s persistence paid off in the 14th minute when Emil Jääskeläinen controlled a ball at the top of the box and finished into the bottom left corner, giving St. Louis a 1-0 lead.
Houston responded with chances of their own. Arzu tested goalkeeper Christian Olivares with a low shot across goal, which was pushed out for a corner. Just before halftime, Gyamfi drove into the box and narrowly missed with a shot that rolled just wide of the far post. St. Louis nearly doubled their lead when Dugan’s left-footed effort missed by inches.
The Dynamo came out strong after the halftime break. In the 48th minute, captain Sebastian Rodriguez capitalized on a midfield turnover, driving forward and slotting home a shot from just outside the box to level the score at 1-1.
But St. Louis answered quickly. Just two minutes later, CITY2 pressed high and forced a turnover. A cross into the box found Brendan McSorley unmarked, and he redirected the ball into the net to restore the lead at 2-1.
Houston kept pushing. In the 53rd minute, Enrique Correa nearly equalized from a free kick, only to see his effort, like Arzu’s earlier, smash off the crossbar.
St. Louis sealed the result in the 76th minute. Jake Girdwood-Reich delivered a low cross to Jääskeläinen, who laid it off with a clever first-touch pass to Miguel Perez. Perez made a well-timed run into the box and slipped the ball through Cruz’s legs to make it 3-1.
Caden Glover had another chance for the hosts, but was ruled offside. Pedro Cruz made a couple more key saves late in the game, but it wasn’t enough to extend Houston’s win streak as the final whistle blew on a 3-1 defeat.
Looking Ahead: Houston vs Colorado Rapids 2
Houston returns home this Friday, May 9, to face Colorado Rapids 2 at SaberCats Stadium at 6 PM. The matchup promises goals, with Houston scoring eight times in their last five matches and Colorado finding the net 10 times over the same stretch. The Dynamo are the second-best home team this season, while Rapids 2 are the second-best team on the road—setting the stage for a high-stakes clash.
Be sure to catch all the action on MLSNEXTPro.com and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
