Dynamo 2sday: Dos Lose Rocky Mountain Battle to Rapids 2
(image via Colorado Rapids)
This past Sunday, Houston Dynamo 2 made another stop on their extended road trip—this time heading to the Rocky Mountains to face Colorado Rapids 2. Both teams came into the match in similar positions in the standings, each looking to end a stretch of dropped points and secure a full three.
Led by head coach Marcelo Santos, Dynamo Dos opted for a more defensive setup. Pedro Cruz, recently named to participate in MLS All-Star Weekend, started in goal behind a five-man backline: Juan Viveros, Isaac Mwakutuya, Daniel Barrett, Jayden Puna, and Noah Betancourt. Ahead of them, a midfield quartet of Mattheo Dimareli, Sebastian Rodriguez, Enrique Correa, and Joshua Bolma supported lone striker David Garcia up top.
The visitors created the game’s first real chance in the 14th minute when a run down the left flank resulted in a low cross into the box. Dimareli made contact, but the ball veered off-target—an unexpected miss in what looked like a sure goal-scoring opportunity.
Moments later, Rapids 2 had a chance of their own. A well-timed ball found a Colorado attacker in a dangerous area, but Cruz made a stellar save to keep things level, again proving why he’s been recognized among the league’s best.
The first half ended 0–0, but that would change quickly after the break.
Colorado opened the scoring just after the restart. Following a diving save from Cruz that forced a corner, the resulting play saw Canadian forward Sydney Wathuta find space in front of goal to slot the ball home and make it 1–0.
Just five minutes later, Dimareli responded with a brilliant solo run through multiple defenders, but his final shot was denied by Rapids goalkeeper Adam Beaudry. Less than a minute after that, disaster struck for Houston—Mwakutuya brought down a Rapids attacker on a breakaway and was shown a red card by referee Drew Klemp, reducing Dynamo 2 to 10 men.
In the 68th minute, Rapids 2 doubled their lead. After Beaudry collected a header and launched a long ball forward, Anderson Rosa set up Mamadou Billo Diop for a one-on-one against Cruz. Diop rounded the keeper and slotted into an empty net to make it 2–0.
Dynamo Dos answered almost immediately. A deflected cross fell perfectly for substitute Stephen Annor, who calmly finished to bring the visitors back into the match at 2–1.
Despite being a man down, Houston continued to push for an equalizer. Cruz came up big again, registering five second-half saves and stopping several dangerous attacks as Colorado looked to exploit the extra space.
Houston nearly equalized when captain Rodriguez unleashed a long-range effort that missed by mere inches. But in the end, time ran out, and Dynamo 2 recorded their second consecutive loss.
Houston will look to bounce back this Sunday, July 13, when they return home to face in-state rivals North Texas SC in what promises to be a high-stakes clash. Fans can claim free tickets to the match at SaberCats Stadium. Or you can catch all the action live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV & MLSNextPro.com.
