Dynamo 2sday: Dos Top Sporting Kansas City II Again
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
For the second time this season, Houston Dynamo 2, under the leadership of Marcelo Santos, faced off against Sporting Kansas City II—and for the second time, they emerged victorious. While the 3-1 win on opening day set a high standard, this latest clash proved to be far from a walk in the park, with the visitors eager to avenge their earlier defeat.
Santos fielded a familiar starting XI. Pedro Cruz, who had an outstanding performance last week against Austin FC II, wasn’t called into frequent action during the 90 minutes, but would once again be pivotal during the penalty shootout. In front of him, the backline consisted of Michael Halliday—looking to stay match sharp while on assignment from the first team—alongside Isaac Mwakutuya, Jayden Puna, and Daniel Barrett. In midfield, the duo of Enrique Correa and captain Sebastian Rodriguez provided stability, while Mattheo Dimareli, Joshua Bolma, and Andy Batioja supported Argentine forward Tomás Romero, who earned his first start since arriving on loan from Club Atlético Unión.
The first half remained relatively quiet until the 33rd minute, when Batioja forced SKC II goalkeeper Jacob Molinaro into a fingertip save that was destined for the top corner. Sporting KC II responded moments later with a long-range effort that Pedro Cruz handled comfortably.
But just before halftime, a costly error changed the momentum. Maouloune Goumballe applied pressure to Barrett, who lost possession deep in his own half. Goumballe quickly set up teammate Bryan Arellano for a close-range finish, putting the visitors up 1-0 heading into the break.
Houston came out with urgency in the second half, pressing SKC II deep into their own territory. Within seconds of the restart, Dynamo Dos began threatening the goal, and the pressure soon paid off. Substitute Stephen Annor Gyamfi made an immediate impact. After receiving a pass inside the box, Gyamfi pivoted to shoot—his effort took a deflection off a defender, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and leveling the match.
Moments later, Gyamfi nearly had his second, but his header flew inches wide. In the 60th minute, he tested Molinaro again, but the keeper was equal to the task.
Batioja and Exon Arzu each came close with shots that narrowly missed the target. Then, in the 80th minute, Arzu found himself in a one-on-one situation with the keeper, but Molinaro once again came up big to deny the go-ahead goal.
Cruz may not have been busy throughout the match, but he stepped up in a massive way during stoppage time. When Johann Ortiz broke through the Dynamo defense and found himself with only Cruz to beat, the Houston keeper rushed off his line, closed down the angle, and made a crucial block to preserve the 1-1 scoreline.
With regulation ending in a draw, the teams went to penalties to contest the extra point. Just like in the previous match against Austin FC II, Cruz rose to the occasion. He made one save during the shootout, while all five Dynamo Dos shooters converted their kicks—securing the additional point and another victory in the standings.
With 20 points on the season, Houston Dynamo Dos now prepare for a grueling stretch of four consecutive road games. The road trip begins in “Loon Country” as they take on Minnesota United II on Thursday, June 12 at 7:00 PM.
Fans are encouraged to travel and support the squad—but if you can’t make the trip, you can still catch all the action live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV or MLSNextPro.com.
