Dynamo drubbed in Austin, eliminated from US Open Cup
(image via Aldo Canale)
The Houston Dynamo traveled west to the state capital for a Round of 16 match against Austin FC in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Houston rested a number of their normal starters to begin the match and by the time their two Designated Players came on they were already down big, en route to a 3-1 loss and elimination from the tournament.
The match got off to an exciting start. Dynamo goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was called on to make a save on a Brandon Vazquez shot just 30 seconds in. The Dynamo responded in the 3rd minute with a Sebastian Kowalczyk shot taking a deflection and coming down off the cross bar.
Austin found a breakthrough in the 29th minute. It was Vazquez again who got into the box and found some space. He took the ball down, away from Pablo Ortiz and turned and shot past Maurer to make the score 1-0 and give the home side a first half lead.
Houston made two subs to begin the second half with Jack McGlynn and Femi Awodesu coming on for Artur and Ortiz. It looked to pay off right away with McGlynn stinging a long shot that Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver had to get down and save just seconds into the half.
Kowalczyk then did well, in the 50th minute, to get some space on the left side of the box. He lifted a cross to Toyosi Olusanya, who got his first Dynamo start, but the Englishman couldn’t keep his header down.
Austin were given a chance to double their lead in the 54th minute when referee Tim Ford pointed to the spot. Franco Escobar slid to block a cross and the ball looked to come off his arm. There is no VAR in the US Open Cup and the penalty was given. Osman Bukari slotted the PK away and doubled the home side’s advantage to 2-0.
Just minutes later, Austin would put the game away with their third goal on the hour mark. Bukari bursted down the left side into the box and then made some good moves to lose Dynamo defenders. He played the ball across to Ilie Sanchez who slotted the ball away to make the game 3-0 in the 60th minute.
Ezequiel Ponce and Ondrej Lingr came on after Austin’s third goal to try and pull something from this match. They managed to pull one back in the 70th minute. Franco Escobar made a run down the right side and lofted a ball into the box. Ponce met it with his head and beat Stuver to pull a goal back and make the game 3-1.
The goal seemed to ignite the Dynamo as they began to attack Austin and get more chances. Lingr had a header go wide in the 77th minute from a McGlynn free kick. A few minutes later, another header, this one from Ethan Bartlow drifted wide of the net.
Houston kept the ball in Austin’s half for the final 15 minutes, pressing for another goal or two, but could not find it. Brooklyn Raines saw two late yellow cards and was sent off in stoppage time. Austin’s Julio Cascante was also sent off in stoppage time but it did not matter for this match. The 3-1 victory sends Austin to their first quarterfinal appearance in the US Open Cup and sends the Dynamo out of the tournament.
The Dynamo will return to league play on Saturday with a trip even further west, to San Jose for a match against the Earthquakes. With the Open Cup now over, the Dynamo will need points against teams like San Jose as they attempt to climb into playoff position in the MLS Western Conference.
