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Houston Dynamo 2

Houston Dynamo 2 Look to Extend Winning Streak against Tacoma

May 1, 2022 - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Houston Dynamo 2 News Release


HOUSTON - Houston Dynamo 2 travels to the West Coast for the first time this weekend as it continues its two-game road trip against Tacoma Defiance on Sunday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. CT from the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington.

Dynamo 2 maintained their first place status with a 3-2 victory over in-state rivals North Texas SC last weekend at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game was the team's second in a row at an MLS Stadium, as Houston had made its debut at PNC Stadium the week before against Timbers 2. Through the first five games of the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season, Dynamo 2 has won every match and has earned the maximum 15 points through this point in the season.

However, Dynamo 2 found themselves in unfamiliar territory against North Texas SC, as the team found itself trailing for the first time all season long. The Dynamo gave up the first goal of the game to Andre Costa in the 17th minute. Eager to get the team back on track, Dynamo 2 wasted little time in bringing the game level, as midfielder Diego Gonzalez lined up for a free kick from about 30 yards out from goal and curled the ball around the wall and found the near corner of the goal to tie the game at one goal apiece in the 21st minute.

Dynamo 2 was determined to go into the locker room at halftime with a lead, and in the third minute of added time in the first half, defender and team captain Talen Maples recorded his first goal of the season off an assist from forward Roberto Avila. This goal was particularly sweet for Maples because the South Methodist University graduate thought that he had scored the previous weekend, only to have his goal called off for being offside.

North Texas proved a formidable opponent, as the team was in second place in the league prior to the match, just one point behind Dynamo 2. They showed why they deserved that standing as they came back to tie the game in the 54th minute.

Houston was in danger of being forced into its first shootout from the penalty spot, a result which occurs if the two teams are tied at the end of regulation. However, Avila, who made his first team debut earlier in the week against Rio Grande Valley FC in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, scored a diving header in the 84th minute off an assist from defender Mujeeb Murana to give the Dynamo a 3-2 lead, which would prove to be the game's final score.

For additional information, visit http://houstondynamofc.com/Dynamo2.

___

WHO:

Houston Dynamo 2 at Tacoma Defiance

WHEN:

Sunday, May 1 - 5:00 p.m. CT

STREAMING:

www.MLSNEXTPro.com

Here are three key points ahead of Sunday's match:

HIGH SCORERS IN ACTION: When Dynamo 2 faces off against Tacoma this weekend, don't be surprised if this game ends up being a high scoring affair. Even though Houston is tied for the lead league in fewest goals allowed this season, having only given up three goals in five games, including two clean sheets, both teams have been successful at finding the back of the net themselves this season. Dynamo 2's 12 goals scored through five games is tied for second most in MLS NEXT Pro, behind only NYCFC, which scored seven goals in a single game. Houston also leads the league in goals scored outside the 18-yard-box, with four. Meanwhile, Tacoma Defiance is in fourth place in terms of goals scored, with 11. Beyond finding group success in the attack, these two teams feature the two highest individual scorers in MLS NEXT Pro. Beto Avila, who did a lot of his damage against Sporting Kansas City II, when he recorded the first and only hat trick in MLS NEXT Pro history, leads the charge for Dynamo 2 with five goals. The only other player to score five goals this season is Tacoma's Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez. Don't be surprised to see both of their names pop up on the score sheet in this Sunday's match.

HISTORIC WINNING STREAK: The Dynamo's five game winning streak, all of which have come in regulation time without having to go to a shootout, is the talk of the league. It is undoubtedly an impressive feat, but just how impressive is it? While MLS NEXT Pro is just getting started in its first season, it is interesting to compare Dynamo 2's start to the best starts in Major League Soccer history to contextualize just how rare a start of this nature is. Since the start of the millennium, not a single team has started the season with five straight victories. Teams have had longer undefeated streaks to open a season, but never one in which a team won each of its first five matches.

NEXT MAN UP: MLS NEXT Pro is a unique league, in part because of the nature of player movement. Rosters can change quickly, whether it is due to injury, players being called up to the MLS roster, being called down to MLS NEXT Pro, or international call-ups. That last point is starting to impact Dynamo 2, and it will be interesting to see how the team responds to some key changes in its starting lineup. Last weekend, the team was without starting goalkeeper Xavier Valdez and midfielders Juan Castilla and Marcelo Palomino. In their place, head coach Kenny Bundy put goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg in net, and started midfielders Paulo Lima and Diego Gonzalez. While all three contributed to the team's win over North Texas SC, Gonzalez in particular stood out with his free kick goal in the 21st minute. This weekend, the Dynamo will also be without midfielder Brooklyn Raines, who was called into the U-19 US Youth National Team camp in Carson, California.

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