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THREE POINTS: Houston Dynamo FC Host Austin FC in Home Opener on Saturday at Shell Energy Stadium

March 17, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Houston Dynamo FC News Release


THREE POINTS: Houston Dynamo FC host Austin FC in home opener on Saturday at Shell Energy Stadium

NEED TO KNOW:

Shell Energy Stadium will open for its first full-capacity event on Saturday when the Dynamo host Austin FC

Houston will open two-game stretch at home after opening the season with back-to-back road games

Houston will host New York City FC on March 25 and the Houston Dash open the 2023 NWSL regular season on March 26

HOUSTON - Houston Dynamo FC will play their first match at the recently renovated Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, March 18 against Austin FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and the first fans to enter the venue will receive a stadium replica, courtesy of Shell Energy. Tickets for the match are available on HoustonDynamoFC.com.

MEDIA RESOURCES:

Game notes for Saturday's game are available here

The Dynamo return to league play after a bye week and closing a two-game road trip on March 4 in Massachusetts. The Dynamo were held scoreless in the loss to the New England Revolution and look for their first points of the season. Houston enters Saturday's match with a 9-2-6 record in home openers.

WHO: Houston Dynamo FC vs. Austin FC

WHEN:

Saturday, March 18 - 7:30 p.m. CT

STREAM:

MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

English: Keith Costigan and Maurice Edu

Spanish: Adrian Garcia Marquez and Francisco Pinto

RADIO:

ESPN 97.5 FM (Glenn Davis and Bobby Boswell)

TUDN Deportes Houston 93.3 FM (Daniel Mejia and Cesar Procel)

The Dynamo won the possession battle for the second consecutive game but were limited to one big chance against the Revolution. Houston will look to capitalize on their time with the ball as they face an Austin team that will play their fourth game in a two-week stretch due to their participation in the Concacaf Champions League.

Through two games the Dynamo have generated 28 shots and nearly 43 percent of those efforts were on target. That mark is tied for the fourth best in the league according to FBRef.com. The team will look to cement more of those opportunities in the final third. A good portion finished with forward Ivan Franco. The Paraguayan playmaker finished with the highest xG mark in both games, forcing three saves in his Dynamo debut against FC Cincinnati on Feb. 25.

Saturday's match will be the first of three against their in-state rival and the first of two at Shell Energy Stadium this season. Houston searches for their second victory in the all-time series and they claimed all three points in the first meeting between both teams in the Bayou City, a 3-0 triumph for the Dynamo on Sept. 11, 2021.The visitors have claimed three consecutive victories since then, including a 2-1 victory, in the lone meeting in Houston last year.

Austin FC have split the first two games of this four-game stretch following a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake last Saturday. That was their first road victory of the season and three much needed points after losing the opening match of the Round of 16 series with Violette AC. Austin claimed the victory in the return leg against Violette AC but was eliminated due to the aggregate score.

The Dynamo close the two-game homestand on March 25 when they host New York City FC. The Houston Dash will open the 2023 NWSL regular season the following evening when they host Racing Louisville.

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

DYNAMO SEEK HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Dynamo return to East Downtown on Saturday for their first competitive match since the 2022 season. Houston was limited to six victories at home last season for the second consecutive year. That tally combined with six losses at home kept the Dynamo out of the postseason in 2022. Houston will look for double digit victories this season and that would be a first for the team since the 2019 season when the Dynamo finished with a 10-3-4 (WLD) mark. Houston will look to capitalize on home games further into the summer following a two-game road trip to open the season, a first for the team.

MIDFIELD KEY TO PUSH FORWARD: The Dynamo have created 43 shot creating actions through two games, with 10 of those coming from midfielder Adalberto "Coco" Carrasquilla. Captain Hector Herrera adds eight more shot creating actions and the duo currently lead the team in expected assists according to FBRef.com. The Dynamo will look for more from the duo as they take the field at Shell Energy Stadium for the first time this season on Saturday. The midfielders combine for seven key passes through two games and have found support from left back Tate Schmitt, who adds four key passes and seven shot creating actions.

BASSI MAKES DEBUT: Dynamo forward Amine Bassi made his MLS and Dynamo debut on March 4 as a second half substitute. Bassi finished with 12 passes in the final third during his 25-minute shift. The 25-year-old is one of six players to earn their first appearance with the team this season following a 13-player roster overhaul. Bassi will be tasked with creating opportunities in the final third and Dynamo fans saw a glimpse of what the playmaker could do in Houston's 2-0 victory over FC Dallas in the preseason.

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