THE WIN:
- Advanced the Dynamo to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the third time in club history and the first time since 2009.
- Improved the Dynamo's all-time record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to 15-11-1.
- Improved Houston's record against Sporting Kansas City in the Open Cup to 2-3-0 all-time.
- Extended Houston's home unbeaten streak to nine consecutive games across all competitions.
- Improved Houston’s home record under head coach Wilmer Cabrera to 22-5-6 across all competitions (18-3-1 regular season; 3-1-0 U.S. Open Cup; 1-1-1 playoffs).
TEAM NOTES:
- The Dynamo have now outscored their three U.S. Open Cup opponents by a margin of 9-1 in the second half.
- The Dynamo conceded the first goal of the game when Kansas City FW Johnny Russell scored in the second minute. It marked the sixth time this year across all competitions, and the first in Open Cup play, that the Dynamo gave up the first goal. Houston is now 2-2-2 in those contests.
- Houston and Sporting Kansas City were tied 1-1 at halftime. It marked the third consecutive Open Cup match and the ninth time this year that the Dynamo and their opponent were level at the break. Houston is now 5-2-2 in those games and 2-0 in the Open Cup.
- The Dynamo have now scored at least two goals in 24 of 33 games at home across all competitions under head coach Wilmer Cabrera, including in two of their three U.S. Open Cup matches this season. They are 20-0-4 under Cabrera when scoring at least two goals at home.
- The Dynamo have now scored at least three goals in 15 of 33 home games across all competitions under Cabrera, including in two of their three U.S. Open Cup contests this season. The Dynamo are 14-0-1 under Cabrera when scoring three or more goals at home.
- The Dynamo have now scored at least four goals at home seven times under head coach Wilmer Cabrera across all competitions and are a perfect 7-0-0 when doing so.
- The Dynamo controlled possession in the game, holding the ball for 51.6 percent of the match.
- The Dynamo outshot Sporting Kansas City 24-14 in the match. It was the third consecutive U.S. Open Cup contest in which Houston outshot its opponent.
DYNAMO STARTING XI (4-3-3):
- Chris Seitz; Adolfo Machado, Alejandro Fuenmayor, Philippe Senderos, DaMarcus Beasley ©; Boniek GarcÃa, Tomás MartÃnez, Darwin Cerén; Alberth Elis, Mauro Manotas, Romell Quioto
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER NOTES:
- FW Romell Quioto scored his first two goals in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, scoring in the 35th and 65th minutes.
- Quioto’s first goal of the night came on a curling right-footed free kick from the top of the penalty area into the upper left corner of the net in the 35th minute.
- Quioto scored his second of the night in the 65th minute, chesting down a long ball from MF Darwin Cerén and slotting a right-footed shot under a sliding effort from Sporting Kansas City GK Tim Melia.
- Quioto played in his second U.S. Open Cup game and made his first start in the tournament.
- FW Mauro Manotas scored his sixth and seventh career goals in the 69th and 88th minutes, extending his own club record in the competition. It was his second brace in Open Cup play, both of which have come against Sporting Kansas City.
- Manotas scored his first when he initially broke free behind the Sporting back line off a through ball from FW Alberth Elis. His first attempt was saved, but he was first to the rebound and passed a left-footed shot into the back of the net from 20 yards away.
- Manotas’ second goal came at the end of a beautiful build-up in which FW Alberth Elis brought down a high ball and deftly played MF Memo Rodriguez free down the right touchline. The Dynamo Homegrown then whipped in a curling cross that Manotas headed over the Sporting goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
- Manotas made his sixth start in the U.S. Open Cup and eighth appearance in the tournament. With the start, he moved into a tie for second in club history along with GK Joe Willis and former Dynamo DF Corey Ashe behind DF Mike Chabala, who leads all Dynamo players with 10 appearances in the tournament.
- MF Darwin Cerén registered his first assist for the club in Open Cup play when his long ball put FW Romell Quioto in alone behind the Sporting back line for the second goal of the game.
- Cerén made his sixth career start in the U.S. Open Cup and his first for the Dynamo. It was his 10th start of the 2018 season across all competitions.
- MF Memo Rodriguez registered his first career assist in U.S. Open Cup competition when his cross led to the fourth goal of the game from FW Mauro Manotas in the 88th minute.
- Rodriguez appeared in his 15th game of the 2018 season across all competitions and made his sixth career appearance in U.S. Open Cup play when he came on for FW Romell Quioto in the 73rd minute.
- GK Chris Seitz made his 14th start in the U.S. Open Cup and his third Open Cup start with the Dynamo.
- Seitz earned his 11th career win in Open Cup play and third with the Dynamo.
- DF Alejandro Fuenmayor prevented a pair of certain Sporting Kansas City goals in the 76th and 77th minutes, first with a recovery to clear a ball off the line, then a sliding block of a Sporting shot in front of an empty net.
- Fuenmayor started in his third U.S. Open Cup game for Houston and made his 16th appearance and 15th start of the 2018 season across all competitions.
- DF Leonardo made his 11th career appearance in the tournament when he came on for DF Philippe Senderos in the 68th minute.
- MF Eric Alexander made his second Dynamo appearance in the U.S. Open Cup and his eighth appearance in the tournament when he came on for MF Boniek GarcÃa in the 76th minute.
- DF DaMarcus Beasley made his fourth U.S. Open Cup start with the Dynamo and his 16th start of the 2018 season across all competitions.
- FW Alberth Elis made his first start in the U.S. Open Cup and his second overall appearance in the tournament.
- MF Boniek GarcÃa made his second start in the U.S. Open Cup and fifth appearance in the tournament.
- DF Adolfo Machado made his Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut.
- MF Tomás MartÃnez made his first start in the U.S. Open Cup and his second appearance in the tournament.
- DF Philippe Senderos made his second start in the U.S. Open Cup and his third appearance in the tournament.
