The Houston Dynamo advanced in the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-2 win over Austin Bold FC tonight at BBVA Compass Stadium. With the win, Houston moves on to the Round of 16 in the annual single-elimination tournament.
Dynamo midfielder Tomás MartÃnez gave Houston the lead in the 14th minute after he capitalized on a deflection outside the box. An Austin Bold defender blocked forward Marlon Hairston’s shot at the near post and the ball fell to MartÃnez, who scored his third goal of the year in all competitions for Houston.
MartÃnez added an assist to his ledger in the 31st minute after he drew Austin goalkeeper Diego Restrepo and the Bold FC defense to the near post. The Argentine midfielder found forward Ronaldo Peña unmarked in the heart of the box, where he smashed a left-footed shot into the roof of the net for his first goal of the year. Dynamo midfielder Juan David Cabezas began the charge by winning the ball in midfield after he stripped Austin Bold midfielder Sonny Guadarrama.
Midfielder MatÃas Vera added to Houston’s lead in the 40th minute after a one-two with Peña inside the box. Vera sprinted into the box onto a no-look backheel pass from the Venezuelan forward and finished for this first goal with the club.
Shortly after halftime, Austin Bold midfielder Xavier Baez pulled a goal back after his free kick deflected off Cabezas in the 48th minute. Ten minutes later, midfielder Isaac Promise tallied Austin’s second goal of the night after he capitalized on a rebound inside the box in the 58th minute to make it 3-2.
Promise and defender Demar Phillips both came on as halftime substitutes for head coach Marcelo Serrano, and the duo combined for Bold FC’s second goal. Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric made a save on Phillips’ shot at the far post, but the rebound fell to Promise, who put home the second chance.
Deric stayed busy over the final 30 minutes as Austin continued to push numbers forward in search of the equalizer, but the Dynamo Academy product and his defense were up to the task and saw the game out. Deric finished with four saves on the night in his first action of the season with the Dynamo first team.
U.S. Soccer will host a draw at 10 a.m. CDT on Thursday to determine the matchups for the Round of 16, which will take place on June 18 and 19. The club’s next match in league play is Saturday, June 22 at Portland Timbers FC.
