The Houston Dynamo defeated Houston Baptist University 2-0 Saturday night in a scrimmage held at Houston Sports Park.
In the team’s first scrimmage this preseason, new head coach Tab Ramos fielded a squad that was a mixture of First Team players, players from Rio Grande Valley FC and the Dynamo Academy. RGV FC midfielder Isidro Martinez and Dynamo Academy forward Danny Rios each tallied their first goals of the preseason.
Despite only playing two thirty-minute halves, the majority of the match was played on the HBU side of the field, with numerous chances being created throughout the match. Finally, after a couple of chances were pushed just wide of the mark, the Dynamo got their break and found the back of the net.
In the 25th minute, homegrown defender Erik McCue started an offensive sequence from his own half that eventually found the feet of Academy alum Nico Lemoine, who sent a cross into the box from the left side of the field. After bouncing around in the box, the ball finally settled at the feet of Martinez, who snuck a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
The Dynamo had plenty of chances throughout the second half, but it was not until the closing seconds of the match that they would find their brace.
Rios, a 42nd-minute sub, found himself in possession of the ball and completely unmarked just outside the box, so he ripped off a right-footed screamer that crossed the goalie’s face and smashed into the left-side netting. The 60th-minute goal proved to be the final bit of action for the night.
