New York City FC will try to win their third straight game when they visit the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
NYCFC (2-1-1, seven points) is coming off a 3-2 win over visiting D.C. United last Saturday, while Houston (1-2-0, three points) earned its first win of the year by blanking visiting Austin FC 2-0 that day.
“I’ve just said to the team we’ve got to go on the road and win football games,” NYCFC coach Nick Cushing said. “We want to progress from last season and finish higher than third so we have to win points on the road. I believe we have the ability to do that.”
NYCFC’s Santiago Rodriguez had a goal and an assist, while Talles Magno and Thiago Andrade also scored, and Gabriel Pereira and Braian Cufre each had an assist against D.C.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead, NYCFC put the game away in the 88th minute when Rodriguez fed a pass to Andrade, who slipped a shot past D.C. goalie Tyler Miller.
Luis Barraza made two saves for NYCFC, which outshot D.C. United 10-9.
“I was pleased not that we got the ball down and controlled it with our style, but that we showed a different side of ourselves in the ability to fight and go for second balls,” Cushing said. “I think they got maybe one or two chances, so I’m pleased overall, but we have to be better with the ball in the second half.”
Houston, which had been outscored 5-1 in losses to Cincinnati FC and New England to open the season, won the first Texas Derby match of the year on goals by Amine Bassi and Hector Herrera.
“Coaches can say whatever they want, but you want to get your first win. It helps quite a bit,” Houston coach Ben Olsen said. “The mood in there is very good, and the message now is to grow and get better and make sure that we can put this type of performance on at home consistently, because I do believe it’s a recipe for getting into the postseason.”
Bassi made a penalty kick in the 71st minute and Herrera capped the scoring off an assist from Griffin Dorsey in the 86th minute for the Dynamo.
“Hector was our internal man of the match,” Olsen said. “For (him) to score a goal and to get on the board and also Bassi is a big deal. One out of the run of play, another a set-piece PK. So all in all, a good night.”
This will be the teams’ first meeting since NYCFC’s 3-2 win over the visiting Dynamo in August 2019. NYCFC lead the all-time series 2-1-2.
–Field Level Media
