Clark’s clean sheet snaps skid
A crowd in excess of 19,000 came out on Saturday night for the Houston Dynamo’s 2023 home opener inside renovated Shell Energy Stadium, braving the cooler weather conditions.
The support for the home side was immense. The loudest cheers were reserved for Amine Bassi and Héctor Herrera. The pair scored Houston’s goals in a 2-0 victory over Austin FC, the Dynamo’s first win in three tries this season.
“We’re excited,” Dynamo first-year coach Ben Olsen said. “We talk about rewarding ourselves for a lot of hard work over the last couple months, and also rewarding the fans. We want to get to making sure this place is somewhere that we can play good soccer and win and entertain our fans.”
For Herrera, who joined the club last summer, his goal preserved a lead and it was also his first in a Dynamo uniform.
Steve Clark earned a clean sheet, picking up five saves, in keeping a highscoring Austin team off the scoreboard.
Following a scoreless first half, Bassi made it 1-0 on a penalty in the 71st minute. Herrera scored in the 86th minute, giving the home team its first three points of the season.
“We were coming out here to win this game, nothing else,” defender Daniel Steres said. “We wanted to go for it in the second half.”
Neither side could generate a score until the penalty by Bassi. Following a video review, former Dynamo defender Adam Lundkvist was shown the yellow card for a hand ball in the penalty area in the 70th minute.
Bassi converted the penalty with a right-footed shot to the center of the goal out of the reach of Brad Stuver, for only the second goal of the season for Houston (1-2-0).
It did not take Houston long to score its third goal of 2023. Herrera’s left-footed shot from the center of the box found the bottomright corner. Griffin Dorsey assisted nicely on the play.
Houston out-shot Austin 15-13, 7-5 on goal. Stuver saved five shots. Houston enjoyed a 7-4 advantage on corners in securing a much-needed victory.
Bassi got his first start of 2023. He played at a high level against ATX, helping the Dynamo keep the ball and adding to time of possession. Bassi was successful finding the ball as well. Something Houston was lacking in road losses to Cincinnati and New England.
Steres played with discipline. Defender Teenage Hadebe and midfielder Artur played exceptional.
“Collectively, we were good,” Olsen said. “Everybody showed up and played at a 7, 8 level, and that’s what it takes for us to win games in this league. If we can do that consistently, we’ll give ourselves a chance.”
Austin coach Josh Wolff felt his team missed out on first-half scoring opportunities, and after Bassi’s penalty, were forced to chase.
“The first half was solid,” Wolff said. “We should have come away with something in the first half. And down 1-0 the game changed. It’s been a long week.”
Austin (2-2-0) was playing its fourth game over a two-week stretch due to its participation in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Herrera and Bassi were active throughout the game. Late in the first half they both forced saves from Stuver.
In the 42nd minute, Herrera’s right-footed shot from outside the box was grabbed by Stuver at the top-center of the goal. Two minutes later Stuver stopped Bassi’s right-footed shot from the left side of the box.
Playing in his first home game representing Houston,
Bassi made his presence known from the start. The midfielder missed an attempt in the second minute from the left side of the box, going high and wide.
Assisted by Jon Gallagher, Austin’s Maximiliano Urruti hit the right post with a header from the center of the box in the 12th minute.
Houston returned to MLS play after two weeks off. Last week’s open date followed a 3-0 loss at New England on March 4.
Saturday was the first of three matches between the clubs and the first of two inside Shell Energy Stadium this season.