Houston Dynamo 2 emerged victorious in their inaugural match, defeating Whitecaps FC 2, 1-0

 

PhotoCredit:  HOUSTON DYNAMO FC/ KENNY RICHMOND

HOUSTON (Saturday, March 26, 2022) - Houston Dynamo 2 emerged victorious in their inaugural match, defeating Whitecaps FC 2 by a 1-0 scoreline tonight at AVEVA Stadium. 

 

Midfielder Marcelo Palomino scored the first goal in Houston Dynamo 2 history in the 20th minute with a spectacular curling free kick, while goalkeeper Xavier Valdez recorded a clean sheet in the team’s debut and his debut in professional competition. 

 

Forward Papa N’Doye set up Palomino’s heroics when he drew a foul after receiving a long pass from Roberto Avila and ran at the Whitecaps defense. The free kick was awarded 30 yards from goal, and Palomino stepped up and perfectly placed the ball in the top left corner of the goal. 

 

Palomino and N’Doye combined for another dangerous chance in the 25th minute, when the midfielder found N’Doye racing past the Vancouver backline. N’Doye controlled the ball with only the goalkeeper to beat but the show went wide to end the attacking play.  

 

In the 34th minute, defender Ian Hoffman used a fantastic stepover to run past a Whitecaps defender and created enough space to get a shot off on goal. His shot was brought under control by the Whitecaps keeper to keep the score 1-0.  

 

Hoffman once again got a shot on goal, this time in the 67th minute, as the ball ricocheted to his feet outside of the 18-yard-box. From there, he fired a low shot with pace that the keeper was able to corral.  

 

Centerback Ethan Bartlow nearly doubled Houston’s lead in the 79th minute when he picked up the ball inside his own half and carried it uncontested 40 yards to the edge of the Vancouver penalty area. Bartlow cracked a right-footed shot from 20 yards that forced a save from Vancouver goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer. 

 

N’Doye and another dangerous opportunity in the 86th minute when he snapped a header from 12 yards that deflected off a Vancouver defender and hit the corner of the goal, bouncing away from danger. 

 

Dynamo 2 are next in action when they host Earthquakes II on Sunday, April 3 at 6:00 p.m. CT. 

 

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Houston Dynamo 2 (1-0-0; 3 pts.) 1-0 Whitecaps FC 2 (0-1-0; 0 pts.)  

2022 MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season – Game 1 

AVEVA Stadium – Houston, Texas 

Attendance: 1,166 

 

SCORING SUMMARY  

 

TEAM	1H	2H	FT
Houston Dynamo 2	1	0	1
Whitecaps FC 2	0	0	0

 

HOU: Marcelo Palomino 1 (unassisted) 20 

 

LINEUPS: 

Houston Dynamo 2: Xavier Valdez; Mujeeb Murana, Talen Maples, Ethan Bartlow, Ian Hoffman; Juan Castilla, Brooklyn Raines (Diego Gonzalez 64), Marcelo Palomino (Danny Rios 75); Beto Avila (D’Alessandro Herrera 90+3), Cesar Cordova (Jathan Juarez 64), Papa N’Doye 

 

Unused substitutes: Andrew Pannenberg, Erick Monge, Sterling Penniston-John, Joyner Castillo, Reese Miller,  

 

Total shots: 22 (Papa N’Doye 8); Shots on goal: 6 (Marcelo Palomino 2); Fouls: 21 (Ian Hoffmann 6); Offside: 0; Corner kicks: 1 (Marcelo Palomino 1); Saves: 1 (Xavier Valdez 1) 

 

Whitecaps FC 2: Isaac Boehmer; Matteo Campagna, Cristian Campagna, Simone Masi, Eric White (Filip Rakic 75); Giovanni Aguilar (Joseph Hanson 59), Ali Ahmed, Owen Antoniuk (Luis Felipe Fernandez Salvador 59), Vasco Fry, Jay Herdman (Thierno Bah 86); Simon Becher 

 

Unused substitutes: Benjamin Alexander, Finn Linder, Joshue Ndakala 

 

Total shots: 8 (Simon Becher, Owen Antoniuk 2); Shots on goal: 1 (Joseph Hanson 1); Fouls: 20 (Ali Ahmed 5); Offside: 0; Corner kicks: 5 (Vasco Fry, Jay Herdman 2); Saves: 5 (Isaac Boehmer 5)