The Houston Dynamo took home a Texas Derby win after beating FC Dallas 2-0 in a rivalry match at BBVA Stadium on Wednesday night.
FC Dallas dominated the home side to start the game, with Andres Ricaurte hitting the woodwork five minutes in and then Michael Barrios forcing Houston goalkeeper Marko Maric to come up with a big save a few minutes later.
But the Dynamo gained momentum and Darwin Quintero put Houston on the board in the 20th minute, finishing off a play inside the box with some nifty footwork.
Up a goal, the Dynamo went down a man as the first half wound down. After Video Review it was deemed that a tackle by Mauro Manotas was worthy of a straight red card.
While Dallas had more than two dozen shots on the night, they weren’t able to find the back of the net and it was the Dynamo who got the next goal.
Late in the second half, Houston midfielder Niko Hansen drew a foul in the box and the Dynamo were awarded a penalty kick. Forward Christian Ramirez lined up to take it, but since he went down to injury on the previous play, he was ineligible to take the kick and was forced to leave the field until called back on by the referee. His teammate, Darwin Ceren, stepped up to convert for his first goal of the season and a 2-0 Houston lead.
The win tonight snapped Houston’s six-game winless streak. The two teams will meet against on Oct. 31 as the Dynamo visit Toyota Stadium in Frisco.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: The Houston Dynamo took home three desperately needed points as they work to stay in the playoff race out West. For FC Dallas, the loss means they will fail to keep pace with the West frontrunners in Week 16.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Darwin Ceren had to step up at the last second to take a late penalty kick after Christian Ramirez was forced to come off the field. The reliable midfielder came through for 10-man Dynamo, allowing them to comfortably see out the win.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Both goalkeepers came up big tonight, but Marko Maric’s stops throughout the game made the difference for his side.
Next Up
- HOU: Saturday, October 10 at Inter Miami CF (6 pm ET | UniMás, TUDN, Twitter (English commentary), MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)
- DAL: Sunday, October 11 vs. Minnesota United FC (9:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+, FOX Sports Southwest, FOX Sports North, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada)