The Houston Dynamo earned their second win of the season over the Colorado Rapids with a 3-1 victory Wednesday night at Shell Energy Stadium. Amine Bassi scored in the first half before Colorado equalized shortly after the break. Latif Blessing and Sebastian Kowalczyk scored to ensure the win and the three points.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dynamo FC 3 - 1 Colorado Rapids
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Marcos DeOliveira
Assistants: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt, Ben Pilgrim
Fourth Official: Gerald Flores
VAR: Ted Unkel
Attendance: 15,237
Weather: 83 degrees, mostly cloudy skies
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU: Amine Bassi (Griffin Dorsey) 41’
COL: Djordje Mihailovic (unassisted) 49’
HOU: Latif Blessing (unassisted) 70’
HOU: Sebastian Kowalczyk (Aliyu Ibrahim) 80’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
COL: Sebastian Anderson (caution; foul) 42’
HOU: Aliyu Ibrahim (caution; foul) 77’
LINEUPS & STATS
Houston Dynamo FC: Andrew Tarbell; Franco Escobar (Daniel Steres 46’), Griffin Dorsey (Tate Schmitt 89’), Erik Sviatchenko (Ethan Bartlow 66’), Micael, Artur (Brooklyn Raines 83’); Amine Bassi, Hector Herrera (C); Coco Carrasquilla (Latif Blessing 66’), Aliyu Ibrahim, Sebastian Kowalczyk
Unused Substitutes: Brad Smith, Sebastian Ferreira, Jefferson Valverde, Xavier Valdez
Total shots: 12 (Coco Carrasquilla 3)
Shots on goal: 6 (six players tied with 2)
Fouls: 19 (Amine Bassi 5)
Offside: 3
Corner kicks: 3
Saves: 10 (Andrew Tarbell 10)
Colorado Rapids: Zack Steffen (C); Sam Vines, Andreas Maxso, Moïse Bombito, Sebastian Anderson (Jonathan Lewis 83’); Connor Ronan (Omir Fernandez 62’), Jasper Löffelsend (Oliver Larraz 62’), Djordje Mihailovic; Cole Bassett, Kévin Cabral (Calvin Harris 62’), Rafael Navarro (Darren Yapi 70’)
Unused substitutes: Keegan Rosenberry, Lalas Abubakar, Adam Beaudry, Jackson Travis
Total shots: 16 (Rafael Navarro 4)
Shots on goal: 10 (Rafael Navarro 3)
Fouls: 15 (Kevin Cabral 4)
Offside: 3
Corner kicks: 6
Saves: 3 (Zack Steffen 3)
HOUSTON DYNAMO ASSISTANT COACH JUAN GUERRA
On the result:
“It was a very important result that energizes the team. We’ve got to turn the page very quickly and start thinking about what Saturday night looks like in Portland because that’s going to be another tough match. It’s a quick turnaround, but right now I’m very happy for the players and the coaching staff. We were able to link up a performance that led to a very good result.”
On how it feels to get the win:
“It’s very good to win, it’s even better to win at home and it just multiplies if you can score three goals. It speaks high volumes of what the team has been doing behind the scenes. We focused a lot on the final third and finding ways to score more goals with all of the chances we created, while controlling the game with possession. In this league that's very difficult, and we're finding ways to do it with different lineups. I’m very happy that the boys scored a lot of goals tonight, and we were able to send the fans home happy.”
On Andrew Tarbell’s performance:
“Andrew has always been a key piece in the team and locker room. He hasn't just become important after making all those saves tonight. He’s the first guy to support Steve (Clark) and the rest of the starters. He's a player that is always pushing the standards to keep the team at a high level in everything we do. Tarbell deserves it, and I'm very happy for him.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO MIDFIELDER LATIF BLESSING
On scoring two goals in two games:
“I’m very happy to score back-to-back. I’m also very happy that the coaching staff believed in me. I know that I’m a good player, and I just want to be on the field. When I’m on the field, I’m determined to improve and score more to help this team move forward.”
On the confidence this win brings:
“We needed to win this game as a team. We have not won in a few matches, and we wanted to get the three points to send the fans home happy. I’m glad we could do that.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO FORWARD SEBASTIAN KOWALCZYK
On scoring his first goal at home:
“Today was my first goal here at home. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. I am so happy, but the most important thing is the three points, which make me even happier. We need to focus on the next game in front of us in Portland. Let’s go there and try to win.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO GOALKEEPER ANDREW TARBELL
On the result:
“First and foremost, I’m happy to get the win. Obviously, I don’t play a lot, but I’m glad to help the team. It’s fun to know that I tied Pat Onstad for the most saves for the Dynamo in a match. It was a good night for everyone.”
On if having more minutes recently has helped him:
“It’s hard to say because this is my third game of the year. It can be hard to come in after not playing a lot of games, but for me it’s about always being ready whether or not I’m playing. It’s about keeping my mindset the same, and that is what I have done.”
On being a leader in the locker room:
“First and foremost, I’m a member of this team, so I just want to win no matter who’s playing. Obviously, we all want to play, but if my job is to support Steve (Clark), I'm going to do that to the best of my ability. I’m truly happy when other guys put in good performances. We’ve got a great group who pushes and supports each other. When Steve gets healthy again, I’ll be right there ready to help.”
