Houston Dynamo 3 (7)-LAFC 3 (6)
The Houston Dynamo beat Los Angeles FC to punch their ticket into their first US Open Cup final in franchise history. A late goal from Los Angeles FC tied the score 3-3 forcing overtime and subsequently the penalty kicks. Houston’s goalkeeper Joe Willis came in big in the penalty shootout and gave the victory to the Texans, who will now be facing the Philadelphia Union on September 26.
The game started in the best way for the away team, which is leaded by Mexican forward Carlos Vela. They took the lead early via Diego Rossi, who was the man of the match for Los Angeles. However, that did not last long as the Dynamo scored the equalizer just six minutes later when Andrew Wenger scored from a corner kick. After the 1-1. Los Angeles struggled in offense during the first half. Vela and company could not find a clear chance to beat Willis and retake the lead.
Houston, on the other hand, played a smart match even though they were down in the scoreboard so early. Darwin Ceren was a key player for the Orange in midfield. He gave the stability and possession of the ball to the Texans, which was crucial during the match. Starting by him, Houston was able to generate offensive plays. Also, the sides were very important for the home team. Andrew Wenger, who scored the 1-1, is playing some good football since he was moved to the right back position. Coach Wilmer Cabrera moved the versatile player since AJ De La Garza and Dylan Remick are still out due to major injuries.
The 2-1 came in at the 25th minute when Houston forward Mauro Manotas, who has been having a good year, took advantage of an opportunity inside the box and gave the lead to the Orange.
After that goal, Houston controlled the match in every sector of the field. The team was pressuring Los Angeles in their last third, which complicated the Californian team at midfield. But in the second half, Portuguese Andre Horta came in an had an extraordinary match. He gave the stability that LAFC was missing in the first 45.
Even though Houston was in absolute controlled of the match, LAFC was creating some opportunities to tie the score. But because they were so focused on offense, they made some big mistakes in defense and Houston took advantage of that. Jose ‘Memo’ Rodriguez scored the 3-1 for the home team when his shot from outside the box beat goalkeeper Tyler Miller.
Houston Dynamo
