HOUSTON – It was their first ever meeting. Houston Dynamo hosted Charlotte FC on Sunday night. Hector Herrera was in attendance, though not yet eligible to play. Charlotte were still looking for their first road win in MLS league play.
Charlotte FC get first ever MLS road win at Houston Dynamo
The home side started brightly, with a slight advantage is possession and shot attempts in the first half. They had more than one close call on shots from sharp angles but were unable to convert.
Charlotte had the more dangerous chances, eventually leading to the open goal. Karol Świderski hit the post on a header in the 26th minute. Two minutes later, Kamil Jóźwiak got on the ball and in space at the back post. He tried to find Świderski inside the six for a surefire tap in. The ball was intercepted by Matías Vera who put it into his own net.
Jóźwiak could have had a brace in this game. A minute after the goal, he missed the near post in transition with goalkeeper Steve Clark out of position. Minutes into the second half, he made a great run to beat the high line and get behind. Clark came off his line early, forcing the Pole to run out wide. He short from a tight angle, hitting the outside of the net.
Charlotte got more conservative in the final half hour, making it very hard for the Dynamo to break them down. Houston did not have a shot attempt in the second half until the 80th minute.
Super sub Andre Shinyashiki got an insurance goal in the 74th minute. Getting the ball in midfield, he made a great run into the box and found space between defenders to slot the ball into the bottom corner.
Houston made it 2-1 with some help from VAR. Darwin Quintero flicked the ball over the backline as Fafà Picault made a run. With just the keeper to beat, he chested the ball down to half volley it from close range. Initially the flag went up, but after review the goal was correctly awarded.
The Dynamo huffed and puffed in the final 10 minutes but the Charlotte defense held on. The match ended 2-1.
Came in with an AGENDA 💪 pic.twitter.com/KmyiyQw69M
— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) July 4, 2022
Three Key Takeaways:
A first every road win: This is just what Charlotte needed. They’ve struggled to get results on the road as an expansion team. A precious first goal and a professional performance defensively did the job. This is something to build on as they compete for playoffs.
Shinyashiki Super Sub: Shinyashiki’s been a great pickup. He scored the game winner. He now has four goals and an assist in 529 minutes. Great stuff.
Quality and ideas lacking, but help is coming: Houston showed up late and just weren’t good enough on the night. They were lacking quality and at times ideas in the final third. Hache Hache should help with that as he’s expected to make his debut against FC Dallas on Saturday.
