Houston Dynamo 2 fell to North Texas SC 3-1 in the final home game of the regular season earlier this evening at SaberCats Stadium. Dynamo Dos is still in contention to make the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs and will have another opportunity to clinch a berth next week on the road against LA Galaxy II.
Dynamo 2 forward Papa Ndoye and defender Talen Maples combined for the first goal of the night in the 29th minute. Maples crossed the ball into the box and found Ndoye open on the far side to score his team-leading 13th goal of the season.
North Texas tied the game in the 59th minute of the match after forward Jose Mulato scored on the far post. The visitors took the lead in the 67th minute after a corner kick from Diego Garcia found Henri Santos inside the box. The Brazilian striker headed the ball into the back of the net to give North Texas the lead.
The final goal of the match came in the 75th minute after Tomas Pondeca’s shot from outside the box beat the Dynamo 2 goalkeeper at the near post. This was the first ever victory in the series for the FC Dallas affiliate. Dynamo 2 earned two points in the first meeting of the season and earned three points in the last meeting between both sides.
Houston had an early opportunity to score after Isaiah Reid won a free kick just outside the box. Midfielder Diego Gonzalez took the ensuing free kick and won the first corner kick of the game for Houston.
Ndoye took a shot from distance in the 28th minutes that forced North Texas SC goalkeeper Antonio Carrera to make the save and concede a corner kick.
Dynamo Dos goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell made a key save in the 35th minute of the match after Pondeca took a shot. Tarbell made the diving save to keep the ball out of the back of the net and smothered the ball to quell the danger.
Dynamo Dos appeared to have scored in the 62nd minute after Ndoye received a cross-field pass and found the back of the net, but he was ruled offside.
Houston had another opportunity to score moments later after Reid was able to make a run on the nearside of the goal, but the Clemson product’s shot missed the inside of the far post.
Tarbell made a key save to keep the game within reach for Dynamo Dos in the 72nd minute. He beat a North Texas attacker to the ball to prevent a transition opportunity following a corner kick for Dynamo 2.
Dynamo Dos forward Zeke Soto, who came on as a second-half substitute, had an opportunity to cut into the North Texas lead in the final minutes of regulation. but was denied by the North Texas back line.
Houston Dynamo 2 closes the regular season with an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth on the road against LA Galaxy II on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. CT.
