HOUSTON (July 26, 2026) – Houston Dynamo 2 wrap up a four-match homestand on Sunday, July 26, hosting in-state rivals Austin FC II at SaberCats Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT, and fans can secure their free tickets for the home match HERE.
In a battle between the top two teams in the Western Conference, Houston sits three points behind Austin and has the chance to draw level at the top of the standings as they look to continue their perfect home form. Sunday's fixture will be the second of three meetings between the two sides this season, with Dos drawing 1-1 on the road against Austin and claiming the two points after a penalty kick shootout victory.
Goalkeeper Pedro Cruz made crucial save on the fifth penalty to keep the result alive, while defender GavinWolff, who will soon start his college career at Oregon State University, converted that would be the match-winning penalty as Austin missed their sixth and final attempt. The match on April 12 also saw defender Vinicius Silva make his first Dynamo 2 start and forward Myles Gardner make his first start of the 2026 season.
Dynamo 2 opened the 2026 season with a team-record 11-match unbeaten streak, where they recorded 31 points, 28 goals and 20 assists, while leading in fewest goals conceded in open play (four) during that span. All that was despite a league-record 10-match road trip that stretched from March to July due to DR Congo calling SaberCats home during the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Houston is coming off a resilient 2-1 victory at SaberCats Stadium last weekend behind midfielder GustavoDohmann's second goal of the season and Dynamo Academy midfielder Dylan Reyes' first professional goal. The team played the entire second half with 10 men after midfielder Noah Betancourt received a second yellow card in first half stoppage time. Desptie the sending off, the match did see Dynamo Academy forward Kian Walsh make his professional debut as a second-half substitute, while Houston extended their unbeaten home streak to seven matches.
Austin II have split their last two matches, falling 3-2 to Minnesota United FC 2 before earning a 4-0 victory at Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on July 22. They finished the month of June with a 4-0-0 (WLD) unbeaten record and currently sit atop the Western Conference standings with 43 points and a 13-2-3 (WLD) overall record. Jorge Alastuey leads the team's attack with nine goals.
Just this week, forward Jahmani “JJ” Bell was called up to represent the Jamaica U-20 National Team in the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Mexico, where they will face Honduras, Panama and Canada in Group C of the tournament.
Last week, the Club promoted Jeremy Hurdle to the full-time Dynamo 2 head coaching position after first serving twice as Dos’ interim head coach (September 2024 to December 2024 and February 2026 to July 2026). He joined the organization in May 2022, joining the Dynamo Academy as a U-15 head coach, then later rising through the ranks, becoming Dynamo 2’s assistant coach in 2025 before being named the team’s head coach.
Cruz, the reigning Goalie Wars champ, was selected to participate in the 2026 Goalie Wars as part of a revamped 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, presented by AT&T, on Tuesday, July 28, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
Midfielder Matthew Arana and Dynamo Academy defender Brogan Fitzsimons were selected to represent the Club at the 2026 MLS NEXT All-Star Game, presented by Allstate, on Monday, July 27, at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, NC. Arana signed a Homegrown contract with the first team in February this year, while Fitzsimons plays with the Academy’s U-18s at the age of 15.
Houston next travel to face Sporting Kansas City II Friday, July 31, at Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT. Fans can follow the action live via MLSNEXTPro.com and OneFootball.
