For the first time in club history, the Houston Dynamo advanced to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final after defeating Los Angeles FC 7-6 on penalties Wednesday at BBVA Compass Stadium.
“We are happy because we made it to the championship match,” midfielder Tomás Martínez said after the match. “It’s an important step for the club, and we are happy about it.”
But among the celebration and joy of finally making an Open Cup Final, forward Mauro Manotas said the team needs to remain calm because they haven’t won anything yet.
“We haven’t achieved our goal; we just got one step closer,” he said. “We need to work hard because we also want to be in the playoffs.”
The team has over a month before the U.S. Open Cup Final is played, filled with important league matches as the team tries to climb into a playoff spot. The focus has to shift quickly, as the team returns to league on Saturday night to face Columbus Crew SC (6:30 p.m. CT; KUBE 57).
“We are going to Columbus and we need to win; I am sure that if we play like we did [Wednesday], we will,” Manotas said. “El Profe [head coach Wilmer Cabrera] told us that when you are humble, you are driven, focused and you are thinking about the team, you can win any game.”
Following the exciting victory, Cabrera said he was proud of the players and that the win was well deserved for the team, the city of Houston and the fans.
“I’m proud of them because we’ve been suffering a while,” he said. “It’s been difficult, but they haven’t given up, and that’s the most important thing.”
Cabrera acknowledged that the performance wasn’t perfect to earn advancement, but that the team will continue working to make sure that they are at their best as the MLS season winds down and the U.S. Open Cup Final approaches.
“We didn’t win. We tied 3-3, but on penalties, we won. We have to continue working, and that I’m for sure we’re going to be thinking, I’m going to be thinking about Columbus Crew,” he said.
“But it’s a great opportunity that we have to play against Philadelphia Union on September 26 here at home, so it’s going to be a very, very high motivation for all of us.”
