The Houston Dynamo Academy teams experienced another successful weekend, finishing with a record of 4-0-1. Most impressive was the performance by the U15s, who secured a 6-0 victory over Houston Dynamo Unidos on the back of a pair of braces from Axel Gonzalez and Marvin Nebangwa. While the U-15 team finished with the biggest scoring margin, they were far from the only Houston Dynamo Academy team to taste victory this weekend.
Academy Director Paul Holocher was pleased with a number of the results this weekend, none more so than the U15 game.
“Overall, it was a good weekend with several strong individual and team performances,” Holocher said. “The Dynamo derby matches are always competitive and well contested – that was the case again this weekend. It is good to see so many good young players being developed in Houston. The 15’s are very much in-form at the moment. The team is training very well, and this has begun to translate to the weekend. Our 17’s match with St. Louis City was an excellent match versus a well-organized, high-pressing team. We were able to find solutions to break the press and create some very good chances, including a nice goal from Diego Rosas, but the 2-2 draw was a fair reflection of the day.”
U-17:
The only match that finished without a win for the Dynamo came from the U-17 team, which took on Saint Louis City Soccer Club on Saturday afternoon and drew 2-2.
After conceding the opening goal of the game early on, Houston drew level with their opposition before the first half ended while also conceding a second goal to go into the locker room at halftime down 2-1. Houston was the better side in the second half, scoring a long equalizing goal early in the half. Saint Louis was given a red card later in the match, however the Dynamo were unable to capitalize on their man-advantage and the game ended in a tie.
U-15:
The U-15 team put in what would end up being the performance of the week by a Dynamo Academy squad, demolishing Houston Dynamo Unidos 6-0.
After a relatively quiet first half, scoring only one goal in the opening 45 minutes of the match, the Dynamo got it going early in the second half. Houston scored the first of what would eventually be five goals early in the second half. Head coach Daniel Roberts said that this goal “set the rhythm for the rest of the game.”
Despite the stellar all-around team performance, the two standouts in this match for the Dynamo were Axel Gonzalez and Marvin Nebangwa, each of whom recorded a brace.
U-14:
The Houston Dynamo U-14 team was the only squad in the Academy to take on two different opponents this weekend. The first match for the team came against Houston Dynamo Unidos. Despite controlling the game and creating a number of threatening scoring chances, the U-14 team was unable to put away its chances and went into the final minutes of the game tied 1-1. However, the team managed to score on the last action of the game from a cross from the wide area of the field that David Garcia, who scored two goals in this game, was able to put away to give the Dynamo Academy the 2-1 win.
In its second matchup of the weekend, the Dynamo U-14 team took on Solar Soccer Club. Head coach Shahad Farahani described the 3-2 victory as “a solid all-around performance individually and collectively from the group.” In particular, Farahani called out the combination of Omar Balanos and Lalo Estrado as particularly important in unlocking the defense and giving the Dynamo scoring opportunities.
U-13:
It would have been difficult for the U-13 team to follow up last week’s 7-0 rout of Texas United with anything close to a similar result. This did not stop them from trying. While they were unable to recreate last week’s performance, the team still won 3-1.
After the game, head coach Tanner Chassman credited Dynamo Unidos, saying they “made the game very difficult for us in the first half. We struggled to keep possession, and play a dominant game.”
The Dynamo Academy team turned it on in the second half, particularly after an Alexis Perez free kick in the second half put the team up 2-1. The score remained there until the last minute of the game, when Perez whipped in a cross from a free kick to the head of Myles Gardner who put the game out of reach with a 3rd goal.
The Academy teams will take on another Texas rival this weekend, with Austin FC traveling to Houston. Holocher is focused on this week’s training in preparation of these upcoming matches.
“We are looking forward to another good week of training ahead as we head into another highly competitive weekend of matches,” Holocher said.