The Houston Dynamo earned a narrow shutout win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on the road, despite the home team’s best efforts to pull off an “cupset”. A first half goal by Houston’s 18-year-old homegrown signing Brooklyn Raines just before halftime was the difference as the Rowdies’ valiant effort in St. Petersburg, Fla. fell short. Despite being a lower-division squad, the Rowdies pushed their first-tier opponents Houston Dynamo right to the end — literally — with the last kick of the game being a shot blocked out to touch as Houston advanced in a 1-0 Third Round US Open Cup victory.
The Rowdies will desperately want those chances back, but the Dynamo left St. Petersburg, Fla. with a win in their opening game of the tournament for the ninth year in a row.
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— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) April 27, 2023
From the first minute, each team seemed up for the occasion. The pressure was high and the club from Texas got the better of the early passages. Two set pieces to the far post found their man and the ball back into the middle was dangerous on both plays. However, the second-division Rowdies fought their way back and began to settle into a rhythm of their own. With cross field switches to men in space, Tampa Bay tried to break down the wings where they could whip a ball in or even shoot from far. Nothing would get close enough, though.
As the halftime whistle neared and the score remained level, Corey Baird found himself in space on the wing for Houston multiple times. The Dynamo tried to find him quickly, but could not do so before the 43rd minute. However, the break was on. The zone vacated by Tampa Bay’s 17-year-old left wingback became a trap after looking so open beforehand. Baird was closed down by left center back Aaron Guillen, only to find the streaking Brooklyn Raines open at the top of the box. A late tracking run from Johnson was not enough to put Raines off his shot, and the Orange went in 1-0 at the break.
The second half presented an entirely different game from the first. Houston took off their goalscorer at halftime as well as their most famous player, Mexican central midfielder Hector Herrera. In their place came on players whose job would be to slow the game down, maintain control, and keep the Rowdies at bay. Further substitutions over the rest of the half did not allow the Dynamo to do that, however, and Tampa Bay came storming back.
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— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) April 27, 2023
Brooklyn Raines speaks on what it means to score his first senior goal for Houston:#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/n8B6lU9HCd
Needing a goal to stay alive, the Rowdies made several attacking changes and hoped the fresh legs would lead to more opportunities. After hitting the post in the first half, Tampa Bay threw wave after wave at their Major League counterparts and did everything they could to find an equalizer. Conner Antley and second-half subs Dayonn Harris and Ryan Spaulding all had cross after cross repelled or blocked wide, while usual second-stringer Andrew Tarbell proved his worth in net for the Dynamo.
Good buildup went to waste in the end, as no player in Green and Gold could put it in the back of the net. After the game, manager Neill Collins — still serving a suspension following a contentious Open Cup match in 2022 versus Orlando City — said his Rowdies team could look upon their effort with pride even if they never got what they needed. He said they finally played the typical Rowdies way after what has been a very slow start to the USL season.
On the other side of things, Houston will take heart from their ability to weather a beating and come out on the other side. They bent and were bent, but they never broke. In their gray jerseys, the Dynamo drew like clouds over Tampa Bay, and spoiled a party for the locals. This experience will serve their young goalscorer well as they try to build as a team on this win for the Fourth Round to come.
