Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Houston Dynamo

2026 US Open Cup Round of 16: Houston Dynamo equalize late, oust Louisville City in OT

by

Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring a goal against Louisville City in the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale - Bayou City Soccer
Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring a goal against Louisville City in the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale – Bayou City Soccer

Houston Dynamo FC erased a late deficit and surged through extra time to defeat Louisville City FC 2-1 on Wednesday night, rallying behind a dramatic equalizer from Erik Sviatchenko and a go-ahead strike by Ezequiel Ponce to advance to the US Open Cup Quarterfinals.

The best team in the USL Championship, Louisville City FC, made a weekday trip to face yet another Texas foe. After taking down the current Lamar Hunt US Open Cup runners-up, Austin FC, in the Round of 32, Louisville flew to Houston to take on the 2023 champions.

The first half started slow but the first shot of the night came from the visitors in purple. Tola Showunmi, who also scored against Austin FC to ultimately give Louisville City FC the victory in the previous round, had an attempt in the second minute as he was stepping into the box but the shot was not carrying a lot of strength but Houston goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer controlled the shot without any major issues. 

*Join our Patreon team!
* 2026 USOC Schedule/Results
* 2026 USOC Stat Leaders
* 2026 USOC Player of the Round winners
* 2026 USOC Qualifying
* 1995 USOC Rewind Series

* Subscribe to our newsletter!
* Follow TheCup.us on X (@USOpenCup)
* Follow TheCup.us on BlueSky
* Follow TheCup.us on Facebook
* Follow TheCup.us on Instagram
* Contact us HERE

The biggest chance of the first half for Houston came in the eighth minute when Amadou Dia fouled Duane Holmes inside of the box and referee Marcos de Oliveira pointed to the penalty spot without any hesitation. Jack McGlynn stepped up for the Dynamo but his shot went to the right of the Louisville City goalkeeper, Daniel Faundez. He got his hands on the ball to push it to the post where it rebounded out, keeping the game scoreless.

Manny Perez, the right back for Louisville, sent a ball across that didn’t find a recipient on the back post, but it left Maurer and Showunmi on the floor. This would have some repercussions for the home team, as Jonathan Bond would end up replacing Maurer at halftime due to concussion protocol. 

Houston Dynamo We Want The Cup shirt US Open Cup
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The first opportunity of the second half came for the Dynamo in the 56th, when Lawrence Ennalil, who replaced McGlynn at halftime, took a ball down to the byline and put a cross into the heart of the box. Aliyu Ibrahim beat his defender to get to the ball first but was not able to get his shot on target. Not that long after, Louisville responded with a series of crosses into the box, but none of them found a man in purple. The visitors were getting close to the Dynamo box but were not able to find that last touch to get the ball in the back of the net. 

A double substitution was made by Louisville City head coach Simon Bird in the 66th minute, bringing in Jay Serrano and Chris Donovan. In the 68th, on Donovan’s first touch of the night, he put a beautiful ball across to the back post of Bond. The ball found Serrano all alone, who scored the first goal on just his second touch of the night, and raised the flags of another “cupset” alert in the state of Texas. 

Houston brought on some fire power to help get an equalizer and push the game to extra time as Hector Herrera, Felipe Andrade and Ponce all entered the match late on.

In the 85th minute, after Ennali lost the ball inside the box of Louisville, it led to a huge breakaway for Donovan. Unfortunately for Louisville, Donovan wasn’t able to overtake Houston midfielder Artur and had to settle for a corner kick which could have been the second goal for the visitors and put the last nail in the coffin.

Experience came through for the Dynamo with Herrera playing the orchestrator. The Mexican international put a beautiful cross to the back post right to the head of Sviatchenko, who was playing as a center forward. The Danish defender gave the Dynamo a new hope in the 89th minute of play with a header to the bottom right corner to make the score 1-1. 

“I was dangerous throughout the game, had a lot of close calls on the corner kicks and love to be part of potential goals, and when Juan — our assistant coach — told me that we didn’t have any more subs … I went as a striker and I knew it was my time to help the team,” Sviatchenko said.

Aliyu had a beautiful opportunity in the first minutes of extra time but his shot to the back post was blocked by Amadou Dia and deflected out for a corner kick. The Dynamo really seemed to make their home advantage felt by pushing all of Louisville into their box as they searched for the winning goal. Faundez was put to work again and again, first from a big shot from outside the box by Artur, which was headed into the upper 90, but the goalkeeper denied it.

Seconds later, Ponce once again tried Faundez from outside the box, but the Louisville City goalkeeper denied Houston once more. 

“He was amazing today,” Ennali said of Faundez. “I should have scored today but … good keeper there.”

Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo takes a shot during a Round of 16 match against Louisville City FC in the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale - Bayou City Soccer
Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo takes a shot during a Round of 16 match against Louisville City FC in the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale – Bayou City Soccer

The 1-1 scoreline didn’t last for much longer. Herrera found Ponce right outside the box, and after controlling the ball and turning around to face goal, the Argentinian let out a left footer that went past Kyle Adams’ legs and Faundez’s arms to put the Dynamo on top, 2-1. 

Faundez continued to keep Louisville alive in the second half of extra time, stopping a one v one against Ennali late on. Louisville’s biggest chance to equalize the match and take it to penalties was denied by Agustin Resch, who came in for extra time, with a goal line saving header to deny the visitors.  “It’s a goal for us,” Agustin Resch said when asked about what goes through the head of a defender when they have a goal line save at the dying moments of the game.

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: Houston Dynamo cruises as early red card dooms El Paso Locomotive

by

Ondřej Lingr of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring a goal against the El Paso Locomotive in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo FC
Ondřej Lingr of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring a goal against the El Paso Locomotive in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo FC

The Houston Dynamo advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup defeating the El Paso Locomotive 4-1 at Shell Energy Stadium on Wednesday night.

Houston’s scoring surge began in the second minute of play, Defender Nicholas Markanich delivered a ball to the edge where Odrej Lingr delivered soccer’s most beautiful play; the bicycle. Lingr finished the night with a goal and two assists in just his first start of the season and first goal since July 29, 2025.

*Join our Patreon team!
* 2026 USOC Schedule/Results
* 2026 USOC Stat Leaders
* 2026 USOC Player of the Round winners
* 2026 USOC Qualifying
* 1995 USOC Rewind Series

* Subscribe to our newsletter!
* Follow TheCup.us on X (@USOpenCup)
* Follow TheCup.us on BlueSky
* Follow TheCup.us on Facebook
* Follow TheCup.us on Instagram
* Contact us HERE

El Paso would go down a man off a straight red shown to Kofi Twumasi after he pushed Lingr to ground just outside the eighteen in the 25th minute.

Despite the man advantage, Houston was unable to mount any sustainable offense against El Paso causing head coach Ben Olsen to spur his team in the halftime locker room.

Houston Dynamo We Want The Cup shirt US Open Cup
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

“I thought the first half was really sloppy. I wasn’t happy at halftime. And the way we went about being up a man, I thought we were rushing the game. It wasn’t collective enough,” said Olsen.

Right out of the locker room, Dynamo halftime substitute Mateusz Bogusz doubled the Houston advantage in the 46th minute, Bogusz’ right footed strike caromed off an El Paso defender before rippling the back of the net.

The lead would grow to a 3-0 advantage behind Markanich’s first goal of the season before El Paso pulled one back. Former Houston Dynamo forward Beto Avila slotted one home inside the bottom right corner in the 75th minute to put El Paso on the board.

The scoring would close in the 80th minute on an Ezequiel Ponce header off a perfect service to the near post from Lingr.

Houston’s win followed their worst loss of the season in a 6-2 debacle at Colorado. Olsen told his team prior to the match to “leave that behind.” The Dynamo now advance to the Round of 16 hosting USL Championship side Louisville City FC on April 28 or 29, 2026.

2025 US Open Cup Round 5: Austin FC “happy and motivated” after 3-1 win over Houston Dynamo

by

Ilie Sanchez of Austin FC celebrates after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo
Ilie Sanchez of Austin FC celebrates after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo

Austin FC made history Wednesday night, reaching the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals for the first time after a 3–1 win over in-state rivals Houston Dynamo FC at a roaring Q2 Stadium. Under coach Nico Estévez, Austin controlled most of the game and fed off the crowd’s energy, full of chants and excitement.

The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Brandon Vázquez finished off a perfect cross from Jon Gallagher with a clever flick and a powerful shot to the far post. That goal marked Vázquez’s fifth in five matches and his third of this year’s Open Cup, which ties him for the tournament lead.    .

After the match, Vázquez said, “Yeah, incredible — another ball in the net. Winning is what matters most. We’re happy and motivated. The group knows what we can do, and even when things aren’t perfect, our quality shows. If we keep this up, I think we’ll do well.”

Gallagher added insight on the team’s success: “Sticking to the game plan from the first minute and having the right mentality helped us. Being more direct and playing in strings worked well, especially with Brandon up front and Bukari creating one-on-one chances, even if not every pass paid off. We got good territory and controlled the game.”

Captain Ilie Sánchez notched his first goal for Austin off a low cross from Osman Bukari just after halftime. Sánchez told the media, “We take Open Cup games exactly as they are—playoffs. You win, you advance. You lose, you’re out.”

Bukari earned man of the match honors, scoring a penalty at 56-minute mark and assisting Sánchez’s goal shortly after. Despite recent criticism and rumors about his future with Austin FC, Bukari said he was unaware of the chatter and proved his value tonight with a strong performance.

Brandon Vazquez and Ilie Sanchez of Austin FC celebrate after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo
Brandon Vazquez and Ilie Sanchez of Austin FC celebrate after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo

The match was physical, with nine fouls called in the first 40 minutes. Houston held 59% possession in the first half and took seven shots but failed to test Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver with a shot on target.

Houston pulled one back in the 70th minute through Ezequiel Ponce, assisted by Franco Escobar, but Austin held firm.

The closing minutes grew intense as Houston pushed forward, putting Austin’s defense under pressure. In the 91st minute, Houston’s Brooklyn Raines received a second yellow card and was sent off. Just two minutes later, Austin’s Julio Cascante was shown a straight red card for a controversial challenge that stirred reactions from the crowd and sidelines. Cascante will now miss the club’s Quarterfinal match in July on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes.

 

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Houston Dynamo come alive in OT, eliminate Phoenix Rising

by

Houston Dynamo players celebrate after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo FC
Houston Dynamo players celebrate after scoring a goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo FC

In Phoenix Rising’s first match against an MLS team in the Valley, Houston Dynamo FC ran away with a 4-1 win in extra time thanks to a Jack McGlynn wondergoal, and tap-ins from Ezeqiel Ponce and Sebastian Kowalcyzk. First half goals from Houston’s Felipe Andrade and Phoenix’s Dariusz Formella meant the USL-MLS matchup went to extra time, but Phoenix Rising couldn’t outlast the Houston onslaught.

Both teams came into this US Open Cup match with only one win each in their last five matches, looking to find some fortune in the valley. After a tepid first seven minutes of the match, Houston start to put the pressure on with a nice passing move and shot from Duenas. Houston dominated possession from the opening whistle, which became a theme throughout. When Phoenix attacked, it wasn’t often, but they always looked dangerous when they entered attacking third.

Phoenix Rising head coach Pa-Modou Kah was beaming after the match: “You cannot ask for more. The boys knew there’s not necessarily going to be a substitute for you, and they showed that hunger. We know what we can become.”

In the 17th minute, Felipe Andrade scored a header from a Lodeiro free kick that looked straight off the training ground.

“He’s a monster! That’s why we signed him,” said Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen.

It was a sublime cross, and Andrade only had to direct it goalward after there were no Rising defenders in the area.

Phoenix responded well to the goal. Their direct style of play tried to combat Houston’s periods of extended possession. A route one play that led to a Johnson cross was almost deflected in by Artur. Then, Rising flew down the field again, but Johnson was shown the first yellow card in the 24th minute after a foot from his attempted bicycle kick hit Gillingham in the chest. Would this pressure pay off?

As the first half came to a close though, the intermittent Phoenix pressure did pay off. Phoenix Rising seemed to gain in confidence and bravery going forward, and a series of corners and attacks led to a great through ball being played for Sacko to run onto. Gillingham went to play the ball, but the referee called a penalty that will generate a lot of controversy.

“It wasn’t a penalty,” Ben Olson reiterated after the game. Gillingham’s protests that he got the ball gave him a yellow card. Formella calmly stepped up and sent Gillingham the wrong way for Phoenix to tie the match with almost the last kick of the first half.

Coming out into the second half, it was more of the same. Sustained Houston possession with the occasional Rising attack past midfield. The frantic final ten minutes of the first half seemed to lead to the cagey opening 20 of the second half. No one wanted to be the one to make a mistake. With each passing minute though, you could see the intensity in the players rise as they knew how much a win would mean.

After only one yellow card in the first half, Montgomery, Cuello, and Okello got yellows all within a five-minute span starting at the 64th minute. For all of Houston’s experience through players like Lodeiro, Phoenix did not look out of their depth.

“I think we stopped them from playing through the middle … That was the game plan,” coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “Overall, when you look at the game plan, I don’t think many could say there was a difference between us in the 90 minutes.”

In a mirror to the end of the first half, Houston got a string of corners to apply pressure starting in the 82nd minute. Bartlow on the end of a great corner, but Rakovsky had an acrobatic diving save to his right. Then, a couple of minutes later, another Houston corner led to a melee in the box with another great Rakovsky save, and Phoenix could breathe a sigh of relief.

Only a quick breath though, as in the 90th minute Houston got two more corners – one led to a frantic defensive clear, the other led to a bicycle kick that went harmlessly over the goal by Urso. With Phoenix parking the bus, and Houston unable to generate any attack, the game went to extra time.

Ben Olson said, “Phoenix Rising showed us how tough they are. A lot of these USL teams are.”

Entering extra time, the tension between the players could be cut with a knife. The players on both sides, talkative through the first 90 minutes, became much quieter in extra time. The match needed a moment of inspiration to make anything happen, and that inspiration came from Houston’s Jack McGlynn. From about 25 yards out on the right side of the field, he took his left foot and curled in a goal that Arjen Robben would have been proud of.

“Thirty to forty yards in, he’s a guy that can unlock defenses. These are some of the spots we think Jack can help us. I’m proud of him.”

After the goal, Phoenix Rising tried to push forward for another goal again but slowly ran out of gas as extra time progressed. Damien Rivera had an exciting dribble past a few players but fell down easily in the box in the 109th minute. Right afterwards, in the 111th minute, Houston put the nail in the coffin on a beautiful counterattack which led to a Ponce tap in after a Lingr cross across the box. Minutes later in the 115th minute, there was almost an exact repeat as this time it was Ponce crossing the ball for a Kowalczyk tap in, making the final score 4-1.

After the match, three-time US Open Cup champion Ben Olson was relieved with the win.

“This is a tournament that we take seriously … It’s always a tricky match the first round of the Open Cup because we want to give some guys some minutes. They’re not always in the best rhythm, but they did a good job. This is why we do this, for these nights. You’re a few games away from being in a final. I think they understand that part, and we’ll go for it.”

Coach Sah highlighted the growth in his young players, especially Braxton Montgomery.

“This kid is 18 years old. Today was a great test against players like Ponce, who’s played in Europe. How many chances did he get? That made me proud because I think we gave them a good battle,” he also emphasized the growth from the youth players as a key to carry forward.

Houston will look to carry this momentum forward against Seattle in MLS, and Austin in the US Open Cup Round of 16. Phoenix will look to rebound against El Paso in USL this weekend.

 

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: Detroit City FC rallies to force OT, wins PK shootout to oust defending champ Houston Dynamo

by

Detroit City FC players celebrate in the locker room after defeating the Houston Dynamo 10-9 in a PK shootout after a 3-3 draw in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Detroit City FC
Detroit City FC players celebrate in the locker room after defeating the Houston Dynamo 10-9 in a PK shootout after a 3-3 draw in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Detroit City FC
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The Detroit City FC shocked the defending Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champion winning on penalty kicks (10-9) on Tuesday night in Houston after a 3-3 draw.

The Round of 32 match was one for the ages as the Houston Dynamo FC blew leads late not once, but twice as Detroit would not go away.

Detroit heads to the Round of 16 for the first time in franchise history, and is the first Michigan club to reach that far since 2012 (Michigan Bucks).

Griffin Dorsey who made name for himself and secured a starting 11 spot because of his play in the 2023 US Open Cup opened the scoring in 2024. Flashing to the near post on a corner kick, Dorsey tapped home for the early lead in the sixth minute of play. Dynamo captain Hector Herrera earned the assist in front of an announced crowd of 7,549 at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium.

Just past the half hour mark, Latif Blessing doubled the Houston advantage and the men in orange appeared to have all the momentum going their way but Detroit had other things in mind.

Le Rouge defender Ryan Williams scored with a banger from distance (30 yards) to cut the deficit in half just before halftime setting up a crazy freewheeling goalscoring second half.

As La Naranja has been prone to do, they surrendered the equalizer to Detroit City FC forward Yazeed Matthews with 15 minutes remaining in the match. DCFC returned the favor giving the lead right back as Houston midfielder Coco Carrasquilla found some space cutting to his left and delivering a scorcher less then two minutes later that gave Houston a 3-2 lead.


The Dynamo though could not accept the gift giving up the equalizer in the 83rd minute to Maxi Rodriguez making regulation and nine minutes of stoppage time not enough to settle this one.

Extra time was not enough either and after 120 minutes of grueling in a match that started with a game time temperature of 85 degrees and humidity in the upper 80s, the game went to a shootout.

DCFC goalkeeper Carlos Saldana who faced a barrage of 28 shots in the first 120 minutes was the hero, stopping a critical shot attempt and scoring a goal of his own. The teams were even after two rounds, but then Houston netminder Andrew Tarbell saved the third Detroit attempt taken by Ben Morris to give Houston the lead. They would carry that lead to the fifth round, where DCFC goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña would make his own save, stopping Ibrahim Aliyu. Michael Bryant would convert his attempt to lead to sudden death, where five more rounds of consecutive makes by both sides led to the keepers facing off. Tarbell’s attempt went sailing over the crossbar, which left open the door for Saldaña to win it for the lower division side. Win it he did, placing it just to Tarbell’s left with pace to send Detroit City FC to the Round of 16 for the first time in their 13-year history. It also marks the second year in a row, and only the fourth time in the Modern Era (1995-present) that the defending champions were one-and-done.

Playing their third road match in a week, the white and rouge weathered a storm of 14 Houston corner kicks on their first ever trip to an MLS Stadium. They lost everywhere on the stat sheet but where it mattered most adding the Houston Dynamo FC as their latest conquest. Houston returns to MLS action Saturday night on the road at Sporting Kansas City.

DCFC awaits the winner of the Indy Eleven/San Antonio match for the Round of 16 in two weeks.

2023 US Open Cup: Andrew Tarbell of Houston Dynamo voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

by

Andrew Tarbell of Houston Dynamo FC named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament
Photo: Houston Dynamo FC

Houston Dynamo FC goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell was voted the 2023 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament.

Tarbell played every minute of the Dynamo’s run to the club’s second Lamar Hunt US Open Cup title. He had three clean sheets and only allowed three goals, including just a late goal in a 2-1 win in the 2023 US Open Cup Final against Inter Miami on their home turf at DRV Pink stadium, helping bring the trophy back to Houston for just the second time in tournament history.

Tarbell narrowly edged FC Cincinnati’s Alvaro Barreal for the award, with his Dynamo teammate Amine Bassi finishing third.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers from TheCup.us Patreon members.

The Houston Dynamo backup goalkeeper came in with plenty of Open Cup experience. Having played in seven cup games previous to his arrival in Houston, including the 2017 US Open Cup semifinal match with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2017, the 30 year old was certainly up to the task throughout the tournament. He capped off a memorable run with a three save performance in the Dynamo’s victory in the Final.

After being drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes with the 8th overall selection in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, Tarbell was one of the first signees with Houston after general manager Pat Onstad began to rebuild the club following the 2022 season. At Tarbell’s signing, Onstad’s words now seem prophetic, “Andrew is an experienced MLS goalkeeper who brings a winning mentality to our locker room and adds competition to our goalkeeping position. We talked about adding more quality and depth to our roster this offseason and Andrew’s signing aligns with that intention. Plus, his experience on three different MLS Playoff clubs will be invaluable as we restore a winning mentality at our club.”

Tarbell put together six wins en route to the US Open Cup title. His experience and winning mentality may have been at its peak when facing Sporting Kansas City when the Dynamo were down a man for nearly an hour. Sporting the captain’s armband, Tarbell was peppered with 17 shots and tallied four saves officially as Houston won 1-0.

Following that effort in the Round of 32, Tarbell refused to talk about his performance but was not bashful about his team.

“Everyone is working together and at the end of the day if we work together, good results will come if we keep doing that. We are a great unit. We have a good collective mentality about the team and he (Dynamo HC Ben Olsen) was just encouraging that.”

In the Round of 16, the Dynamo benefited from an early red card when Minnesota United had to play a man down starting in the 38th minute. Houston would prevail at home, 4-0.

Houston hit the road in the Quarterfinals and pick up a 4-1 win over the four-time champion Chicago Fire. Tarbell made four saves to earn the win. In the Semifinals, the Dynamo returned home and needed extra time to beat Real Salt Lake, 3-1. Tarbell was only forced to make one save that night.

Including the Final, Tarbell posted 11 saves while conceding just three goals, totaling 300 minutes of play. In the end, without Tarbell who knows if Houston would enjoyed the sweet fruits of victory on a warm summer night in Miami.

Tarbell becomes just the fourth goalkeeper to be named TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. He joins Chris Eylander (Seattle Sounders, 2008), Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC, 2009), Tim Melia (Sporting KC, 2017).

2023 US Open Cup Semifinals: Houston Dynamo need OT to survive RSL, return to Final

by

Houston Dynamo celebrate after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake in the Semifinals of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Vos_Castellanos
Houston Dynamo celebrate after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake in the Semifinals of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: @FutbolPlusBrews (IG)

The Houston Dynamo beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 in extra time to advance to the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Wednesday at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston.

Héctor Herrera, Adalberto Carrasquilla, and Luís Caicedo scored in the win. Amine Bassi provided assists for all three of Houston’s goals.

Houston will face Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in South Florida in the championship game on Sept. 27 at an undetermined site.

This is Houston’s second Open Cup Final. In 2018 the Dynamo captured the club’s first Open Cup title with a 3-0 win at home over the Philadelphia Union.

It was clear from the opening whistle RSL was going to do everything possible to disrupt the fluid possession-orientated attack Houston has become known for under first-year coach, Ben Olsen. RSL’s Jefferson Savarino set the tone of the match early with his second-minute foul on Houston’s captain, Herrera.

The chippy game made it difficult for either team to establish any real rhythm as the first half progressed. Houston’s Griffin Dorsey was shown the first of 10 yellow cards on the night in just the 22nd minute for a bad foul on Braian Ojeda, followed by Herrera in the 38th for a hard foul on RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath. RSL’s Brayan Vera was also shown yellow in resulting scuffle following the foul on the goalkeeper.

With just moments left in added time, Herrera broke the deadlock thanks to a gift from RSL defender Andrew Brody. Brody’s failed clearance fell to the feet of Bassi, who played Herrera a square ball only a few yards from an all-but-open goal five minutes into stoppage time.

Still reeling from the defensive miscue, it looked like things went from bad to worse for RSL when Corey Baird took advantage of yet another ball bungled by the RSL back line eight minutes into stoppage time. After a long look at the replay the goal was called back when it was determined Baird came from an offside position to score.

In the second half, Houston came out seeming to finally have wrangled some semblance of control of the game. Carrasquilla, Baird, and Franco Escobar all had decent chances early on in the second half.

The tide turned somewhat for RSL when captain and Open Cup leading scorer, Damir Kreilach was replaced by Anderson Julio in the 56th minute.

Eight minutes after coming on, Julio outjumped the entire Houston defense to slam-dunk a header from close range to level the score at one.

After nearly half an hour of choppy, chippy play, and the sultry night wearing negatively affecting both team’s execution in front of goal, the game went to extra time.

Again it was a defensive blunder from RSL, turning over the ball dangerously close to their own goal, and again it was the cool head of Bassi, this time finding Carrasquilla in front of the goal. Carrasquilla easily pushed the ball around a desperate defender and slammed the ball past a helpless MacMath to put the hosts back into the lead.

Things went from bad to worse for RSL when Vera lost all semblance of composure after getting tangled up field. Vera swung wildly as the fresh-legged Caicedo glided past him, striking him violently in the face. Vera stood over the felled Caicedo, offering his opinion on the matter before players from both sides intervened. Vera was immediately shown his second yellow card of the match, resulting in his expulsion. During the review process, the yellow card was rescinded and he was given a straight red card for the violent conduct.

But it was Caicedo who had the last laugh, once again taking advantage of the RSL defender’s discomfort with the ball. Sufficiently recovered from the bludgeoning he received from Vera, Caicedo’s tireless pressure paid off when he won possession of the ball close to goal. Caicedo found Bassi inside the penalty area, who played him right back, giving Caicedo a simple finish to the far post for Houston’s third goal on the night mere seconds before the final whistle.

With the win, Houston becomes just the eighth Texas club to reach the Final.

 

2023 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Houston Dynamo win in Chicago following offensive explosion

by

Photo: Houston Dynamo
Photo: Houston Dynamo
Going into Tuesday night, the focus was mainly on the Chicago Fire. They were the ones at home at SeatGeek Stadium. They were the ones going after a historic fifth US Open Cup title. They were the ones who really needed a win. The Houston Dynamo did not care for any of that. They rocked up and outplayed the hosts for most of the contest, ultimately coming away with a 4-1 victory to book their spot in the Semifinals of the competition. “I’m super excited to just keep moving in this tournament,” said Houston head coach Ben Olsen. “We’ve advanced in an important competition, one we’ve taken seriously from the start, and we’re looking forward to being in the Semifinals and trying to create a culture of winning.” After a back-and-forth start to the contest, Houston opened the scoring. Arnaud Souquet tripped up a streaking Nelson Quiñónes, and the referee decided that it was enough contact to point to the spot. Amine Bassi stepped up to take the spot-kick, and he calmly converted it with a powerful strike down the middle. “It took a little sting out of the crowd. They’re a good team, and it was a good atmosphere,” Olsen said. Bassi had a big chance to double the advantage about five minutes later, as a loose ball fell perfectly to him on the edge of the penalty area. His first-time effort was decent, but Spencer Richey was able to make the important save. It was 2-0 at the half hour mark, though. Hitting on the break, the Dynamo had two men flying forward. Ibrahim Aliyu was on the ball, and he smartly went for goal himself, passing the ball towards the near post and into the back of the net. Things were looking bad for the hosts, but they found a lifeline before the break. A corner picked out Arnaud Souquet, and his header was perfect, as he redirected the ball into the bottom corner to halve the deficit. The Fire came out hot to start the second half, and they were robbed of a clear penalty. Brian Gutiérrez was brought down by an onrushing Andrew Tarbell, who missed the ball completely. However, the referee saw otherwise, giving a corner kick instead of a penalty, showing the need for VAR in this part of the USOC. Despite their spell of dominance, it was the Dynamo who scored next. A mazy run from Quiñónes led to him getting a strong shot off, and even though his attempt was saved, the rebound fell right to Aliyu for an easy tap-in. “We dodged a couple of bullets in the first half, and we did a better job in the second half in terms of fixing things,” Olsen said. “It was a scrappy game. The field wasn’t perfect, and that led to more duels. It becomes more of a true cup game, a true fight. We had to make sure we were up for that.” Chicago sent bodies forward in search of a goal, but that cost them. Houston hit on the break once again, with Héctor Herrera blowing by his marker before setting up Quiñónes for a simple finish at the back post. “The goal was a reward for a really good performance,” Olsen said when asked about Quiñónes. “He’s simplified his game and boiled it down to the areas where he can have success. Offensively he’s got real pace and quality and technical ability. His talent is scary. He also gave a real shift on the defensive end, constantly getting back in the right spot, constantly helping match the numbers down the flank.” “Our transition was good,” Olsen said. “Seeing out goals in the run of the play has been better as of late, but scoring goals and that final ball has haunted us, so it was nice to score a bunch tonight.” That killed off the contest, and the Dynamo held on to secure the victory. They now await the winner of Wednesday’s Quarterfinal between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake. “When we came here we wanted to change the culture. Wins help change that,” Olsen said. “It’s nice to advance, get to the Semifinals, put yourself in a spot to be two games away from a trophy. It won’t be easy, every round gets more difficult, but we’re thrilled to be one of the remaining four teams.”

2023 US Open Cup Round of 16: Corey Baird of Houston Dynamo voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

by

Photo: Houston Dynamo
Photo: Houston Dynamo

Twenty two months ago, the Houston Dynamo obtained forward Corey Baird in a trade with LAFC for cash and international slot. The 27 year old, in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, showed why Houston wanted him so badly. Baird had a hand in all four Houston goals in a 4-0 rout of Minnesota United FC.

As a result, Baird was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round.

Baird ran away with the voting for the award. Albert Dikwa (Pittsburgh Riverhounds) finished second, with a pair of goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg (Birmingham Legion FC) and Alec Kann (FC Cincinnati) also receiving strong support. The Player of the Round award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) of TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

Baird began his night converting a penalty kick in the 33rd minute. The conversion came after a handball call in the box against the reigning Player of the Round winner Bongokuhle Hlongwane. Five minutes later, El Naranja were up a man following a red card for card accumulation against Minnesota’s Kevin Arriega.

In the 68th minute, the 2018 MLS Rookie of the Year secured the brace. His second goal presented a much different style. Unlike the penalty conversion that he buried past Minnesota goalkeeper Clint Irwin, Baird took a through ball from Amini Bassi and calmly chipped a right footed shot over the onrushing keeper from the center of the box. The Houston forward’s career night continued moments later when he assisted on the Dynamo’s third goal of the match. His pass found an unmarked Ibrahim Aliyu at the top of the 18 yard box. Aliyu slotted it past Irwin for the third Dynamo marker of the night in the 79th minute. Baird turned his brace into a hat trick in the 89th minute of play. This time Baird put it past the Loons keeper with his left foot. The breakout night for the Houston forward has been long in the making. Now with his third Houston head coach in less than three seasons, the Poway, Calif. native may be finally finding his footing under current head coach Ben Olsen.

“It’s really nice to have some forwards get on the scoresheet,” Olsen said. “Corey, obviously, with a few goals, and that’s going to help him in a big way.”

Baird may be the answer to Houston continuing its strong run of play through the US Open Cup and bringing the Houston Dynamo back to soccer relevancy.

2023 US Open Cup Round of 16: Corey Baird’s big night helps Houston Dynamo cruise past 10-man Minnesota United

by

 

Corey Baird of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring his third goal against Minnesota United in the Round of 16 of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo
Corey Baird of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring his third goal against Minnesota United in the Round of 16 of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo

Houston Dynamo FC forward Corey Baird scored a hat trick as the home side eliminated the Minnesota United FC from the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 16. By the time regulation had ended, not only had Houston avenged its 1-0 loss to Minnesota six days ago but they recorded their third consecutive Open Cup clean sheet with a 4-0 win.


The Houston Dynamo’s Brooklyn Raines shot on frame six minutes in set the tone for the home team. Houston got on the board just past the half hour mark on a penalty conversion by Baird. A handball inside the 18 yard box marked the beginning of a monumental moment for the 27 year old.

Houston went up a man as halftime neared when Minnesota midfielder Kevin Arriega was sent to an early shower on card accumulation. With the man advantage, the Dynamo displayed patience and pise picking their moments to be the most opportune.

Amine Bassi, who had not been expected to play, threaded the needle to Baird who chipped home his second goal in the 62nd minute. Eleven minutes later, Ibrahim Aliyu received a ball from Baird in the 79th minute and put away the third marker of the night for Houston.

 As the game came to a close, Aliyu returned the favor as he found the forward in front of the net with seconds to play in regulation. Baird finished off the hat trick matching his entire output as a member of the Houston Dynamo over the past 22 months.

The hat trick was the first ever scored by a Houston Dynamo player in the US Open Cup 

Houston will play on the road in the next round as they await the winner of the Austin FC/Chicago Fire match to determine whom they will play in the Quarterfinals.

 

Copyright © 2026 • Built by Jacob Martella Web Development