The Houston Dynamo and LA Galaxy played a game last night that was competitive for a short time. But eventually, 3 goals, yellow and red cards galore, and 90+ minutes of footy led to some impromptu fireworks at the end. This game had it all from start to finish but what can you say? The Houston Dynamo are undefeated, so far, at the friendly confines of Shell Energy Stadium. I’d like to chalk that up to some home cookin.
THATS A 3 GAME HOME WIN STREAK FOR YOUR BOYS AT THE SHELL!!
— The Uce of Htown☝🏼 (@JP_Mirabueno) April 9, 2023
BASSI WITH 2 GOALS! EL CAPITAN/HH GETS ONE!!
3 POINTS FOR THE GOOD GUYS AS WE ARE VIBING AND WAVING DOWN BY THE BAYOU! pic.twitter.com/dKnampdlyX
3 home games for the Dynamo, 3 victories, and 9 points on the table. You love to see it. And all the fans have certainly loved it as well. The Houston crowd brought the vibes and electricy last night as per usual. The contingent at the Shell last night was IMPRESSIVE. The fans that showed up and showed out tonight deserve all the praise. They kept the energy up throughout the whole game and the stadium was rocking.
Crowd in Shell Energy Stadium is getting the wave going.
— De’Vion Hinton (@LordDexHinton) April 9, 2023
They know how to party!
Breaking Through
In terms of gameplay, possession was fairly even on both sides as the Galaxy actually had 52% over the Dynamo. In addition, the Galaxy actually outshot the Dynamo, 16-13, but it didn’t feel that way if you were watching the game. The Dynamo upped their quality of play as the game progressed. However, once our captain Hector Herrera scored the 1st goal of the game it felt like a balloon popped and the energy picked up. The free kick was majestic in the sense that it almost looked like a pass that slipped in. Credit to Herrera as he is the main man to take most free kicks and corners, and for him to convert this early was huge in terms of building confidence heading into the half.
The placement from Herrera 🎯🔥
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) April 9, 2023
ASÍ SE HACE, CAPI🤘#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/VwNcfSQixR
2nd Half Fireworks
Going into the 2nd half, the game was still being played relatively close with chances for both teams. We even got the first appearance of the season from the legend from Mexico, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. He was subbed in at the 55th minute in hopes of making an impact but unfortunately, it was all for not. 8 minutes later, in the 63rd minute, Martin Caceres fouled Adalberto Carrasquilla in the box but it wasn’t originally called. The refs went to VAR and soon enough Caceres was given a red card and sent off. Insert Amine Bassi and business picked up immediately. In the 65th minute, he converted the penalty – his 4th straight game doing so – to give the Dynamo a 2-0 lead. Not even 10 minutes later, Bassi scored again from a beautiful pass from Corey Baird. That possession was as poetic as the man’s comb-over. Bassi’s hair is on immaculate levels like his penalty shots..he simply cannot miss!
Bassi is a stud with an excellent haircut
— The Uce of Htown☝🏼 (@JP_Mirabueno) April 9, 2023
pic.twitter.com/Tryhrypto7
Absolutely everyone gets a card
The refs definitely had an impact on tonight’s game as a total of 10 cards were issued between both sides. Amidst that madness, 3 total players were sent off, including the captain Hector Herrera. However, all the fireworks occurred at the final moments of extra time. Douglas Costa of the LA Galaxy, who had been struggling since subbing in, got into a small disagreement with Brooklyn Raines of the Dynamo. In an act of rage, Costa decided to grab Raines from behind and throw him to the ground in disgust.
Got UGLY in here at the end. Teams jawing and shoving each other. Galaxy guy just booted a ball into the 2nd deck. Fans throwing bottles onto the field.
— De’Vion Hinton (@LordDexHinton) April 9, 2023
Refs just said fuck it and called the game.
After that, chaos ensued for a short time as players had to be separated and Costa was instantly issued a red card and sent off. It was a bit childish, on his part, but of course, frustration will boil over when you haven’t won a game all season. After all the madness, some unruly fans decided to throw some debris onto the field so the refs decided to call the game and forego the rest of extra time. For a short moment, it was just a tad bit more electricity than we all expected but it is always good to see your team stand up for one another and fight for each other. I loved the fire and passion from the Dynamo.
Coach Olsen on the kerfuffle at the end of the matchup vs The Galaxy:
— The Tribal Commish (@SummitCommish) April 9, 2023
“I don’t mind that for our group, that we stand up for each other, that we’re physical. I think that’ll go a long way in changing the culture here.”#HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/UrYTxij4Ud
What an electric evening
Last night was quite an evening at the Shell. Dynamo fans witnessed it all from a PK, a free kick goal from Herrera, and even near fisticuffs at the end of the game followed by fans even throwing objects onto the field. Despite the hectic finish, the game was a great one for those in attendance. Now it’s up to the Dynamo to take this home cookin momentum on the road and try to get their first road victory. The Dynamo will be traveling to New York to take on the New York Red Bulls on April 15th at 6:30pm. Make sure to tune in on Apple TV+ (with an MLS Season Pass) to watch the Dynamo #HolditDown for Htown.
Make sure to follow Justin and ApolloHou for all your Houston Dynamo coverage throughout the 2023 MLS season.
