THE VERDE REWIND: HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Result: Austin FC 2-0 Houston Dynamo
Canadian World Cup hopeful Jayden Nelson scored the match-winning goal, and Designated Player Myrto Uzuni’s successful late first-half free kick gave Austin FC (2-4-4) its first two-goal lead of the season, as the Verde and Black earned a much-needed win over Copa Tejas rivals Houston Dynamo (4-0-5) in front of a vibrant home crowd on an unseasonably hot Saturday evening at Q2 Stadium.
The team celebrates with Jayden Nelson after the Canadians goal. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
How It Happened
Austin FC entered the match desperately in need of a positive result, mired in a seven-match MLS winless streak. A poor run of form was garnished with an embarrassing US Open Cup loss to Louisville City of the USL and cruelly punctuated by a cataclysmic 5-1 defeat in San Jose on Wednesday. Austin began the match with a poignant energy that, for the first time this season, they were able to carry throughout the match. Verde’s rivals in orange arrived in Austin fresh off consecutive clean sheet victories over Orlando City and San Diego FC, but without versatile DP winger Ondrej Lingr, who was suspended after receiving a red card near the end of their previous match.
Team huddle before the match. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
As they’ve done many times already this season, Austin started on the front foot and bagged the first goal of the match in the 12th minute on a well-organized attack involving Facundo Torres, Christian Ramierz, Uzuni, and Nelson. Torres received the ball from Uzuni and found Nelson on the left, who cut inside against Houston center-back Austin Resch and sent a curling far post shot off the woodwork and into the net behind Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. For Nelson, it was his second goal since joining the Verde and Black from Vancouver, but he would be taken out of the match for precautionary reasons in the 40th minute after picking up what the injury-plagued club hopes is little more than a minor knock.
Jayden Nelson celebrating after scoring against Houston. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
With the ever-utilitarian Jon Gallagher replacing Nelson, Austin continued to push for what had been an elusive second goal. Myrto Uzuni had two chances in rapid succession in the 35th Minute, but his first shot clanged off the post, and his own rebound attempt sailed beyond the far post. However, he would be rewarded with another opportunity when Torres drew a foul for an Austin free kick just outside of the penalty area, for which Houston’s Artur was given a yellow card. Elected to take the free kick, Uzuni succeeded in sending the ball through a poorly organized Houston defensive wall and beyond the reach of Bond to give Austin its first two-goal lead of the 2026 Season. The goal was Uzuni’s third tally of a season in which his passionate effort and elevated work rate on the pitch have regularly failed to result in changes to the score.
Ilie Sanchez speaks with his teammates before the Free Kick that led to Myrto Uzunis’ goal. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
Facundo Torres continued to show his dynamic abilities for Austin. The Uruguay National leads all Austin field players with 878 minutes on the pitch this season and is now tied for 2nd in the league with four assists (only NYCFC’s Maxi Morales and LAFC’s Son Heung-Min have more). Austin Goalkeeper Brad Stuver, who has faced the most shots and made the most saves in MLS this season, had a relatively easy night by this season’s standards. The Austin keeper made four quite manageable first-half saves and one much more difficult stop in the Second Half, sending an upper-90 blast from Houston’s standout midfielder, Guilherme, over the crossbar in the 87th minute. In one minute of the first half, Houston saw shot attempts from Hector Herrera and Mateus Bogusz fall gently into Stuver’s waiting arms.
Facundo Torres fighting for the ball for Austin FC. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
The solitary shot on target in the second frame would be a footnote to a frustrating offensive night for a Houston team whose record is now 1-1-6 all time at Q2 Stadium. While Austin FC’s defense has been shockingly porous on the road, the Verde and Black have only conceded four goals at home in five matches, and Houston’s inability to solve Austin’s defense left Houston Manager Ben Olsen visibly apoplectic and directing his frustration toward match officials after the final whistle. The Dynamo have shared Austin’s struggles with being competitive in away matches, having been outscored 12-6 with one win and three losses on the road in 2026. For Austin, it was the seventh time this season in which they scored the first goal of the match, but only the second time they were able to translate that into three points.
Mryto Uzuni thanking the fans for the support post-match. Photos Courtesy of Chris Rodriguez
Analysis
Without question, this was Austin’s best and most complete match of the season. While the team’s offensive intensity dropped after Nelson left the match, Austin FC dictated the pace for the remainder of the match and prevented Houston from getting on the board. The Verde faithful could be forgiven for still being anxious with a two-goal advantage, especially those who witnessed the Dynamo’s Jack McGlynn score a brace to erase a 2-0 Austin lead at Q2 Stadium last season. McGlynn would return from injury in a 55th-minute substitution but would not threaten to repeat last season’s heroics.
Saturday’s match was the first of the season where the Verde and Black were clearly the better team on the pitch in both halves. It was the first time in 2026 that Austin scored two goals in the first half. The team’s excellent positioning, organized play in all phases, and a strong commitment from starters and substitutes allowed them to cross the finish line with emphasis. Remarkably, Austin completed 19 long balls, 60% of crosses, and held a near two-to-one advantage in touches in the opposition box without being flagged for offside once.
Joseph Rosales in a double-team coverage. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
Despite dealing with his own recent injury issues, right-back Mikkel Desler was a solid and consistently disruptive presence for Austin throughout all 90 minutes. Myrto Uzuni continued to show signs of a renaissance in form with a well-earned Man of the Match performance. Austin FC is now 2-2-1 at home this season in contrast to a 0-2-3 away record. Austin has outscored its opponents 6-4 at home but has been outscored 8-15 away from Q2 Stadium, including allowing 8 goals in the two previous matches before recording a clean sheet at home on Saturday.
With Nelson out for the second half and with a rare multi-goal lead, Austin’s lack of a shot on target was not as much of a concern as it normally would have been, and the team showed remarkable discipline in successfully frustrating Houston’s attempts to get back into the match. Nine of Austin’s 13 shot attempts were taken inside the box, whereas a majority of Houston’s (6/11) were launched from outside the penalty area.
Christian Ramirez fighting for the ball vs Houston Dynamo. Photo courtesy of Chris Rodriguez (RDZ Flickz)
What’s Next
Austin FC’s schedule finally becomes comparatively easier in May. Included are home and away matches against struggling St Louis City, what should be the toughest test of the month at Minnesota, an engagement in Southern California with a San Diego FC side in brutally poor form, and a home date against Sporting Kansas City, who might be the worst team in MLS. The schedule allows Austin to earn badly needed points and make up ground on the Western Conference table before the lengthy World Cup break. The fate of Manager Nico Estevez possibly hinges on Austin FC doing just that, and he will hope that key players Brandon Vazquez and Owen Wolff can finally return from injuries to help rejuvenate Austin’s season. The home fixture against St Louis will be the next contest for the Verde and Black, with the first kick around 4:30 PM Central Time on Sunday
WRITTEN BY JORDAN STEWART
