Anderson Julio scored the game winner in the 76th minute and Petar Musa had a goal and an assist as visiting FC Dallas defeated Houston Dynamo FC 2-1 on Saturday in their season-opening match.
The matchup, the campaign’s first rendition of the Texas Derby, was played in cold and drizzly conditions and on a pitch that worsened as the rain’s intensity increased.
After solid scoring chances for both sides in the early minutes, the Dynamo found the net in the 18th minute, with Amine Bassi pouncing on a rebound of a header by Ezequiel Ponce and using his head to bounce a shot past Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes and into the net.
The remainder of the first half failed to produce a shot on goal from either team, with Dallas earning slight advantages in shots and shots on goal while Houston had more possession time and more accurate passes.
A Houston giveaway deep in its defensive zone all but handed the Toros the equalizer. Dynamo defender Ethan Bartlow attempted an ill-advised pass across the box after receiving the ball from keeper Andrew Tarbell in the 55th minute. But the pass was snatched by Musa, who wasted little time turning the mistake into the tying goal.
Houston’s Jack McGlynn made a bid to give the home side the lead in the 73rd minute when he clanged a blistering left-footed shot off the left post. The ball ricocheted across the box but was kicked out of danger by the Toros’ defense.
That set the stage for Julio. The scoring play, in the 76th minute, began with a steal and a long clearing pass from Musa, who lifted the ball past midfield down the center of the pitch.
Julio raced to the ball ahead of two Houston defenders, sidestepped Tarbell — who had come far off his line to try to break up the run — and casually lifted a shot into the net, scoring in his first game as a member of FC Dallas.
–Field Level Media
