The first instalment of the 2023 Copa Tejas takes place this weekend at PNC Stadium as the Houston Dynamo host Austin FC in their MLS home opener on Saturday.
Orange Crush are the only Western Conference side without a point so far this season, losing their previous encounter 3-0 to the New England Revolution, while the Verde and Black have won consecutive domestic affairs, edging Real Salt Lake 2-1 a week ago.
Match preview
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For a third successive campaign, the Dynamo have a new man in charge, but after two matches, we are seeing a lot of the same old same old from this team in terms of performances.
Houston have failed to win their opening two matches of the 2023 campaign, just like a year ago, with the Dynamo having now lost five of their last six regular-season games away from home.
Ben Olsen has a wealth of coaching experience to draw upon, having previously served as DC United manager for a decade, but so far, the 45-year-old has not been able to get this group to gel as a unit.
That might not be a big surprise given that the Dynamo have several new faces on the roster this year, but Olsen has a history of being able to do less with more so he will be expected to turn their early season woes around quickly.
In 2022, the Dynamo won six matches at home, which was tied for the fewest among Western Conference sides during that regular season, though their only victory against Austin occurred at PNC Stadium in 2021 (3-0).
Last season Houston conceded 56 times in 34 regular season games, two more than they had allowed in the previous campaign, while they have not beaten a club from Texas in this competition since edging Dallas 3-2 in September 2021.
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They put forth a much better effort on Tuesday, but in the end, the Verde and Black just had too much to overcome as they exited the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) despite a 2-0 win over Violette, after dropping the opening encounter against the Haitians 3-0.
While being the first MLS team to be eliminated by a Caribbean side in that competition is not a distinction that Austin wanted, they can now focus squarely on the Major League Soccer campaign, where they have won consecutive games.
Last Saturday, Josh Wolff saw his side end a four-match losing run away from home in the regular season, while they went unbeaten against the other Texas teams last year.
In 2022, Austin set club records in virtually every statistical category, and last weekend they set another new one as there were 19 passes made in the build-up to their opening goal versus RSL, more than any of their previous goals scored in this competition.
One noticeable difference with Austin early on this season has been their ability to have more of a balanced attack, with their five goals coming from four different players.
Balance, however, was one thing this team had in abundance when it comes to performances in 2022, winning as many regular season encounters at home as they did on the road (eight).
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Team News
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Franco Escobar and Amine Bassi are listed as questionable for Houston, with each currently dealing with issues to their lower extremities, Djevencio van der Kust and Ifunanyachi Achara are still awaiting approval of their work visas, while Brad Smith is out with a left knee injury.
Newcomers Artur, Tate Schmitt and Ivan Franco have featured in the starting 11 for Houston in both of their matches this season, while Luis Caicedo made his Orange Crush debut earlier this month, coming on as a second-half substitute in their loss to New England.
Sebastian Ferreira had the only goal in their previous home fixture versus the Verde and Black, which they lost 2-1, while a brace from former striker Fafa Picault helped them beat Austin at PNC Stadium two years ago, with the winner coming courtesy of Griffin Dorsey.
Julio Cascante remains out for Austin because of a left adductor strain, while Ethan Finlay featured in the starting 11 for the first time in the 2023 domestic campaign, replacing Diego Fagundez.
Sebastian Driussi scored a brace on Tuesday in their CCL victory versus Violette, with Brad Stuver collecting a clean sheet.
Jon Gallagher notched his second of the MLS campaign last Saturday, with the winner coming courtesy of Owen Wolff, as he and head coach Josh are now the eighth father/son duo to have scored a goal in this competition.
Houston Dynamo possible starting lineup:
Clark; Dorsey, Bartlow, Hadebe, Schmitt; Herrera, Carrasquilla, Artur; Quinones, Ulfarsson, Franco
Austin FC possible starting lineup:
Stuver; Gallagher, Ring, Vaisanen, Kolmanic; Pereira, Wolff; Rigoni, Driussi, Fagundez; Zardes
We say: Houston Dynamo 1-2 Austin FC
Houston have had two weeks to build some chemistry since their defeat against the Revs, but they are coming up against a team in Austin who appear to have more scoring depth than a year ago and will be in a foul mood following their CCL elimination.
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