Detroit City FC upsets Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo in US Open Cup

It was the goalkeeper who did it.

After Detroit City FC lost 2-0, then 3-2, and then fell behind on penalties to the Houston Dynamo in the US Open Cup, it was goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña who made the save criticism, then scored the winning goal to make it 3-0. -3 victory (10-9 on penalties) over defending champion Dynamo and sends DCFC to the round of 16 for the very first time.

With the win, DCFC becomes 2-1 all-time against Major League Soccer clubs. DCFC defeated the Columbus Crew, 2-1, in a 2022 Open Cup match. Tuesday marked DCFC’s first road match against an MLS opponent.

Saldaña, who was named the DCFC Cup goalkeeper, saw Houston sneak past him twice in quick succession, but recovered to deliver when his team needed it most. He made a critical stop in the fifth round to keep DCFC (which was shooting second) afloat, then, after all the other kickers had left, kicked the game-winning field goal past Houston’s Andrew Tarbell, who had missed his attempt high and wide a few moments before.

After Yazeed Matthews tied the penalties 1-1 for Detroit, Saldaña fended off an attempt by Sebastian Kowalczyk but couldn’t get it as it rolled back inches at the line.

Houston converted their fourth penalty, as did DCFC’s James Murphy, to make it 4-3 heading into the fifth round. Saldaña completely redeemed himself, stopping Ibrahim Aliyu with a diving save as Michael Bryant brought things back to even terms to close out the fifth round.

After the shooters faded away in the back half of the penalties, Tarbell fired the first miss and Saldaña made him pay.

Ryan Williams, Yazeed Matthews and Maxi Rodriguez each scored a goal for Detroit City while Devon Amoo-Mensah and Ali Coote each added an assist. Griffin Dorsey, Latif Blessing and Adalberto Carrasquilla scored for Houston.

Dynamo converted a corner in the sixth minute to take an early lead. Houston’s Griffin Dorsey went completely unnoticed as he ran to the near post and put his boot perfectly on Héctor Herrera’s serve to beat Saldaña low.

Houston had a goal wiped off the board for offside in the 16th minute. Latif Blessing was played tight, but his ensuing shot to beat Saldaña was immediately canceled out as he was in an offside position.

In the 19th minute, DCFC center back Amoo-Mensah left the ball behind and recovered by bringing down Houston’s Gabriel Segal, who drew a yellow.

Blessing finally capitalized on a chance in the 31st minute to extend Houston’s lead. Rodriguez had the ball stolen near midfield and Houston quickly got the ball to Segal, who found Latif Blessing on the run in the zone to Saldaña’s left. The attempt went low and to the far side to beat a diving Saldaña for the goal.

Williams gave Detroit City a goal in the game by firing a shot halfway between the top of the penalty area and midfield. Alex Villanueva lost control of the ball while trying to cut through the middle of the field and lost it to Herrera, but he was pushed to a spot where Williams was able to place it in the top right corner for a DCFC goal at the 41st minute.

Williams was making his first start for Detroit City. He came on as a substitute in the games at Loudoun and Pittsburgh.

Just four minutes later, Houston almost converted another serve at the near post on a corner kick – but Williams made the block to keep the score at 2-1.

Coote had an opportunity in the 57th minute after a Villanueva serve found Coote in space. He got around a defender to get a clear look at the goal from distance, but couldn’t put it in a dangerous spot as Houston goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell made the save.

DCFC made a double change in the 61st minute, replacing forwards Ben Morris and Yazeed Matthews with forward Victor Bezerra and defender Matt Sheldon.

It was finally Matthews who equalized the match, 2-2, for Detroit City in the 75th minute. Coote did well to control the ball near the top of the penalty area before eventually finding an open Matthews, who took a touch and scored the equalizer from close range. Houston broke the ball just two minutes later, as Adalberto Carrasquilla – coming on in the 70th minute – hit a long-range ball past Saldaña in the 77th minute.

And of course, it was Rodriguez, the hero of the Open Cup against the Columbus Crew in 2022 and on April 16 against the Michigan Stars, who equalized again for Detroit City in the 83rd. Matthews played a through ball to Amoo-Mensah, who sent it back towards the middle where Rodriguez was waiting to bury it.

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