Here are three takeaways from the Houston Dynamo’s impressive 4-2 U.S. Open Cup victory over longtime rivals Sporting KC.
Romell Quioto proving his worth
Quioto, known as ‘El Romantico,’ is in his second MLS season. While last season started off with a bang for him, scoring in his first game in Orange, it didn’t pan out how he and the Dynamo hoped. He played in 22 games last season and scored seven goals to go along with three assists.
This season, he’s played in 18 MLS regular season games. In that time, he has three goals and is tied for second in the league with 10 assists. Add to that his brace in the U.S. Open Cup against Sporting KC, and Quioto’s sophomore season has already surpassed his first year in MLS.
“He’s been important. He’s been giving us important numbers and what we were expecting from him,” Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera said of what Quioto has given this season. “Assists … attacking opportunities and creating opportunities for us. And when he has the possibility, he can score, and today he was dangerous.”
Quioto said that consistent playing time with the Dynamo is what has boosted his production this season.
“This year, I’ve been able to secure my spot on the team, since last year I had injuries and international duty. I would return from the trips exhausted,” Quioto said. “This year, I’ve been able to focus solely on the team, and I think that’s helped me to play at a top level.”
U.S. Open Cup run
For only the third time in the club’s history, the Houston Dynamo have advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. It’s La Naranja’s first trip back since 2009. Houston fielded its A lineup against Sporting KC, and that move speaks volumes to how serious the Dynamo are taking their participation in the competition. Mauro Manotas stated that winning the U.S. Open Cup was a goal the Orange had from the beginning of the season.
“From the beginning of the season, we put it in our head that we wanted the cup,” Manotas said. “It’s a tournament that’s really on the doorstep for somebody to win since it’s only five games a team has to win. Thankfully now we’re in the semifinals and whoever we face we hope it’s a good game and we’re going for it all.”
The Dynamo are set to play LAFC, but that could change as the Portland Timbers have filed a protest regarding the number of foreign players fielded by LAFC during their quarterfinal bout Wednesday. The draw, originally set to take place Thursday, has been postponed until the U.S. Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel review the matter.
Home unbeaten streak intact
Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Sporting KC extends Houston’s unbeaten home streak to nine consecutive games across all competitions. In two years under Wilmer Cabrera, the Orange have made it a priority to be a difficult team to play against at home. In that time, Houston home record is 22-5-6 across all competitions (18-3-1 regular season, 3-1-0 U.S. Open Cup, and 1-1-1 in the playoffs).
Houston now looks to extend that streak Saturday as in-state rival FC Dallas visit Houston for the first time this season. It’s also the two sides first meeting this year.
“We are in a good momentum. We played well, we have been playing well at home, so we expect a very tough rival, no doubt about it, but this is us,” Cabrera said on facing FC Dallas at home on Saturday. “We are not going to change, we are going to try to do our job here at home against our very tough rival.”