Nico Estevez feels his side “should have done more” despite squeezing out a 1-0 win over defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy last weekend.
Austin FC had to wait till the 81st minute to break the deadlock at Q2 Stadium, with a late Brandon Vazquez goal paving the way for Estevez’s side to secure all three points.
Vazquez previously missed a penalty in the 66th minute, firing his spot-kick straight at LA Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy, while the forward also squandered a host of other chances throughout the match.
Matters were compounded for Estevez when Brendan Hines-Ike was shown two yellow cards in stoppage time for dissent, marking Austin’s first sending-off in MLS this season.
Speaking after that match, Estevez hailed his side’s performance, both offensively and defensively, but lamented the missed chances.
“Overall, to be honest, for me, it was the most complete game that we’ve played so far here at home, on the offensive side and in the defensive side,” Estevez said.
“The thing was that we should have scored at least two or three goals. I still feel like I should have done more with the opportunities we had.
“We’ve still got a lot to work on. So we’ve just got to keep stepping onto the pitch every single day in training, give 100% and make sure we keep improving.”
Estevez also hailed his side’s response following their 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps earlier this month.
“Just think about for a second, as a human being, where we were after the [5-1] game against Vancouver, and how we bounced back this week. And I think that says a lot about this group and the mentality.”
+3 to kickstart the weekend! pic.twitter.com/jQBHkwMPo6
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) April 19, 2025
Austin climbed up to second place in the Western Conference, four points off Vancouver at the summit, while their opponents this weekend, the Houston Dynamo, are currently languishing in 14th place.
Houston held the in-form Seattle Sounders to a 2-2 draw last time out, clawing back to equalise in the sixth minute of stoppage time after Amine Bassi had provided the breakthrough.
Djordje Mihailovic and Rafael Navarro put Seattle ahead, though it was substitute Ondrej Lingr who arrived in perfect time to secure a point for the hosts.
“We had a lot of good performances and a lot of great performances. You know, some good and some not good in two moments that, again, kind of cost us the points that I thought we deserved in that game,” Houston head coach Ben Olsen said of that match.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston Dynamo – Ondrej Lingr
Lingr scored the equalising goal in Houston’s 2-2 draw with Colorado on Saturday in the 96th minute.
It was the sixth time since the start of the 2022 season that Houston had scored a result-changing goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time or later, tied for the most such goals in MLS in that time (held by D.C. United).
Austin FC – Brandon Vazquez
Vazquez tied his career high with seven shot attempts, including scoring the lone goal in Austin’s win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday. It was the Czech’s first goal of the MLS season.
This marks only the second time in club history that a player attempted seven or more shots in a regular-season match, after Sebastian Driussi attempted eight shots against Portland in September 2022.
MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN
Though Austin come into the game on the back of a confidence-boosting result over LA Galaxy, Houston are pegged as favourites.
Austin’s win over the Galaxy saw them record their fifth clean sheet of the season. It was also their fourth 1-0 win of the year, equaling the record for most 1-0 wins in a season in club history (four in 2024).
There has never been a draw in 11 all-time meetings between Houston and Austin, with the latter winning seven of the 11 games.
The Dynamo won the last match 1-0 in September 2024 and will be expected to make home advantage count in what should be a thrilling matchup at Shell Energy Stadium.
Working to defend our house pic.twitter.com/ckDmDo1zTe
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) April 23, 2025
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Houston Dynamo – 50.6%
Draw – 25.0%
Austin FC – 24.4%
