Houston Dynamo riding momentum into 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs

The Dynamo, which finished the regular season fourth in the standings with 51 points, took advantage of big changes to collect their third triumph in 17 road games to go with a 3-9-5 record and extend their unbeaten streak to four games — with two wins and a pair of draws while outscoring opponents 9-3 — since claiming the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup over Inter Miami in late September.

Houston (14-11-9) will face fifth-place Real Salt Lake (14-12-8) in a round one best-of-three series, with game one set for Sunday at 5 p.m. at Shell Energy Stadium, in its first return to the playoffs since 2017.

“To hold them off with the attacking talent and the way they score goals here at home, down to one goal, was really impressive,” Dynamo coach Ben Olsen said. “We weathered an early storm from them, which we knew we’d have to and then we were efficient in our chances. …Overall, it’s a tricky place to come and get something so we’re very pleased, keeps us with home-field advantage at least in the first round, which is important and gives us a little boost here going into what is going to be a very tough matchup against Salt Lake.”

Houston and Real Salt Lake, which qualified for the playoffs for the third year in a row and fifth time over the last six years, will meet for the fourth time this season. The teams played to a scoreless draw in the first meeting on May 6 before the Dynamo outscored them 6-1 in back-to-back games (3-1 on Aug. 23 and 3-0 on Aug. 26).

Olsen said they caught Real Salt Lake, which beat Colorado 1-0 to wrap the regular season, at a good time on one of those games but will get their best punch this time around.

Game two is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. at America First Field, with game three, if necessary, set for Nov. 11 at 3 p.m. in Houston.

“The Open Cup game we played very well (Aug. 23) and then we went away right after that and I think they had some injuries,” Olsen said. “They’re a good team. They’re very well-coached. They’re gritty and what I’ll say about them is they’ve been in the playoffs. They have that experience and that’s something that makes them dangerous.”

The Dynamo capitalized on their first corner kick of the game. Dorsey used a cross from Héctor Herrera to open the scoring in the 11th minute with a near-post run and header to the top left corner.

“After the first goal, that was within the first 15 minutes, it’s about staying composed and staying in the game. Especially away in a place like this,” Dorsey said. “There was some celebration, but it was back to work really quickly. It feels great to solidify home-field advantage for the playoffs and get a great win on the road going into Round One.”

Olsen said Dorsey’s opener was one of his favorite goals of the year.

“It has been such a struggle (to score) on set pieces, and we’ve been close,” Olsen said. “It’s just been anemic all year long. We dissect it with the group. (Assistant coach) Aurélien Collin does a lot of that for us, we’ve been tough on him. I’m happy for him and I’m happy for the guys because it’s been a long time coming.”

Carrasquilla used a second-chance ball in the 48th minute to make it 2-0 with a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the top left corner before Herrera and Carrasquilla dished out an assist on Dorsey’s third goal of the season in the 71st minute with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box to the high center of the goal.

While Dorsey found his first brace, Carrasquilla added an assist to finish second on the team with eight and Herrera picked up two assists for a total of 17, second-best behind league-leader Thiago Almada of Atlanta (19), to break Brad Davis’ club single-season assist record from 2011 (16 assists).

“It’s a nice little reward for Héctor to finish this great regular season that he has had with two assists,” Olsen said. “He is obviously vital to what we’re doing here in so many ways — on the field and off. …We go as he goes and he’s that important to us. I’m just happy for him. He’ll be business as usual. He’ll want more and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in the playoffs.”

Felipe Mora got the Timbers, who were eliminated on MLS Decision Day after placing 10th in the standings with 43 points, on the board in the 80th minute with a right-footed shot to deny Steve Clark his 13th clean sheet.

The Dynamo also accumulated four yellow cards in the Portland win — with Micael, Franco Escobar, and Carrasquilla being shown cards in the first half and Herrera in the second half — for a league-leading 95, five more than the next-best New York and Charlotte (87).

Olsen prefers not to see the Dynamo leading the league in yellow cards every year, but he doesn’t necessarily want them at the bottom of the list either.

“Yellows come in different ways and a lot of it is physicality,” Olsen said. “We got some guys that are a little mouthy at times to the ref, and again, it’s all because we want to win and sometimes that physicality is needed. Sometimes that passion that spills over is important, especially for a team that’s trying to grind every weekend and build something here. We’re invested.

“Fortunately, we’ve been deep, we’ve had a lot of suspensions as well with that, but it was opportunities for guys to come in, and more times than not, more guys stepped up and that built some of our depth, too.”