Recap: SKC II falls 3-0 at Houston Dynamo 2

Sporting KC II (7-10-2, 23 points) suffered a 3-0 defeat to Houston Dynamo 2 (11-4-4, 39 points) at AVEVA Stadium on Sunday night. SKC II has now dropped four consecutive matches.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber rolled out a starting XI featuring two Sporting KC loanees in Jake Davis and Cam Duke. They joined Ethan Bandre in goal, making his second career start and Nati Clarke making his first professional start. Jahon Rad slotted back into the back four and Collin Fernandez rejoined the midfield.

Under the hot Texas sun, the match began slowly with both teams sizing each other up. Beto Avila took the first shot of the match in the 13th minute and had it blocked out for a corner kick. Forward Bakary Bagayoko tracked back to defend the Dynamo 2 service, intercepting the entry pass.

On the other end of the pitch, a minute later, Josh Coan sent the first SKC II shot on target but saw it saved by Xavier Valdez. He got back on the ball moments later, cutting a centering pass towards the spot that was cleared over the sideline.

Bandre made his first of nine saves in the 20th, tapping a shot over the bar with two hands that was hit with force from close range. The ensuing corner was punched by the keeper, gathered up by the hosts and chipped back on target. The ball floated over Bandre but was cleared off the line by an SKC II defender before Fernndez received the match's first yellow card for a foul at midfield.

Minutes later, the SKC II keeper made another save, securing a shot hit right into his path. He followed that up with a fantastic double save, where he blocked the initial shot with an outstretched leg, got to his feet quickly and slid in to block the follow-up with his chest.

Juan Castilla was given Houston's first yellow card after tripping Bagayoko with a kick from behind. Bandre made yet another save, this time getting to the front post to block an attempt from just inside the box. Avila was then booked after a foul at midfield and some jawing with the ref. A few ticks later, Davis was booked for a foul.

Duke broke through the backline but had the through ball intercepted by a charging Valdez outside the 18. Right before halftime, Bandre made his best save of the half, dashing off his line to block a shot with his chest in a one-on-one situation. In stoppage time Curtez Kellman was whistled for a foul and given a yellow. The Dynamo 2 set piece was converted by Marcelo Palomino as the final kick of the half and they took the one-goal lead into the break.

Newcomer Josip Hmura entered the match as a halftime substitute, replacing Fernandez for his SKC II debut.

Three minutes into the second, the home side doubled their lead with Brooklyn Raines scoring on the rebound. The Dynamo defense packed it in and SKC II was unable to break those lines. Bandre made a simple save, catching a shot hit right at him. In the 64th Sporting KC Academy products, Ryan Reid and Edgar Bazan entered for Bagayoko and Davis.

Reid tried to leave his mark on the match with a terrific move to gain access to Houston's penalty area. He attempted a cutback but had it cut off by a defender at the penalty spot. A minute after the advancement, Mikey Lenis came on for Matthew Fisher. Coan launched a pair of advancements, the first saw his perfect switch wind up an SKC II corner that was defended well.

The second Coan attack was a free kick that tested Valdez. The keeper was up to the task, diving in to save the restart in the lower left-hand corner. Houston found their third in the 77th on Kyle Edwards' bar-down shot. Coby Jones came on for Clarke in the 90th and Houston held on to the shutout.

SKC II will return to Swope Soccer Village for a match against Portland Timbers 2 on Sunday, July 14. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. CT with tickets on sale at SeatGeek.com and a live stream available at MLSNEXTPro.com.

2022 MLS NEXT Pro | Match 19
AVEVA Stadium | Houston, TX
Weather: 90 degrees and sunny

Sporting Kansas City II: Ethan Bandre; Matthew Fisher (Mikey Lenis 73'), Esai Easley, Jahon Rad, Nati Clarke (Coby Jones 90'); Curtez Kellman, Jake Davis, (Edgar Bazan 64') Collin Fernandez (Josip Hmura 45'); Josh Coan, Bakary Bagayoko (Ryan Reid 64'), Cam Duke
Subs Not Used: Carlito Saylon, Cade Thomson

Houston Dynamo 2: Xavier Valdez; Mujeeb Murana, Talen Maples, Micael, Isaiah LeFlore; Brooklyn Raines (Daniel Rios 86'), Marcelo Palomino (Paulo Lima 68'), Juan Castilla; Kyle Edwards (Diego Rosas 82'), Jacob Evans (Papa Ndoye 82'), Beto Avila (Thiaginho 68')
Subs Not Used: Andrew Pannenberg, Joyner Castillo, Diego Gonzalez, Sterling Penniston-John

Scoring Summary:
HOU – Marcelo Palomino (unassisted) 45+3'
HOU – Brooklyn Raines (Juan Castilla) 48'
HOU – Kyle Edwards (Jacob Evans) 77'

Misconduct Summary:
SKC – Collin Fernandez (unsporting conduct; Yellow Card) 21'
HOU – Juan Castilla (unsporting conduct; Yellow Card) 28'
HOU – Beto Avila (dissent; Yellow Card) 40'
SKC – Jake Davis (unsporting conduct; Yellow Card) 41'*
SKC –* Curtez Kellman (unsporting conduct; Yellow Card) 45+3'

Referee: Gerald Flores
Assistant Referee: Albert Escovar
Assistant Referee: Carmelo Alvarez Jr.
Fourth Official: William Hale