The "preseason" is over.
The Dynamo U-18 team, matched against a significantly older team from San Jacinto Community College, suffered a 2-1 loss in the last game for the Dynamo before playing in next week's prestigious Dallas Cup.
In a physical game at the University of Houston's Carl Lewis Field, the Dynamo came back from a 1-0 deficit in the first half to tie in the 35th minute. Walberto Vasques scored on a penalty kick to tie the game 1-1 before halftime.
In the second half, the Dynamo matched San Jacinto's scoring efforts, until a brief offensive flurry by San Jac made a critical difference. Dynamo goalie Tyler Deric made a spectacular save from point blank in the 84th minute. One minute later, San Jac's Phillip Hagen beat Deric off a corner kick for the only goal of the second half.
The U-18 Orange, consisting of ten high school sophomores, competed well against a seasoned team with numerous players in their twenties. The Dynamo tied this same team 2-2 in the initial meeting between the teams last week. The Dynamo is now 1-1-1, and will open play next Monday in the Dallas Cup, where the Dynamo bracket includes teams from London, Germany and Chicago.
