Detroit City FC stuns Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo in U.S. Open Cup

The keeper did it.

After Detroit City FC went down 2-0, then 3-2, then fell behind in penalties to the Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup, it was goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña who made the critical save and then scored the winning goal to deliver a 3-3 win (10-9 on penalties) over the defending champion Dynamo and send DCFC to the Round of 16 for the first time ever.

With the win, DCFC becomes 2-1 all time against clubs from Major League Soccer. DCFC beat the Columbus Crew, 2-1, in a 2022 Open Cup match. Tuesday marked DCFC's first road game against an MLS opponent.

Saldaña, who has been designated as DCFC's cup goalie, saw Houston sneak two quick ones past him but recovered to deliver when his team needed it most. He made a critical stop in the fifth round to keep DCFC (which was shooting second) afloat and then, after ever other kicker had gone, kicked the winning goal past Houston's Andrew Tarbell, who missed his attempt high and wide moments prior.

After Yazeed Matthews equalized the penalties 1-1 for Detroit, Saldaña swatted an attempt from Sebastian Kowalczyk but couldn't grab it as it spun backwards across the line by a matter of inches.

Houston converted its fourth penalty, as did DCFC's James Murphy, to make it 4-3 entering the fifth round. Saldaña completely redeemed himself, stopping Ibrahim Aliyu with a diving save as Michael Bryant brought things level to close the fifth round.

After the shooters went lights-out in the back half of the penalties, Tarbell fired the first miss, and Saldaña made him pay.

Ryan Williams, Yazeed Matthews and Maxi Rodriguez each scored a goal for Detroit City while Devon Amoo-Mensah and Ali Coote each added an assist. Griffin Dorsey, Latif Blessing and Adalberto Carrasquilla scored for Houston.

The Dynamo converted a corner kick in the sixth minute to take a quick lead. Houston's Griffin Dorsey went completely unnoticed while making a run to the near post and put his boot perfectly on the service from Héctor Herrera to beat Saldaña low.

Houston had a goal wiped off the board for offsides in the 16th minute. Latif Blessing was played through from in tight, but his ensuing shot to beat Saldaña was immediately called off because he was in an offsides position.

In the 19th minute, DCFC center back Amoo-Mensah let the ball get behind him and recovered by pulling down Houston's Gabriel Segal, which drew a yellow.

Blessing eventually cashed in a chance in the 31st minute to add to Houston's lead. Rodriguez had the ball stolen from him near midfield and Houston quickly got the ball up to Segal, who found Latif Blessing on the run in the area to Saldaña's left. The attempt went low and far side to beat a diving Saldaña for the goal.

Williams got Detroit City in the game by cranking a shot home from halfway between the top of the penalty area and midfield. Alex Villanueva lost control of the ball while trying to cut to the middle of the field and lost it to Herrera, but it was poked out to a place where Williams could put it into the upper right corner for a DCFC goal in the 41st minute.

Williams was making his first start for Detroit City. He came on as a sub in games at Loudoun and Pittsburgh.

Just four minutes later, Houston almost converted another near-post service off a corner kick — but Williams made the block to keep it a 2-1 game.

Coote had an opportunity in the 57th minute after service from Villanueva found Coote in space. He manuevered around a defender to get a clean look on goal from distance but couldn't put it anywhere dangerous as Houston keeper Andrew Tarbell made the save.

DCFC made a double switch in the 61st minute, putting on forwards Ben Morris and Yazeed Matthews for forward Victor Bezerra and defender Matt Sheldon.

It was ultimately Matthews who tied the game, 2-2, for Detroit City in the 75th minute. Coote did well to control the ball near the top of the penalty area before eventually finding an open Matthews, who took one touch and blasted home the tying goal from in close. Houston popped the balloon just two minutes later, as Adalberto Carrasquilla — who came on in the 70th minute — struck a ball from range past Saldaña in the 77th minute.

And of course, it was Rodriguez, the Open Cup hero against the Columbus Crew in 2022 and on April 16 against Michigan Stars, who tied the game again for Detroit City in the 83rd. Matthews played a ball deep for Amoo-Mensah, who fed it back toward the middle where Rodriguez was waiting to bury it.

After appearing to sustain an injury, Rodriguez was replaced by Daniel Espeleta in the 102nd minute.

Houston had several chances during the first stage of extra time, including a last-minute header attempt from Erik Sviatchenko that went wide.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

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