The Houston Dynamo advanced to the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup by knocking off the defending champions, Sporting Kansas City, 3-1 on Wednesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium on the strength of a brace from 20-year-old Colombian forward Mauro Manotas.
Manotas found the back of the net in the 7th and the 84th minutes with his goals book-ending a result that sees the Dynamo, in last place in the Western Conference, moving on to host a quarterfinal matchup against either FC Dallas or the Colorado Rapids on July 19 or July 20.
Seven minutes in, the Dynamo’s Abdoulie Mansally delivered a cross to Manotas, who opened the scoring with a sliding finish. Sporting’s Kevin Ellis almost managed to equalize in first-half stoppage time, but his shot went just wide, and the home team held on for the 1-0 halftime lead.
Manotas stayed hungry in the second half, sending a shot off the post, then just past the goal. The Dynamo would still find a way to double their lead 10 minutes after the break as Andrew Wenger kept a corner kick from going out of play, serving up Alex for a header and a 2-0 scoreline.
Sporting Kansas City wouldn’t go down without a fight, however. Three minutes after entering the match as a sub, former Dynamo legend Brad Davis finished a Diego Rubio cross to halve the deficit for Sporting KC.
But Manotas ended any comeback hopes by the visitors with a strike six minutes from time, converting a Boniek Garcia pass for the final 3-1 scoreline.
Houston now advances to host FC Dallas in the US Open Cup quarterfinals, on either July 19 or 20.
HOUSTON DYNAMO(4-2-3-1, left to right): Joe Willis -- Abdoulie Mansally (Jalil Anibaba 45'), Agus, David Horst, Sheanon Williams -- Alex, David Rocha -- Leonel Miranda, Cristian Maidana (Collen Warner 67'), Andrew Wenger (Boniek Garcia 77') -- Mauro Manotas
SUBS: Tyler Deric, Raul Rodriguez, Giles Barnes, Will Bruin
SPORTING KANSAS CITY(4-3-3, left to right): Alec Kann -- Jimmy Medranda, Matt Besler, Lawrence Olum, Kevin Ellis -- Roger Espinoza, Soni Mustivar (Brad Davis 58'), Benny Feilhaber -- Connor Hallisey, Diego Rubio (Dom Dwyer 71'), Graham Zusi
SUBS: Tim Melia, Ike Opara, Seth Sinovic, Saad Abdul-Salaam, Jacob Peterson
