Myrto Uzuni's Two-Goal Night Ends Austin's Brutal Losing Streak Against In-State Rivals

Austin FC needed this badly. After getting absolutely humbled 5-1 by San Jose just three days earlier, the Verde came out swinging on Saturday and took down Houston 2-0 at home in the latest Copa Tejas showdown. Myrto Uzuni was the star, scoring one and setting up another as Austin snapped a seven-match MLS winless streak that dated back to a 1-0 win over D.C. United on March 1.

Uzuni and Nelson Put the Game Away Early

Austin came out firing in the first half and made Houston pay immediately. In the 13th minute, Jayden Nelson got on the scoreboard after Uzuni started the play with a pass to Facundo Torres in the box. Torres drew the Dynamo defense to the right side, then slid it back across to Nelson, who curled a beautiful shot past Jonathan Bond off the inside of the right post. That goal broke a 193-minute scoreless drought for Houston's defense after the Dynamo had strung together back-to-back shutouts in their previous two league matches.

Uzuni made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute when his free kick deflected off Houston's defensive wall and bounced past Bond into the bottom-left corner. It wasn't pretty, but Austin wasn't complaining. The Verde dominated the first half while goalkeeper Brad Stuver dealt with a couple of low-percentage shots and early Houston pressure, stopping attempts from Hector Herrera and Mateusz Bogusz in the 30th and 31st minutes.

Stuver Locks Down the Second Half

Houston came out with some hope after the break, but neither team really created anything dangerous. Stuver turned away five shots total on the night to record his third clean sheet of the year. Austin's defense held firm, and the Dynamo never mounted more than a halfhearted rally. With this win, Austin improved to 6-1-1 in eight all-time league matches against Houston at home, which tells you something about how the Verde perform in this rivalry on their turf.

Austin now sits at 2-4-4 with 10 points after bouncing back from that embarrassing loss in San Jose. Houston drops to 4-5-0 and 12 points after seeing their two-game winning streak snapped. The Dynamo were held without a goal for the third time this season. This is the kind of bounce-back performance Austin needed to stay competitive early on. Next up, we'll see if they can build on this momentum or if it was just a one-off against a rival.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.