March 8, 2023...Latest Preseason Outing 'A Good Test' in Sizzling Houston Heat (from York United FC website)

LATEST PRESEASON OUTING 'A GOOD TEST' IN SIZZLING HOUSTON HEAT

The Nine Stripes faced Houston Dynamo 2 on Wednesday afternoon.

TEXAS FOREVER

"A good test", is how York United assistant coach Mauro Eustáquio described the Wednesday afternoon clash with Houston Dynamo 2, as The Nine Stripes' preseason continued in Texas.

In sweltering conditions, Martin Nash tweaked some aspects of his lineup and tried a number of different combinations.

In the opening half, there were plenty of opportunities as Osaze De Rosario caused numerous problems for the hosts. His dynamic with Oussama Alou - who enjoyed himself in the middle, constantly finding gaps to exploit - was a bright spark throughout and it was little surprise when the pair combined early on, with De Rosario testing the keeper from close range.

DERO POUNCES

It was De Rosario who found the net later in the period, levelling affairs after Marki Voytsekhovskyy was sent tumbling.

Continuing his eye-catching performances in the past few weeks, the youngster jinked away from a couple of challenges before being brought down in the area. And despite De Rosario seeing his initial effort saved, he was there to pounce on the rebound and made no mistake.

THE RIGHT PATH

The home side retook the lead in the second half, though York continued to create plenty of chances as fresh faces arrived off the bench, with Nash keen to manage players' loads given the temperature and recent travel requirements. Lassana Faye teed up Brian Wright, but his strike was too close to the keeper while Voytsekhovskyy was only denied a second by an excellent goal-line block, after Wright had been slipped through by Mo Babouli.

"A good game, exactly what we came here for," Eustáquio said afterwards.

"It was good to get outside, getting ready for the conditions we'll face in our season. Playing above 25 Celsius is never easy but I think the team adapted well to the situation. Especially in the first-half, we had some good chances where we should have finished. Overall, there were a lot of positives. There's definitely room for improvement but that's what preseason is. We're on the right path and we'll continue to make sure we're ready for that first game of the season."

The group now remains in Houston until next week, and will likely face more scrimmages against various Dynamo teams before returning to Toronto and continuing with their preseason schedule.

The Nine Stripes continued their preseason excursion to the United States with a game against Houston Dynamo 2.

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