HOUSTON (Feb. 27, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC defeated St. Louis CITY SC 1-0 at Shell Energy Stadium tonight to advance to the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time since 2019.
After leg one ended in at 2-1 St. Louis win, Houston advanced tonight on a 2-2 aggregate score, with Houston’s away goal serving as the tiebreaker.
The Dynamo will face the defending MLS Cup champions, Columbus Crew, in the Round of 16. The first leg will be played at Shell Energy Stadium on Wednesday, March 6 (tickets available HERE). Columbus will host the second leg on Tuesday, March 12, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
Houston took the lead in the 60th minute following a set piece delivery from midfielder Sebatian Kowalczyk into the box that was brought down by defender* Erik Sviatchenko. Defender Daniel Steres* played the ball back to Sviatchenko for the opening goal of the match.
The Dynamo’s first opportunity of the game came after defender Brad Smith found Kowalczykwith a back heel pass inside the box in the 11th minute. The Polish playmaker played the ball back to Smith for a dangerous cross that reached forward Gabe Segal, who made his first start for the Dynamo tonight, but his effort was handled by St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki.
Midfielder Artur played a ball over the St. Louis backline that caught defender Griffin Dorsey in stride in the 24thminute. The defender played a cross toward the back post that just missed Segal and was ultimately cleared by Jake Nerwinski.
Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark was called into action in the 26th minute after a turnover just outside the box. He denied Samuel Adeniran at the near post and St. Louis maintained possession, forcing Clark to handle a second attempt on goal just inside the six-yard box.
Midfielder Ján Greguš, who also made his first start tonight,forced a save with a long-range shot in the 34th minute, Kowalczyk pounced on the rebound, but his effort was also handled by Bürki.
Houston’s final opportunity of the first half came after midfielderAdalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla dribbled past a defender near midfield. The Panamanian international played the ball to Dorsey on the flank and his cross into the box was initially intercepted by a St. Louis defender, who conceded possession after falling to the ground. Segal was well positioned to capitalize on the loose ball, but his effort was off target.
Defender Ethan Bartlow came up with a massive block in the 55th minute when Adeniran thought he was in on goal. The 24-year-old made up ground quickly to keep the match scoreless. Clark saved a headed attempt on the ensuing corner kick, his third save of the match.
Houston almost netted as second goal in the 92nd minute when defender Tate Schmitt played a ball to Kowalczyk running up the right wing. The 25-year-old played the ball to Gregus near the penalty spot, but the Slovakian’s strong attempt was saved by the palm of Bürki.
The Dynamo return to Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, March 2 to host the New York Red Bulls for a cross-conference matchup, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for Saturday’s match are available HERE.
