HOUSTON (Oct. 19, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC earned a 2-1 Decision Day victory versus the LA Galaxy in front of a sold-out crowd at Shell Energy Stadium tonight after a late stoppage-time match winner from former Galaxy defender Daniel Steres.
With tonight’s result, Houston set a single-season Club record for points with 54 points, surpassing the previous record of 53 points in 2012.
The Dynamo finish the regular season as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference heading into the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. Houston will face No. 4 seeded Seattle Sounders FC in the Round One Best-of-3 Series, and additional matchup details will be confirmed on Sunday. Seattle will host Game 1, while Houston returns to Shell Energy Stadium to host Game 2. Fans can purchase tickets via SeatGeek HERE for as low as $25. Game 3 will be played if necessary.
Forward Ezequiel Ponce opened scoring in the 44th minute after a set piece from captain Héctor Herrera skimmed off defender Erik Sviatchenko’s and was redirected by Steres into the path of the Argentine striker. The play marked Ponce’s fifth goal of the regular season.
Gabriel Pec scored an equalizer for Los Angeles from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time after midfielder Artur was deemed to have committed a foul in the box after a VAR review.
However, in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time, Steres scored the match-winner with a header that found the inside the far post after a cross from defender Griffin Dorsey.
Houston almost opened scoring in the 16th minute when midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla played a ball down of his chest and fired it towards the net, but it was blocked off the line by a Galaxy defender. The play was created when forward Aliyu Ibrahim played a ball into the box for forward Amine Bassi, who fired the ball across the goal.
Goalkeeper Steve Clark was called into action in the 18th minute when Joseph Paintsil ran into the box from the left side, but the veteran shot stopper dive to send the ball wide of the far post for his four save of the night.
Sviatchenko had a dangerous chance in the 23rd minute, when he fired a corner delivery from Herrera goalward, but Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy managed to quell the danger.
Carrasquilla fired another shot on goal in the 37th minute after creating his own space on the edge of the box, but McCarthy was able to make a diving stop to send the ball away from danger. The Panamanian international recently returned from international duty after facing the United States and Canda.
The Galaxy looked to have equalized in the 49th minute when Joseph Paintsil found the inside of the far post, however, a VAR review deemed a foul in the buildup play and the goal was disallowed.
Clark was called into action in the 61st minute after getting in the way of a left-footed strike from Pec.
The Galaxy almost leveled the match at the 64th minute but a defensive sequence by the Dynamo saw Steres and midfielder Brooklyn Raines deny two scoring opportunities near the goal line.
In the 71st minute, Artur played a ball towards the inside of the 16-yard box, finding Sviatchenko for a right-footed strike that forced a Dynamo corner. The Danish international tried his chances again five minutes later after receiving a corner with a diving header that found the hands of the Galaxy goalkeeper.
