SANDY, Utah (July 3, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC fell 3-2 on the road to Real Salt Lake at First America Field tonight, snapping a six-match unbeaten streak for Houston.
In back-to-back weeks, forward Aliyu Ibrahim opened scoring with a goal in the first ten minutes of the match. The eighth-minute goal came when forward Sebastian Kowalczyk, who recorded his first assist of the season, ran onto a ball into the final third and played it to the edge of the box for a charging Ibrahim. The 22-year-old curled the ball around the goalkeeper for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
Salt Lake equalized in the 22nd minute when Andrés Gómez capitalized on a miscommunication by Houston’s back line.
Salt Lake took the lead in the 42nd minute when Diego Luna’s shot from outside of the box curled past goalkeeper Steve Clark and inside the far post.
Houston equalized in the 54th minute when captain Héctor Herrera fired a cross into the box towards forward Sebas Ferreira that skimmed off defender Andrew Brody for an own goal.
Salt Lake retook the lead in the 67th minute when Braian Ojeda placed the ball in the bottom right corner of the net.
Houston created a chance in the 25th minute when defender Griffin Dorsey found his way into the right side of the penalty box and touched the ball on to Kowalczyk. The 25-year-old managed a shot in a congested box, but his attempt was blocked by a Salt Lake defender, allowing goalkeeper Zac MacMath to corral the ball.
Goalkeeper Steve Clark stepped up in the 33rd minute, diving to the right to block a shot from the edge of the box from Luna. The play marked one of the veteran shot stopper’s four saves on the night.
The Dynamo almost equalized in first-half stoppage time when Houston strung several passes together that ended up at the feet of Dorsey, but the American’s strong attempt from the edge of the box fired just over the crossbar.
Salt Lake almost scored a third goal in the 47th minute, but Dorsey stepped up with a goal line block on Gómez’s shot to keep the scoreline at 2-1.
Clark was called into action again in the 82nd minute, running up to block Matt Crooks from getting a shot off inside the box after a Salt Lake counterattack. The veteran shot stopper stepped up again in the 88th minute to cut off Chicho Arango on a break on goal.
In a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Final, Houston next hosts LAFC on Sunday, July 7, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT at Shell Energy Stadium. Tickets for that match are available HERE.
