Houston Dynamo Dominate LAFC in 4-1 Road Win
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
After losing to LAFC at Shell Energy Stadium earlier this season, the Houston Dynamo had a chance to get a little redemption as they traveled to Los Angeles for a Sunday night match. Houston lost 2-0 in February to LAFC but received two red cards that ended up flipping the match. Now, the two teams met again in Southern California.
Head coach Ben Olsen sent out the same starting eleven that featured in last Saturday’s 1-0 win against the Colorado Rapids. The Dynamo got on the board early after a perfect counter-attack.
Artur nearly lost the ball in the Houston box, but Jonathan Bond was able to gather it before LAFC could get on. Bond immediately started the counter the other way with Guilherme driving forward down the left side. He played the ball centrally for Jack McGlynn who sprayed it wide to the overlapping run of Lawrence Ennali. The German got to the edge of the box and pulled the ball back to the waiting left foot of McGlynn. The Dynamo midfielder struck a shot perfectly into the top corner, past Hugo Lloris, to give Houston a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute.
Houston would make it two in the 34th minute off a free kick right at the top of the box. Guilherme' took the free kick and fired toward goal. His shot was deflected off an LAFC defender and past Lloris to make the score 2-0.
The home side would pull a goal back just before half time. Felipe Andrade didn’t track a run on the left side and the ball was fired into the box. The initial shot was blocked by Houston but Nathan Ordaz followed up to get LAFC on the board and make the score 2-1 in first half stoppage time.
It may have seemed like a goal right before the half would have spurred LAFC on, or made the Dynamo crumble, but the exact opposite happened in the second half. Houston struck twice in three minutes to put the match to bed.
The first came from the former LAFC man, Mateusz Bogusz. Another Dynamo counter broke forward and McGlynn played the ball into the path of Bogusz running into the box. His first shot was saved by Lloris but the ball was parried right back to the Polish attacker. Bogusz took a touch with his right foot before rolling a left-footed shot into the bottom corner to put the Dynamo ahead 3-1 in the 52nd minute.
Houston countered once again in the 55th minute with Guilherme bursting down the left side, as he did all match. He got into the box and found Ennali right at the top of the 18. Ennali laid the ball to the right where McGlynn teed up his brilliant left foot and once again swept a shot past Lloris. The Dynamo took a 4-1 lead and could begin banking their three points.
The win gives the Dynamo their sixth victory in their last seven matches in all competitions. It also should give Houston a big confidence boost, going on the road and beating LAFC handily, even if they were without star winger Denis Bouanga.
The Dynamo will stay on the road as they travel to Utah next for a match against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. That match will be the first of four in eleven days for Houston before Major League Soccer breaks for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
