Houston Dynamo vs St. Louis CITY SC: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo stopped their three match losing streak, beating St. Louis CITY SC 1-0 on Saturday night behind a goal from Ezequiel Ponce.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dynamo FC 1-0 St. Louis CITY SC
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Alexis Da Silva
Assistants: Cory Parker, Diego Blas
Fourth Official: Elton Garcia
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero
Attendance: 16,886
Weather: 84 degrees, clear
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU: Ezequiel Ponce (Felipe Andrade) 66’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
STL: Joseph Zalinsky (caution; foul) 2’
STL: Jayden Reid (caution; foul) 21’
HOU: Pablo Ortiz (caution; foul) 38’
STL: Ben Lundt (caution; foul) 42’
HOU: Franco Escobar (caution; foul) 90+6’
LINEUPS & STATS
Houston Dynamo FC: Jonathan Bond; Franco Escobar, Pablo Ortiz, Erik Sviatchenko (Ethan Bartlow 54’), Felipe Andrade (Femi Awodesu 85’); Artur, Brooklyn Raines; Ondřej Lingr (Sebastian Kowalczyk 77’), Duane Holmes (Lawrence Ennali, 45’), Ezequiel Ponce, Amine Bassi (Nicolás Lodeiro 85’)
Unused substitutes: Jimmy Maurer, Toyosi Olusanya, Gabe Segal, Júnior Urso
Total shots: 18
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 22
Offside: 1
Corner kicks: 7
Saves: 1
St. Louis CITY SC: Roman Burki; Jake Girdwood-Reich (Kyle Hiebert 77’), Michael Wentze, Joseph Zalinsky (Tomas Totland 45’), Jayden Reid (Tomas Ostrak 72’); Conrad Wallem (Cedric Teuchert 45’), Simon Becher, Celio Pompeu (Xande Silva 67’), Marcel Hartel, Alfredo Morales (Akil Watts 15’); Joao Klauss
Unused Substitutes: Josh Yaro, Akil Watts, Jannes Horn, Ben Lundt
Total shots: 7
Shots on goal: 1
Fouls: 10
Offside: 1
Corner kicks: 0
Saves: 5
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On the result:
“This result feels good for the players, staff and fans. Overall, this was a much-needed win for the group. The guys understood the importance of the match and brought the right energy. We competed at a high level, and it was nice to see. The subs came in and did a good job as well. This was a vital three points for us.”
On Nico Lodeiro’s departure:
“We are going to miss Nico (Lodeiro), and we are thankful for his service in Houston, and more importantly, for his service to MLS. He is one of the best players this league has ever seen, and it was a real joy to work with him. He did not always get the minutes he wanted, but he is a pro and was pushing the group daily. Nico is a great example for some of our young players to watch and learn from his longevity and mentality. I feel lucky to cross paths with him, and I will be a Nico fan as he goes forward.”
On Ezequiel Ponce’s performance:
“Ezequiel (Ponce) was great, and he got his goal. We talked to him about being patient and rewarding himself. We have to allow him to score goals, and those opportunities are where he is rewarded. Tonight, he was in the right spot at the right time, and that is what we are asking him to do.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO MIDFIELDER NICO LODEIRO
Sobre su tiempo en Houston:
“Me quedo con el cariño de la gente, un cariño que me brindaron desde el primer día que vine. Tengo mucho respeto por la ciudad y el club (Houston Dynamo), es un club muy tranquilo y lindo. Me trataron como si hubiera estado aquí desde hace muchísimo tiempo, más allá de los resultados y del fútbol en general. Lo más importante siempre para mí es la calidad de las personas y cómo lo tratan a uno y me quedo con eso porque fue algo lindo. Me recibieron de la mejor manera.
On his time in Houston - translated from Spanish:
“I’m left with the love of the fans and a lot of respect for the city. (The Houston Dynamo) is a calm and beautiful club. From the first day I arrived, they treated me as if I had been here for a long time. It went beyond results and soccer in general. The most important thing for me is to look at the quality of the people and how they treat you. I’ll hold on to that, because it was something special, they welcomed me in the best way.”
On his MLS career:
“My time here in MLS means a lot, and this is a very emotional time. I grew a lot. I feel very happy to have been part of MLS, and I enjoyed playing in this league. I want to say thank you to the league, to my teammates, to my former teams, Seattle, Orlando and Houston, and all the teams in MLS. I really want to remark on the respect I have for the fans here in MLS.”
En su carrera en la MLS – traducción de Ingles a Español:
“Mi tiempo en la MLS significa mucho. Fue una etapa muy emocional. Crecí bastante. Estoy muy contento de haber sido parte de la MLS y disfruté jugar en esta liga. Quiero agradecer a la liga, a mis compañeros, a mis equipos anteriores, (Seattle), Orlando y Houston, y a todos los equipos del MLS. Quiero destacar el respecto y a los fans aquí en la MLS.”
