Real Salt Lake Hammer Houston Dynamo 3-0
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo arrived in Salt Lake City for their midweek match with Real Salt Lake riding high after a 4-1 win over LAFC on Sunday night. It was a quick turnaround for Ben Olsen’s side and the home side was able to take advantage with a dominant second half.
Ben Olsen made multiple changes to the lineup that won in Los Angeles on Sunday, most notably having all three Designated Players on the bench to start the match. Even with the rotation in the starting eleven, the Dynamo came out looking aggressive.
Ondrej Lingr stung the hands of RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral from distance in the 14th minute. Nick Markanich looked to break in on goal just three minutes later but his shot rolled off the post. Lingr and Jack McGlynn both tested Cabral from distance in the 39th minute but the Brazilian kept Houston off the score sheet. McGlynn spun a shot wide, again from outside the box, just before halftime.
With the score 0-0 at half time, both teams made adjustments. Salt Lake brought on their star man Diego Luna for the second half while Houston made two changes, replacing McGlynn and Agustin Resch with Mateusz Bogusz and Antonio Carlos.
The home side struck first less than five minutes after the restart. A long throw-in from DeAndre Yedlin was headed backward by Dynamo defender Franco Negri at the corner of the six-yard box. Duane Holmes tried to keep the shot out but could only volley it into the roof of the net to put RSL ahead 1-0 in the 49th minute.
Then it was teenager Zavier Gozo who took over to bury the Dynamo on this night. In the 57th minute, he combined wonderfully with Yedlin at the top of the box before slotting past Jonathan Bond to double Salt Lake’s lead.
Minutes later, in the 64th, Stijn Spierings sent Gozo through on goal and the 19-year-old made no mistake, bagging his brace and putting RSL up 3-0.
The loss for Houston marks their first since April 25th and ends their streak of six wins in their last seven matches in all competitions.
Things won’t get easier for the Dynamo in this brutal strech as they now return home to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night. They will then travel to St. Louis for the quarterfinal in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.
