Three things we learned: Houston Dynamo at LA Galaxy
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo picked up a point on the road after a 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy Saturday night. After each game this season, we’re going to bring you three things we learned from the match. Here is our next edition after watching the Dynamo earn a draw in Southern California.
Ponce is Finding His Scoring Boots
Ezequiel Ponce found his way back onto the scoresheet after nearly a month and three goal-scarce matches for Houston Dynamo FC. Once again, the DP #10—who ironically plays as a #9—proved that even with limited chances, he can make them count.
His goal came after a brilliant solo run from Sebastian Kowalczyk, who laid the ball off inside the box to Amine Bassi. Bassi’s shot lacked power and seemed destined to fizzle out—until it found the feet of Ponce, who calmly slotted it home with a single touch for the Dynamo’s first and only goal of the night.
Ponce came close to a second, too. Another lovely cross from Kowalczyk found him for a header that rattled off the right post, inches away from giving Houston the lead again.
He also played a pivotal role in shifting the momentum early, drawing the red card that left LA Galaxy down to 10 men in the 28th minute. Chasing down a long ball from fellow Argentine Franco Escobar, Ponce smartly positioned himself between the ball and Zanka, forcing the defender into a difficult choice—either let Ponce shoot or take him down. Zanka chose the latter, clipped Ponce’s legs, and earned himself a straight red. The resulting free kick came close to doubling the lead, barely deflected off the wall.
Ponce finished the match with six shots, two on target, plus the one that hit the post. With another Designated Player, Ondrej Lingr, reportedly joining the matchday squad “soon” per head coach Ben Olsen, the big question remains: will another DP attacker finally provide the consistent service Ponce needs to truly catch fire?
Junir Urso Was Missed
Due to a last-minute calf injury, Brazilian midfielder Junior Urso was left out of the squad this past weekend, and his absence was noticeable. The 36-year-old MLS veteran has played limited minutes so far this season—90 in the 0-0 draw vs. Seattle, 17 minutes against Portland, and another full match in the win over LAFC.
When asked about Urso’s role in that LAFC game, Ben Olsen made it clear: LAFC’s strength in transition needed to be neutralized in midfield, and Urso was the key to doing that alongside Artur. His presence not only tightened the defensive structure but also allowed Jack McGlynn to push forward—leading to a stellar goal from the youngster.
Urso was a force that night: 9 duels won (7 on the ground, 2 aerial), 5 defensive actions, 2 recoveries, and an 89% passing rate. Despite his age, his intensity on both ends of the pitch is undeniable. Offensively, he chipped in with 5 passes into the final third and even had a few touches in the opposition box.
Against LA Galaxy, Houston tried to replicate the shape they used versus LAFC, replacing Urso with Brooklyn Raines and again pushing McGlynn forward. But as I’ll cover in the next section, the difference was palpable. Which begs the question—has Urso earned an undroppable starting spot in this two-defensive-mids system? And is he now essential to Olsen’s tactical blueprint?
Lack of Urgency?
Let’s talk urgency—or maybe the lack thereof.
The Galaxy went down to 10 men in the 28th minute. That left 60+ minutes for the Dynamo playing a man up against the worst team in the Western Conference. This is the same Houston team that recently tied away at Seattle and Columbus—two notoriously tough places to earn points—and just notched their first win of the season over LAFC. You’d expect that confidence to carry over.
And early on, it did. The Dynamo controlled the match and scored within the first 15 minutes. But after the red card, the intensity didn't rise—it flattened.
Houston started the second half with energy, but that momentum was broken when Diego Fagundez hit an absolute screamer in the 57th minute (we’ll talk more about that on the podcast—**LIVE Mondays at 9 PM on our YouTube channel**).
Bottom line: the Dynamo, despite the advantage, couldn’t keep the lead or create enough chances given the circumstances. And it wasn’t just on the players—Ben Olsen’s subs raised some eyebrows, too.
Brooklyn Raines, who had a rough night statistically, was subbed off in the 72nd minute—arguably 10–15 minutes too late. Nicolas Lodeiro came on and moved into McGlynn’s role, who, in my opinion, also didn’t have his best game. Then, in the 83rd minute, Bassi made way for Ibrahim Aliyu. While the intent was clear—use Aliyu’s speed and stretch the field—it felt too little, too late. Seven minutes (plus stoppage time) just isn’t enough for a guy like Aliyu to get into rhythm. Or, as our guy Joey Chabala would say, *”Let Aliyu cook."*
