Houston Dynamo FC earn last-minute win against LA Galaxy on Decision Day

Story and photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 19, 2024) Houston Dynamo FC ended their regular season on a high note with a thrilling 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy in front of a sold-out crowd at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday. The game had a dramatic finish, with defender Daniel Steres scoring the match-winning goal deep into stoppage time.

The win allowed Houston to set a new club record for points in a season, finishing with 54 points, breaking their previous record of 53 from 2012. With this victory, the Dynamo secured the 5th seed in the Western Conference and are now headed to the MLS playoffs. Their next challenge will be against the 4th-seeded Seattle Sounders FC in a Best-of-3 series starting next week.

The game’s first big moment came late in the first half. In the 44th minute, Houston's forward Ezequiel Ponce found the back of the net. The play began with a free-kick from team captain Hector Herrera, which bounced off defender Erik Sviatchenko and landed perfectly for Ponce to score. It was his fifth goal of the season, and it gave Houston a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.

LA Galaxy fought back and got a penalty kick in stoppage time after a video review showed that Houston’s midfielder Artur committed a foul inside the box. Gabriel Pec stepped up and converted the penalty, tying the game 1-1. With both teams level, it looked like the game was headed for a draw.

But Houston wasn’t done yet. In the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time, Steres, a former Galaxy player, rose above the defense to head home a cross from Griffin Dorsey. His goal sent the Houston fans into celebration as the Dynamo snatched the win in dramatic fashion.

Throughout the game, both teams had plenty of chances. In the 16th minute, Houston’s midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla fired a shot that was blocked right at the goal line by a Galaxy defender. Forward Amine Bassi also set up some good scoring opportunities, but Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made key saves to keep his team in the game.

Houston’s goalkeeper Steve Clark was also busy. He made a crucial save in the 18th minute, diving to stop a shot from Galaxy’s Joseph Paintsil. Clark continued to play well throughout the game, finishing with four important saves.

LA Galaxy thought they had tied the game earlier in the second half when Paintsil scored, but the goal was overturned after a VAR review showed a foul in the build-up.