Houston Dynamo fall 1-0 to Real Salt Lake

Photo Credit: Houston Dynamo FC

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

SANDY, UTAH (July 12, 2025)  

Houston Dynamo FC dropped a tight match on the road Saturday night, losing 1-0 to Real Salt Lake at America First Field. Both teams had 17 shots in the game, but a first-half goal from William Agada made the difference.

Dynamo goalkeeper Jonathan Bond made four big saves to keep Houston in the game. In the 7th minute, defender Ethan Bartlow (shown right above) cleared a shot off the goal line, and Bond followed it up with a diving stop seconds later. Bond also made key saves in the 24th, 41st, and late in stoppage time to stop a bicycle kick.

Houston had several chances to tie the game. Felipe Andrade had the team’s first shot on goal in the 18th minute. Jack McGlynn, who just returned from helping the U.S. in the Gold Cup, set up multiple chances, including headers from Ezequiel Ponce and shots from Franco Escobar.

Houston wore black armbands to honor lives lost in recent Texas floods. The club also helped donate $500,000 toward relief efforts, teaming up with MLS and Texas teams.

The Dynamo will now return home to Shell Energy Stadium for two matches next week, facing Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 16 and the Philadelphia Union on July 19.

Houston Dynamo falls 2-1 to Real Salt Lake at Shell Energy Stadium

Photo by Houston Dynamo FC, Used with permission

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 15, 2025) Houston Dynamo FC came up short in a tough 2-1 loss against Real Salt Lake at Shell Energy Stadium. Despite a strong effort, the Dynamo couldn’t find a late equalizer.

Real Salt Lake struck early, scoring in the first minute when Emake Eneli set up Diego Goncalves for a quick goal. Houston responded in the 16th minute when Ezequiel Ponce scored his first goal of the season. Midfielder Jack McGlynn delivered a perfect free-kick to the back post, where Ponce’s strong header found the net.

Salt Lake regained the lead just before halftime. Diego Luna finished a cross from Dominik Marczuk with a header, making it 2-1.

The game saw a key moment in the 37th minute when Dynamo goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell left with an injury. Jimmy Maurer made his club debut as a replacement and later made a big save in the 53rd minute to keep Houston in the match.

Houston nearly took the lead earlier in the game, but Amine Bassi’s 20th-minute goal was overturned by VAR for offside. In the 88th minute, Ethan Bartlow had a close chance to tie the game, but his header was saved and hit the post.

The Dynamo will next face the El Salvador National Team in a friendly on March 19 before returning to league action against the Seattle Sounders on March 22.

Houston Dynamo FC edges Real Salt Lake in thrilling playoff shootout

Photo credit: Houston Dynamo FC
Used with permission.

By Chris Price
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserves

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 11, 2023)  In a heart-stopping showdown at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night, Houston Dynamo FC clinched a spot in the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi MLS playoffs by triumphing over Real Salt Lake 4-3 in a penalty shootout. The captivating encounter concluded with a 1-1 draw in regulation, setting the stage for a nail-biting series of penalty kicks.

The victory propels the Dynamo into the conference semifinals for the eighth time in the club's history, adding another chapter to their storied postseason legacy. Their next challenge awaits, as they are set to face Sporting Kansas City on either Saturday, Nov. 25, or Sunday, Nov. 26. Houston holds a favorable 4-1 record over Sporting in their postseason history.

The penalty shootout drama began with a crucial save from Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark, denying Real Salt Lake's Diego Luna. However, the intensity soared as both teams traded successful penalties until Houston's Nelson Quinones had his shot saved by Salt Lake's Zac MacMath. The tension reached its peak when Salt Lake's Danny Musovski hit the left post, paving the way for Griffin Dorsey's decisive shot that secured the 4-3 shootout victory for the Dynamo.

Houston had initially taken the lead in the 28th minute with a well-crafted goal. Captain Hector Herrera delivered a precise cross to Quiñónes, who expertly played the ball across to Corey Baird for the opening goal. Baird's clinical finish marked his first-ever MLS postseason goal, setting the Dynamo faithful alight.

Real Salt Lake, however, responded in the 65th minute, leveling the score at 1-1 with a goal from Diego Luna off a cross from Bryan Oviedo. The back-and-forth action kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the regulation period.

Herrera showcased his playmaking prowess, finishing the night with three chances created. His contribution in the final third has been a consistent highlight for the Dynamo, tallying an impressive 17 assists in the regular season.

The Dynamo faced adversity early on when they conceded the first shot of the game in the fourth minute, but resilient defending and the heroics of goalkeeper Steve Clark kept Salt Lake at bay. Clark's two key saves during regulation played a crucial role in preserving the deadlock.

The game was the sixth meeting between the two squads this year, and the Dynamo maintained an unbeaten record against Salt Lake in regulation, boasting a 3-0-3 (WLD) record in all competitions.

Houston Dynamo FC, Real Salt Lake battle to scoreless draw

By Jennifer Edwards
Copyright 2021 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 31, 2021) Houston Dynamo FC took on Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, looking for a win after their draw against San Jose. The Dynamo looked to better their record from 3-8-4 and the 10th place standing in the MLS Western Conference. The match marked the first time Houston saw attacker, Mateo Bajamich. 

In the first 10 minutes of play, both teams show rather equal strength in passing and defending. The goal post saved the Dynamo at the 10 minute mark and an excellent rebound save from Maric kept Real Salt Lake from scoring. At the 20 minute mark Real Salt Lake continued to push the Dynamo defense, trying to find an opening; and the defensive line holding strong, but Salt Lake was making them work for it. 

RSL’s goalkeeper had spectacular saves in the 22nd and the 23rd-minute of play to deny the Dynamo a chance at an early lead. Standout of the first half for the Dynamo was Sam Junqua, who spent a lot of his time moving the ball out of the goal area and frustrating Real Salt Lake. The best chance the Dynamo had in the first half was Memo Rodriguez,  who hit the goalpost with the best chance of a goal in the first half. 

Going into halftime the Dynamo had seven shots on goal, six saves and four corner kicks to Real Salt Lake’s six shots on goal, seven saves and four corner kicks. The half showed that both teams were rather equally matched in play. 

The second half of play saw the Dynamo substituting in Corey Baird for fresher legs in the midfield. Baird had one on target shot in stoppage time. 

Baird “...had a great game, not easy. He landed last night about midnight. So, he barely had a chance to adapt to breathing Houston air for a few hours. Here he is, thrown into a game that’s 0-0 during the second half against his old team.” 

During the second half of play Real Salt Lake was reduced to 10 men playing because of a second yellow card being shown to Justen Glad. These two teams were pretty equally matched with Real Salt Lake having possession of the ball 55% of the time. The Dynamo will need to work on being more aggressive on the offensive strategies in order to open more space for the attackers to be able to shoot the ball more accurately. 

Houston will hot the road to play Austin FC on Wednesday, August 4, with at 8:00 p.m. kickoff at Q2 Stadium.

Houston Dynamo drop hard-fought match to Real Salt Lake

Archive photo by
Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

SANDY, UTAH (September 29, 2019) The Houston Dynamo evened the score at one in the 32nd minute, but Real Salt Lake punched in the go-ahead goal late in the games they dropped a 2-1 match in their next-to-last game of the 2019 season. Houston fell to 11-4-18 (W-D-L) for the season as they go into their final game of the season against the LA Galaxy, scheduled for a 3 p.m. CDT start at BBVA Stadium on Sunday, October 6. 

RSL got on the scoreboard early in the game when Corey Baird broke away from the Dynamo defenders and got the ball past goalkeeper Tyler Deric 37 seconds into the match. Houston evened the match when Tomas Martinez scored, however Jefferson Savarino found the back of the goal in the 75th minute.

With the win, Salt Lake advances to the 2019 MLS playoffs; their third appearance in the past four years.

Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake battle to one-all draw in season opener

Photo by
Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 2, 2019) The Houston Dynamo kicked off their 2019 schedule with 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake in front of 16,827 fans at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on Saturday evening. The draw puts the Dynamo at 12-10-7 lifetime versus Salt Lake.

After forty minutes of spirited play, with both side giving as much as they received, Houston got caught out of position 10 yards in front of their goal. Midfielders Albert Rusnak slipped the ball past goalkeeper Joe Willis to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0, which held until halftime.

It took the Dynamo until the 62nd minute to find their first goal of 2019. Forward Mauro Manotas (shown left) punched it in from the top of the box to even the score at one. The Colombian scored 19 goals in 2018, and Saturday's goal was his second lifetime against the Dynamo's Western Conference rivals. Houston now boosts a 7-0-2 record in season home openers at BBVA Compass Stadium; along with a 9-1-5 record going back to the time they play at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium.

One year ago, Salt Lake swept Houston in season games, both 2-1 losses on May 30 and August 18. The last time the Dynamo bested Salt Lake was a 5-1 decision on May 17, 2017. Other recent match ups saw a scoreless draw on August 5, 2017 and a 1-0  Dynamo win on September 17, 2016. The Dynamo were 12-10-6 against Salt Lake prior to Saturday's contest. 

Houston will have only two to rest and prepare for their next match; a Tuesday, March 5 contest against Tigres UANL in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series with a 9 p.m. CT kickoff. Houston will travel to Nueva Leon for the second leg at Estadio Universitario on Tuesday, March 12. Kickoff for that match is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT.

In between the two CONCACAF matches, the Dynamo will take on the Montreal Impact on Saturday, March 9, with a 4 p.m. CT kickoff. Montreal is facing San Jose on the road late Saturday night in both teams 2019 opener.

Montreal finished 2018 with 14 wins, four draws, and 16 losses, for 46 points; which was seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.

Houston will host Tigres at BBVA Compass Stadium in the first leg of the series on Tuesday, March 5 at 9 p.m. CT. The Dynamo will travel to Nueva Leon for the second leg at Estadio Universitario on Tuesday, March 12. Kickoff for that match is scheduled for 10 p.m. CT.