HOUSTON — In a thrilling encounter at the Shell Energy Stadium, Real Salt Lake secured a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night, courtesy of early and late goals by Diogo Gonçalves and Diego Luna.
The action began instantly with a remarkable start for Real Salt Lake as Diogo Gonçalves found the back of the net just 43 seconds into the match. This marked Gonçalves’ first goal of the season and his third across nine starts and 13 appearances in his career. Emeka Eneli was instrumental in setting up the goal, earning his first assist of the season after recording three assists in the previous season.
Houston Dynamo quickly retaliated and leveled the score in the 16th minute. Ezequiel Ponce capitalized on a pass from Jack McGlynn, scoring his opening goal of the season. Ponce had impressed as a rookie last season, scoring five goals in ten appearances. This match also saw McGlynn recording his first assist with the Dynamo, following his previous tenure with the Philadelphia Union where he tallied seven goals and 13 assists over four seasons.
In a dramatic twist during first-half stoppage time, Diego Luna netted the decisive goal for Real Salt Lake, assisted by Dominik Marczuk. It was Luna’s first goal of the season, supported by Marczuk’s second assist, who registered a goal and an assist in eight appearances last year. Luna, previously an eight-goal scorer last season, proved crucial in securing the victory.
Real Salt Lake’s goalkeeper, Rafael Cabral, made a significant save in the match, marking his fourth start in the league. Meanwhile, Andrew Tarbell, tasked with protecting Dynamo’s goal, made three saves in what was his seventh career start for the club over three seasons.
With this victory, Real Salt Lake now leads the all-time series against Houston 15-14-11. The previous season saw Houston emerge victorious with a dominant 4-1 win at home.
Looking forward, Real Salt Lake is set to return home for a clash against FC Dallas on Saturday, while the Dynamo will travel to face the Seattle Sounders.
