HOUSTON — In a crucial match held on Saturday night, Ezequiel Ponce emerged as the hero for the Houston Dynamo, netting a second-half goal that secured a 1-0 victory over St. Louis City. This win halted Houston’s three-game losing streak. The match was evenly poised until Ponce broke the deadlock, capitalizing on assists from defenders Felipe Andrade and Franco Escobar. This marked Ponce’s fifth goal of the current season and his tenth across his two seasons in the league. For the rookie Andrade, it was his first assist out of nine career appearances, while Escobar recorded his third assist of the season.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Bond delivered an impressive performance in goal for the Dynamo, requiring just a single save to achieve his sixth shutout of the campaign. This victory was monumental for Houston (record 6-9-5) as it was their first triumph over St. Louis City (record 3-11-6) in five regular-season encounters. The teams previously ended in a scoreless draw during their last Houston matchup and a 1-1 stalemate earlier in 2023, during a season where St. Louis City topped the Western Conference standings in their debut year.
On the defensive side, Roman Bürki managed five saves for St. Louis City, but it wasn’t enough to alter the outcome, leaving the team with a struggling road record of 1-7-2. Houston’s defense was slightly shorthanded, as they were without Griffin Dorsey, who was sidelined due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Looking ahead, the Houston Dynamo are set to travel for a match against San Diego FC on Saturday. Meanwhile, St. Louis City is scheduled to face off against Real Salt Lake on the same day.